Thoughts for 2009

[bstrat]

I am not sure if this has been made into a thread already but what are everyones thoughts for 2009?

Who will win? Citroen or Ford maybe even Subaru, Loeb or Hirvonen.

Who will be the suprises? Atkinson.

Do you think Suzuki could of collected a win next year or would it of been a waste of time?

Who will be back? We know Loeb will be and Hirvonen but what about Latvala, Gali and Duval. And what will PG Anderson and Toni do?

What are your thoughts? :confused:

[bennizw]

Haven't you been following and reading the news about the WRC the last 24 hours??

Suzuki has withdrawn, and Subaru are likely to do the same tomorrow...

[TKM]

Another boring year of Loeb dominance. Some flashes of greatness from Latvala. Hirvonen consistently second with maybe the odd gravel win. Subaru will continue to be a POS and deprive Solberg and Atko of showing their true talent. Maybe if Groholmn signs with them they may get a few more podiums, but unless they sort the POS out, any wins will continue to be elusive. Finally Subaru will get the sh its and take their bat and ball and go home.

[GigiGalliNo1]

Gigi Galli will be back!!

[DonJippo]

Gigi Galli will be back!!

Back where?

[miksu]

what's the point driving WC with 2 manufacturers... none.

[Buzz Lightyear]

Thoughts for 2009..... oh shiiiiit!

[Roy]

What a mickey mouse sport .... 2 manufacturers? 4 cars...

How many manufacturer teams comes? Stobart wants now... step on the podium with a gap of 4 min. or more. :s
J/PWRC drivers can score WRC points in 2009 Nice for them! Unbelievable :(

[miksu]

What a mickey mouse sport .... 2 manufacturers? 4 cars...

How many manufacturer teams comes? Stobart wants now... step on the podium with a gap of 4 min. or more. :s
J/PWRC drivers can score WRC points in 2009 Nice for them! Unbelievable :(

it'll be a joke.

[Magnus]

There will be no PR value for the two remaining manus. I think WRC is in deep ...

[Magnus]

This could also be a new beginning for smaller teams to get their moment in their headlines. this is not the end of international rallying, but it is maybe the end of an era in which we have seen manus running big rally-teams. rallying will always be around, as will change in different ways.

[jens]

Situations are changing so fast that it is quite impossible to predict, what will be happening. At worst scenario we won't even have a WRC season. I guess the best way is just to wait and see, how the future develops, and take one rally at once.

[bluuford]

Well, I think that small teams can see their opportunity and get more media attention now. As it is the last year for WRCars then most probably the price for running WRC-s is going to drop significantly. What happens with the cars Suzuki and Subaru have built already?

[miksu]

Situations are changing so fast that it is quite impossible to predict, what will be happening. At worst scenario we won't even have a WRC season. I guess the best way is just to wait and see, how the future develops, and take one rally at once.

for me the worst scenario has already happened. i really dont care anymore if the season starts or not, theres just no point at all. it would be maybe even better for the teams to take a little break for a year, who knows, and come back little bit healthier if possible. I can easily fill my rallying needs by watching some other series, maybe IRC, especially if these 4 "big names" decide to go that way.

[A.F.F.]

For years it was Ford against Fiat and WRC survived. For years it was Lancia vs Toyota and WRC survived.

Of course this is not the end. Merely a wake-up call.

[Daniel]

Back where?

Being a backmarker :)

[AndyRAC]

For years it was Ford against Fiat and WRC survived. For years it was Lancia vs Toyota and WRC survived.

Of course this is not the end. Merely a wake-up call.

Yes, quite right. However, it's slightly different this time. To be frank - the whole sport is in a mess;

Global Promoter, silly rotational calendar, proposed winter season, etc

It might mean the start of a new WRC - with proper Privateers, etc

Who knows, all questions, questions....

[Daniel]

For years it was Ford against Fiat and WRC survived. For years it was Lancia vs Toyota and WRC survived.

Of course this is not the end. Merely a wake-up call.

Yeah but back then the WRC wasn't crap to watch.

[MrJan]

For years it was Ford against Fiat and WRC survived. For years it was Lancia vs Toyota and WRC survived.

Of course this is not the end. Merely a wake-up call.

