Rallye Deutschland 2014

[Astro83]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


PONTUS!!!!!!!! FUCKING GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a awesome drive!!!

[Tom206wrc]

Tidemand wins WRC2 for 1"

[wwbroe]

Congratulations to Tidemand for a well deserved victory in WRC2. Tanak had also a good weekend, but i think tyres were his major problem.

[jonkka]

For my calcules, Neuville equals Bacchelli being 9th on youngest winners.

He is ninth youngest alright but is one day younger than Bacchelli.

[Tom206wrc]

Lefèbvre wins JWRC for 9"

[Andre Oliveira]

He is ninth youngest alright but is one day younger than Bacchelli.

Ups

[Lundefaret]

Quick and very informal analyzing of the drivers based on the footage of the testing:

I have given scores based on speed and risk level, where a 10/10 would be the perfect score.
The speed would indicate the possible pace, and the risk the possibility for keeping up that speed during the whole event.

First: A lot of very good driving. So the fight for the second place could be a close one Of course limited footage, so this is only based on what was available, but could give a reasonable prediction.

VW:
- Ogier in a class of his own. He is a VERY strong favorite for the win. Especially if the weather turns wet. 9.0/8
- Latvala looks on the pace, but not as precise as Ogier. But clearly on a mission. The trick, as always, for Latvala is what has the win in Finland done for his psyche, will this be good or bad? Could fight for second. 8.7/7
- Mikkelsen. Looks very good, should be in the fight for the podium. 8.0/6

Citroën:
- Meeke should be strong, but can equally end up in the wine ranks. So its a fight for the podium, or taking the extended tour 8.5/5
- Østberg surprisingly good, although limited footage, and only dry weather. But I don't think I have seen him so Loeb-ish on tarmac before - could we be in for a surprise? 8.0/9

Hyundai - I think Hyundai could make a very positive result.
- Sordo, looks very good. Has been a little unprecice at a previous tarmac test, but looked better now. But the footage was not the best to make the call. But could be in for a podium fight. 8.7/7
- Neuville. Looks very strong, but a bit to eager. Will have to pace him self on the second run trough in the dry, and always in the wet. 8.0/5
- Bouffier. Tough very good, nothing is to be expected. A difficult rally, and every sound progression will be a victory in it self.

Ford:
- Hirvonen, looks surprisingly good, and precise. Could also fight above what have become expected of him this season. 8.0/9
- Evans. Have a very high risk of understeering off on the second runs, or in the wet. 7.0/3
- Kubica. Sometimes fast, but also unprecice and high risk. Will be quick in the dry, but quick and unsafe in the wet. 8.0/3

Speed ranking:
9.0:
Ogier

8.7:
Latvala
Sordo

8.5:
Neuville*
Meeke*

8.0:
Mikkelsen
Østberg
Hirvonen
Kubica*

7.0
Evans*

*High Risk

So how did this pan out?

Regarding speed and risk:
Ogier:
- Seeed: Was fastest, so correct.
- Risk: Way off on the initial analysing, but picked up on it during the event. I should have taken 2013 in account. BIG mistake by me!

Latvala:
- Speed: Correct.
- Risk: Way off! Again my mistake.

Sordo:
- Speed: Sordo was fast, but Neuville faster, so almost correct, but correct about the speed of the Hyundais.
- Risk: Correct.

Neuville:
- Speed: Almost correct, should have been placed above Sordo.
- Risk: Correct. Judged him as high risk, and he went of on SD. Half jokingly said that he could repeat the efforts of Petter Solberg on Corsica in 2003, wich he did. Congratulations!

Meeke:
- Speed: Correct.
- Risk: Correct. Had a spin the first day, hoped that would be it, but went of on the last day...

Mikkelsen:
- Speed: Correct
- Risk: Correct. Judged him 6/10, and he did have a moment destroying a wheel.
Said he was going to fight for a podium, he ended up third, so correct.

Østberg:
- Speed: Correct when it was all dry, but he has bigger difficulties in the wet/when there is mud on the tarmac than I expected. Not the positive surprise I visioned.
- Risk: Correct

Hirvonen:
- Speed: Half correct, actually tought it would be a chance of him going faster.
- Risk: Correct

Kubica:
- Speed: Correct
- Risk: Correct

Evans:
- Speed: Started correct, but he had a great progression trough the event, congratulations!
- Risk: The testing was some of the worst I have ever seen (and thats not taking in account his off), and I was dead certain he would understeer of at SS2. But boy did he prove me wrong!

Hyundai: Predicted a very positive result for Hyundai, and I think we can agree that that was correct.

Conclusion:
Speed: Judgements of speed based on testing footage was quite precise.
Risk: Judegement of risk based on testing footage was a lot less precise.
Overall: Not bad - I think, but have to work on the risk factor.

[wwbroe]

I intend to agree on most facts with you, but i am not so sure that all cars are equal. :-)

[Eli]

it's Mikkelsen's first ever 3rd place oddly enough

[Lundefaret]

I intend to agree on most facts with you, but i am not so sure that all cars are equal. :-)

Not equal as identical, but similar enough that the best driver will be a winner in any of the factory cars - and thats great!