2024 WRC News & Rumours

[seb_sh]

...a power stage as usual, the winning driver runs last as usual, the winner stands on the car as usual, podium ceremony as usual, flags and champagne as usual, points graphics on screen as usual and "join us in X, goodbye" as usual.

Maybe there's a couple extra points graphics than before, but there's no extra ceremony or need to interview the Saturday/Sunday/PS 'winners'.

It might not work, it might not be agreeable, it might be cancelled; but anybody pretending they don't understand who won a rally after Monte is being obstinate.

I don't think anyone is actually confused about who the rally winner is. I think what people mean is that it won't make sense when the rally winner gets fewer points than 3rd place for example. It might be fine for most rallies but I think we'll have a few awkward ones next year, there is a disonance between the result and the reward. Giving points for Sunday would have achieved the same goal. Ending the rally on Saturday and having Sunday Super Sprint would have worked as well. Both would have been more straightforward. That's the point.

About the coverage, I'm not sure it's going to be as straightforward. On Sunday they may focus on the leg standings as that's what actually gives out points. During the powers stage there are 3 relevant standings: PS itself which gives points, Sunday leg which gives points and Rally Overall which doesn't give points but determines the winner. Afterwards a fourth classification is relevant for the biggest points reward: Saturday standings but only the cars that finished the rally. I tried to imagine Becsy and Porter trying to make heads and tails of everything, I'm eagerly awaiting to hear it live

[HKSjbg]

I tried to imagine Becsy and Porter trying to make heads and tails of everything, I'm eagerly awaiting to hear it live

As with every one of their broadcasts, their vocabulary won’t stretch much further than “Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Oooooooooooooo”

[WRCStan]

I don't think anyone is actually confused about who the rally winner is.

That's exactly what was said.

Ending the rally on Saturday and having Sunday Super Sprint would have worked as well. Both would have been more straightforward. That's the point.

You're then creating two or three events, a paperwork disaster for everybody involved from permits to insurances etc. You're also shitting on the organiser's event, the start-to-finish rally that still exists for everybody else from WRC2 to funtime driver. How do you enforce everybody to take part on the Sunday if they can't be bothered...

I think there is good reason it hasn't been done like this. Possible in the future but too quick a change now to be fair.

About the coverage, I'm not sure it's going to be as straightforward. On Sunday they may focus on the leg standings as that's what actually gives out points. During the powers stage there are 3 relevant standings: PS itself which gives points, Sunday leg which gives points and Rally Overall which doesn't give points but determines the winner. Afterwards a fourth classification is relevant for the biggest points reward: Saturday standings but only the cars that finished the rally. I tried to imagine Becsy and Porter trying to make heads and tails of everything, I'm eagerly awaiting to hear it live

Fair point, on screen graphics will have to be clear, and commentary will have to be mentally switched on. So I wouldn't be too surprised if they didn't focus on Sunday scores much. It could just be 5-10 seconds per graphic at the end of each stage. 'Here are the stage results', 'Here are the leg standings', 'Here are the rally standings'.

Else, by the time they get to cameras in WRC2 cars it will be an absolute fkinc mess.

It's easier than trying to understand that a Rally2 car is winning the class but is not nominated for WRC2 but is 8th overall so will score WRC points.

[seb_sh]

That's exactly what was said.



You're then creating two or three events, a paperwork disaster for everybody involved from permits to insurances etc. You're also shitting on the organiser's event, the start-to-finish rally that still exists for everybody else from WRC2 to funtime driver. How do you enforce everybody to take part on the Sunday if they can't be bothered...

I think there is good reason it hasn't been done like this. Possible in the future but too quick a change now to be fair.



Fair point, on screen graphics will have to be clear, and commentary will have to be mentally switched on. So I wouldn't be too surprised if they didn't focus on Sunday scores much. It could just be 5-10 seconds per graphic at the end of each stage. 'Here are the stage results', 'Here are the leg standings', 'Here are the rally standings'.

Else, by the time they get to cameras in WRC2 cars it will be an absolute fkinc mess.

It's easier than trying to understand that a Rally2 car is winning the class but is not nominated for WRC2 but is 8th overall so will score WRC points.

How would giving extra points for Sunday be a different event? It's the current solution without the nonsense Saturday points.

Fair enough about the organisers needing heads-up to have a separate Sunday sprint but the FIA had plenty of time to do something, Sunday cruising is there for years and years...

[WRCStan]

How would giving extra points for Sunday be a different event? It's the current solution without the nonsense Saturday points.

(I quoted) Ending the rally on Saturday and having a separate Sunday Sprint causes multiple events, administration issues and questionable participation question for lower classes. If they do a third, "full length" rally; they are not doing a WRC rally. There will therefore remain only one rally for the foreseeable future.

A Power Sunday within existing start-to-finish points system obviously didn't appeal to them. I can only imagine because this doesn't reset the risk and incentives across the board - crews and manufacturers. Only a fresh clean start from 0 is best for answering the root problem statement: how to get all entertainment class cars entertaining on a Sunday. It eliminates the possibility of team orders or drivers deciding on the rally or the sprint. If you retain 25 for the win and a token for the sprint, 5 points say? You might as well do nothing, just not radical enough, it is not an incentive.

What they delivered is the only way to reset to 0 and remain in the one rally.

[seb_sh]

Only a fresh clean start from 0 is best for answering the root problem statement: how to get all entertainment class cars entertaining on a Sunday. It eliminates the possibility of team orders or drivers deciding on the rally or the sprint. If you retain 25 for the win and a token for the sprint, 5 points say? You might as well do nothing, just not radical enough, it is not an incentive.

What they delivered is the only way to reset to 0 and remain in the one rally.

Ok, I think you are right that this is what they think and is how they got to this solution, however I think that they are wrong and that they were a minute late and a dollar short as always which limited their options. I hope I'm wrong but I think there will be a some awkward rallies and stage end interviews. Not long until we start finding out.