Thread: How do you see the future of rally?

Very good thread.
I still mantain that the WRC has got huge potential, more than any other Motorsport, due to variety of venues/countries visited. However, it needs to be managed properly – something which it has not happened over the last 10 years. The people running/involved in the sport need a dose of reality....
First, accept it’s not F1 – and don’t try to ape it! It could be a very successful 2nd Tier world sport, which is what the aim should be – and to become 2nd in popularity/prestige in Motorsport to F1.

Yes WRC and other rallys can have again a huge potential but it is high time that something will change.
As private and local drivers also had the chance as before to drive cheaper, the same cars as the current top drivers
It would have been more interest from the people, sponsors and TV.
I think Europe will definitely need this the next 10 years .

Originally Posted by AndyRAC

Very good thread.
I still mantain that the WRC has got huge potential, more than any other Motorsport, due to variety of venues/countries visited. However, it needs to be managed properly – something which it has not happened over the last 10 years. The people running/involved in the sport need a dose of reality....
First, accept it’s not F1 – and don’t try to ape it! It could be a very successful 2nd Tier world sport, which is what the aim should be – and to become 2nd in popularity/prestige in Motorsport to F1.

+1 a good thread.
Which teams will be in in the future? Its dificult to say, but I wonder how much profit, if any, non factory teams make in a year? If they are making a loss, they can only do this for so long!
I think a good starting point for WRC to become more popular in the UK is the odd advert like Kris meekes( hes meeke, but not mild:-) and then grow from there.

Originally Posted by AndyRAC

. The people running/involved in the sport need a dose of reality....
First, accept it’s not F1 – .

Scary, dangerous or crazy places in stages of WRC or other rallies.

This page is full of one thing that WRC has and F1 doesn't have

I think that if all the wrc car had a standardized ecu set i.e no special maps for the works teams. The the private would have a better chance of winner and have a better chance of getting long term sponsors. i know that wouldnt make the sport any cheaper but it would make it a more even playing field.

Originally Posted by gtimad73

I think that if all the wrc car had a standardized ecu set i.e no special maps for the works teams. The the private would have a better chance of winner and have a better chance of getting long term sponsors. i know that wouldnt make the sport any cheaper but it would make it a more even playing field.

then there would not be any manufacturers in the sport.....

The manufacturers are there to brag about having the best machines...if things were too equal then there would be no point in a manufacturer to enter.

but people are not watching the sport any more. so somethings got to be done to make people interested in it again. i don't really want to watch loeb win another 2 world championship because theres no cars to match the citroens. Surely if the private teams where contracted to bang on about how they won because ford,mini,citroen and so was the best car. they get there glory.

Which teams will continue to rally in the future?

VW will have a second team, something from Ford & PSA as well. I am not sure Mini will have an official arraignment due to finance

Which factory teams continue to rally in the future?

VW, Ford, Prodrive, maybe something from PSA

What new factory teams will run against Citroen or Volkswagen in the future?

Kia/Hyundai, maybe Subaru/Toyota. I don't think we will see any more new cars for at least 2 years.

Who will still sponsor rallies in the future?

Similar to how it is done now. If we go to Russia, China we will see some unfamiliar state owned car companies sponsoring the events.

Is there money for more drivers than a few drivers who are paid just now?

I don't think that it is a question of money. If the rules were different we would see 3 car team again.

Are the current rally cars not too expensive?

I am not sure how it could be made cheap. There will always be an element of cost in this sport.

Very very good questions BTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by gtimad73

but people are not watching the sport any more. so somethings got to be done to make people interested in it again. i don't really want to watch loeb win another 2 world championship because theres no cars to match the citroens. Surely if the private teams where contracted to bang on about how they won because ford,mini,citroen and so was the best car. they get there glory.

the domination of Loeb would still be there i think....

Citroen didn't have the best car for 8 years in a row... but Loeb was the best driver for 8 years in a row.

And i think that rallying lost its appeal for other reasons apart from the domination of CItroen/Loeb, the major one i think is the way sports are presented nowadays.

Originally Posted by N.O.T

then there would not be any manufacturers in the sport.....

History doesn't support your negativity N.O.T.
If we go right back to the Grp 1,2 & 4 days privateers rallied cars of identical specification to the factory drivers. In the Grp A & B days they did similarly. And many had success and rather than detract from the factory effort, they in fact shared in the glory.
There's no reason why it ought be any different today.

gtimad73, you are quite correct. Presently we have 4 drivers who theoretically can win (6 if you count Mini) and this must be a deterent to entry. A return to open access to competitive machinery can only be a good thing.

