WRC2 / WRC3 News & Rumours 2022

[pantealex]

After a 1st Rally, the new championship system for Rally2 seems better even if some things can be improved: the Junior and Masters championships does not mess up the global understanding. Could seem a little complex at the beginning but the comparison is clearer I think.

Some points could be improved:

- the Junior eligibility rule is a little too tricky in my opinion: I’m not sure comparing Gryazin or Bulacia (both 25th start in a R5/Rally2 in WRC and more than 20 in ERC for the Russian) with Cais (2nd WRC event and 12 ERC R5 event) and Munster (8th WRC event and 8 ERC R5 event) is totally fair. And, for example, Rossel has only 16 R5/Rally2 WRC évent (and no ERC) in career and he cannot participate, even if a little older; the same for Huttunen. But it’s always difficult to find a good rule to and, still, it gives an acceptable level of competition for the category with also Lindholm and Lopez to come and maybe others.

- the power stages point rules should be the same for all the championships, here is too specific (a rule for WRC, another for WRC2 and no point for the rest). Or at least the same for all which is not WRC.


Two things are quite useless but, as it has no effect on the global championship, never mind;

- the Masters thing, okay it helped to attract some drivers but I’m not sure it’s coherent with the development of WRC-3 championship and Rally3

- The team championship is useless (last year is a good evidence with Movisport win) but still, okay, it gives some visibility to a team such as Toksport so not really an issue. But, as Toksport is the only real team to play the game, the interest is really limited.



About Rally3, I’m still skeptical: as there is no young big names or good references and that this car is still below Rally2 level, it is really difficult to know what is the value of this championship; and when he wins the class, is he good or the others bad? And does his gap with Rally2 good or not? It was already the case in Rally4 to be honest but the difference was that there were more cars to compare and it was less expensive. So I’m not sure this more expensive solution is a good thing. Let’s hope it can succeed but I’m not sure of the principle.
The only positive is that it should help to have a very good high-level Junior championship in Rally4 in ERC as they cannot make WRC anymore.

I agree with you in most points but wanted to add:

Most likely there will be WRC2Teams from Hyundai and Msport also, but it still pretty useless Cup.

I think they are aiming to get drivers do WRC3 before WRC2, that way WRC2J drivers have more WRC starts

WRC3J/JWRC starts in Sweden, that should make WRC3 pretty interesting serie.

[WRCStan]

About Rally3, I’m still skeptical: as there is no young big names or good references and that this car is still below Rally2 level, it is really difficult to know what is the value of this championship; and when he wins the class, is he good or the others bad? And does his gap with Rally2 good or not? It was already the case in Rally4 to be honest but the difference was that there were more cars to compare and it was less expensive. So I’m not sure this more expensive solution is a good thing. Let’s hope it can succeed but I’m not sure of the principle.

There shouldn't really be big names entering WRC3, only exiting it as it's a privateer or proving ground. It's early days yet, the championships need to exist first to allow people to adjust.

I might sigh though if there are more JWRC entries than open entries on non-JWRC rounds. I will definitely laugh if it's non-Junior Pajari who can't fail to podium every round to become Open Champion but not Junior Champion but I've said enough about that in the JWRC thread.

[Danny0405]

One question for those who know it:
What is the point of creating fake WRC-2 teams for the team championship?

Toksport is a true team, they prepare their own cars so it’s okay and it gives them some visibility even if they have to pay 10k€ registration fees.

For M-Sport, clearly, some of the drivers used in the championship teams are only clients (Prokop last year, Adielsson in next Swedish rally) but I could understand as the entry fees are free for them for the WRC-2 team championship (As a Rally1 manufacturer). All the more than the car is effectively prepared by M-Sport.

But I don’t really understand a fake team like Movisport last year or Yacco ACCR team in Monte Carlo (probably a team around Cais only with some local Yacco-supported drivers from other teams as a supporting cast). Don’t really mind but I don’t really understand what is the model for paying 10k€ registration fee: I don’t see anything about the prize money; the visibility is low, neither it seems to lower the driver registration fees.
So quite surprised.

[Mirek]

- the Junior eligibility rule is a little too tricky in my opinion: I’m not sure comparing Gryazin or Bulacia (both 25th start in a R5/Rally2 in WRC and more than 20 in ERC for the Russian) with Cais (2nd WRC event and 12 ERC R5 event) and Munster (8th WRC event and 8 ERC R5 event) is totally fair.

I think Erik is perfectly OK with being compared to them because that's why he is there in the first place

But I don’t really understand a fake team like Movisport last year or Yacco ACCR team in Monte Carlo (probably a team around Cais only with some local Yacco-supported drivers from other teams as a supporting cast). Don’t really mind but I don’t really understand what is the model for paying 10k€ registration fee: I don’t see anything about the prize money; the visibility is low, neither it seems to lower the driver registration fees.
So quite surprised.

It is probably more important for the sponsors than we think. At least with Yacco ACCR it's one of the highlights of the post-RMC press release after all.

[Mirek]

Don't know if it was posted here already. Kristensson was testing with Kowax team. Will he replace Huttunen?

[WRCStan]

Very good question Danny, it's also run through my head. Yacco makes sense if they get advertising out of it, their name will be documented forever and might get some links out of it and other things.

But please allow me to hijack your question and pitch a WRC3 Team to the forums and maybe find out what's in it for the likes of Movisport this way. Printsport might show up but M-Sport just shouldn't and Brazolli didn't go with Movisport in Monte. Not sure who else there is or would be(?). We just need €10,000 and a willing driver/s who is already competing (we can bribe them with a set of tyres ). The money can be from your savings or some tax avoidance stuff, it doesn't matter to me. Is there anything else?

Benefits are: team passes at rallies that you were going to pay for tickets at anyway, huge trophies to impress the neighbours with, rub shoulders with motorsport elite at the Gala Ball, then also any secret prize money! Who wants to be World Rally Champions with me?

[Sulland]

This is taken from wrc.com, is the junior class rules changed?

How does the WRC2 Open Championship work?

Every round of the WRC season features WRC2, but drivers and co-drivers can only nominate seven scoring rounds. Their best six results count.Are there other classes within WRC2?

Yes. Drivers and co-drivers under the age of 30 are eligible for the WRC2 Junior Championship. At the other end of the spectrum, drivers and co-drivers over the age of 50 are eligible for the WRC Masters Cup.

[Danny0405]

Don’t think so; I think the text here is more a sort a summary for newcomers of the general idea without entering into much details: it is why the other rules are not mentionned

[skarderud]

Østberg is not doing sweden, thats the first time in his entire carriere.

He are supposedly in discusions with 2 teams, one of them is Citröen, and a other team he didn't want to say.
First rally is croatia he aims.
Both Hyundai and M-sport need his help with theire Rally2's.

Veiby is doing sweden in a KMS Polo R5, so the Hyundai adventure is over i presume.

Sent fra min SM-G950F via Tapatalk

[ouvreur]

Both Hyundai and M-sport need his help with theire Rally2's.

Sorry... what? These teams need Mads' help with their cars? Help to do what, make them worse?

We're talking about this Mads Østberg, right? https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/ostbe...-after-issues/

Ok, he might have learned from those mistakes, but would you give that sort of responsibility to someone who has openly admitted to making errors in development of a car? It's not really a glowing recommendation...