Originally Posted by sollitt

History doesn't support your negativity N.O.T.
If we go right back to the Grp 1,2 & 4 days privateers rallied cars of identical specification to the factory drivers. In the Grp A & B days they did similarly. And many had success and rather than detract from the factory effort, they in fact shared in the glory.
There's no reason why it ought be any different today.

compare car sales and profits from the 70s-80s with car sales for today and you have your answer to that.

Originally Posted by N.O.T

compare car sales and profits from the 70s-80s with car sales for today and you have your answer to that.

That has nothing to do with the prospect of allowing privateers to run identical machinery as factory drivers. If anything such allowance would assist the cause for the manufacturer.
Examples exist today in circuit racing where the factory may fund the R&D and the homologation which is then available to allcomers. Which is exactly as it was in rallying until quite recently, not just the 70's & 80's.

If you want a current Fiesta WRCar.. there's only one place to go - M-Sport!! And that is wrong.....any prep company should be able to build a WRCar - like used to be.

Originally Posted by AndyRAC

If you want a current Fiesta WRCar.. there's only one place to go - M-Sport!! And that is wrong.....any prep company should be able to build a WRCar - like used to be.

You are correct Andy, but even worse is that if you go to M-Sport with your money you still won't get the same spec car as the contracted drivers.

If more drivers could get into competitive machinery and actually compete, that may well provide incentive for more manufacturer interest in the sport.

Without live streams it's bad. Kids don't care for sport, only real fans. More works seats needed (with paid drivers, non paying).

Originally Posted by sollitt

You are correct Andy, but even worse is that if you go to M-Sport with your money you still won't get the same spec car as the contracted drivers.

If more drivers could get into competitive machinery and actually compete, that may well provide incentive for more manufacturer interest in the sport.

I have to wonder if going (back?) to an actual manufacturer's championship (ie. if you finish in the points in a Ford, instead of your "Billy Bob's/Yellow Power Tool/Energy Drink World Rally Team" getting points, Ford gets points.) would help from that aspect - certainly seems like it would provide much less of an incentive for a car builder to handicap some of their cars.

But then, when they get around to showing the manufacturer leader board with only two or three entries on it, WRC/North One will have to own up to the fact that they really don't have much interest from some key players.

Originally Posted by AndyRAC

If you want a current Fiesta WRCar.. there's only one place to go - M-Sport!! And that is wrong.....any prep company should be able to build a WRCar - like used to be.

My thoughts exactly!

Originally Posted by Plan9

[/I][/B]I am not sure how it could be made cheap. There will always be an element of cost in this sport.

Very very good questions BTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By a few rules we had for decades:
Minimum run of vehicles: xxxxxx units.
Make it 10,000

Gearbox: Series production gearbox..and diffs and driveshafts and CVs

You can sure as hell bet that within no time at all that every car would have a reliable enough box and diffs full of the right ratios and final drive and diffs.

The current teams would whine and cry and sniffle that they are all going to commit collective hari-kari cause they will claim it can't be done.

But high performance road bikes have absurdly wonderful amazingly reliable gearboxes and have had then 5-6 speed sequential boxes, for 40 years or more.
Free with every bike.

Oh. Standard hubs---and bodyshells, that would focus the attention on the insane suspension and shell costs.

This is basically waht original Group A was...

And ANYBODY could buy a new shell-in-white for under 1000 English squids.

Awesome thread Brother John! I can tell you as a relative newcomer to the sport, and spending quite a bit of the time learning the history of the series over the last couple of years, I feel the next five years are going to be very exciting indeed. I may not have the intimate knowledge of the technical history of the sport that some of you do but I can tell you I think the competition is closing up on Loeb and next year should be a barn-burner for sure! My biggest complaint with the WRC at this point is the quality of the coverage. I just can't rationalize waiting 3 weeks to watch ~75 mins of ESPN coverage and ~135 mins of MotorsTV coverage, it's just not enough! Not only from a sheer volume standpoint but from a technical and celebrity standpoint as well. I understand producing the coverage is expensive but I would rather have the amateurish web coverage we had on Rally France than nothing at all. For this sport to succeed, it's needs emotional investment in the drivers on the part of the fans. I need to know more about the individual drivers, their personalities, their cars, their co-drivers, etc. I can say as an "outsider", that this forum takes as awfully harsh stance with a sport that I am so envious you have to enjoy. To some extent I feel it is taken for granted and growing up with the sport has given some a sense of nostalgia that is not quite objective. I know you all love the sport and have things you would like to change but for me, I see the future of WRC going nowhere but up! I dream of one day saving enough money to make it to Rally Finland but that will probably remain just a dream!