The wake up call came a few years back when the sport turned boring, this is something new :S

[MikeD]

Gigi Galli will be back!!

Doubt it.

When Crash.net interviewed him he said he would reveal his plans for '09 in late November. Really haven't heard from him and I doubt he will be able to raise money for a full season. Maybe a couple of events, but as it should be apparant now, the financial crisis is taking a toll on everybody.

[Priorat]

Trying to be optimistic, perhaps we can see Petter Solberg and Atkinson in a better car and fighting for something.

[A.F.F.]

It'll be interresting to if they really put WRC to a gap year. With F1 it would never happen.

But I honestly think there's more good out of this eventually. Heck, anything is better than this year :)

[teufel]

Heck, anything is better than this year :)

are you sure?

[A.F.F.]

are you sure?

Considering this IMO was the lowest of the low, yes, I truly belive WRC can only go better. First half of this year was good rallying but the latter half had nothing to do with it. Which is a shame because Sebastien himself deserved more than all these farces the season gave him. :mark:

[MJW]

I am starting to wonder whether WRC can survive with all that's gone on / going on. If the Monte Carlo rumours are correct perhaps 2009 will see the IRC series as the pinnacle, especially with the TV coverage that Eurosport is planning to give.
The hard facts facing WRC is that it has two manufacturers fighting; probably another Seb Loeb Citroen domination (12 outright wins - who would bet against that?) Norwegian tv apparently not covering the championship, costs of competing in wrc mean that Conrad and Mathew are there with no guarantee of PG, Toni, Petter, Chris, Giggi, Duval etc. Business's thinking twice about advertising at all or cutting back (Henning and Expert not confirmed). Ford and Citroen have to say its good value, wrc.com is the only site who cant / wont see or report the problems. Maybe, the global promoter once finally announced will have to raise the championship from the dead, and with manufacturers having to develop a new type of car for 2010 with all these uncertainties maybe IRC jumps to the top. Afterall 2009 IRC if all goes to plan will steal a one year march on a re-vitalised wrc in 2010.

[Fischer]

Loeb should go to F1, he's wasting his time with WRC.

[Tom206wrc]

Loeb should go to F1, he's wasting his time with WRC.



I prefer him to go to the 24h of Le Mans ;)

[Tomi]

I prefer him to go to the 24h of Le Mans ;)

There he could do some result as well, but its good he stays to rally for now.

[Rally Power]

For years it was Ford against Fiat and WRC survived. For years it was Lancia vs Toyota and WRC survived.

And don't forget the fantastic battles between Lancia and Audi at the beguining of the 80's :D

We're at the end of a cycle, those of the megatech and hugely expensive WRCars, so it's natural that for some manufacturers it's time to leave and for others it's not yet time to enter...

From 2010, with a properly setlled regulation, more oficial teams will certanly come to WRC, using new and exciting cars :up:

[ste898]

Loeb should go to F1, he's wasting his time with WRC.

Yeh sooner the better, then F1 fans can see his miserable face instead of us!!!

[Daniel]

Yeh sooner the better, then F1 fans can see his miserable face instead of us!!!
Too right Ste!

http://www.aipsmedia.com/images/pool/SEBASTIEN_LOEB_5.jpg

What a miserable bugger!

Oh wait the only miserable bugger is YOU! Because your inept Ford team has still yet to win a drivers title for how long? In spite of having what was at sometimes the best car and having some of the best drivers they've not got a drivers title since 1981. I can undestand that makes you miserable but that's no reason to take this out on successful teams and drivers, you should be complaining about how Malcolm can manage to lose all the time.

[MikeD]

Yeh sooner the better, then F1 fans can see his miserable face instead of us!!!

You are one pathetic little kid. :down:

[Helstar]

What is Loeb doing in WRC still ? What ALL are doing in WRC still ?! Only two manu lol ? They should rename WRC to WTF !

I think NOW it's the perfect time for Loeb to walk away from WRC that is pratically dead, he really has the potential to perform well somewhere else (unlike all the other WRC drivers...) and since there is no battle here in WRC (he is clearly the best, has already all the records etc.), no need to still stay in this farce IMHO !

Would be boring to win again and again ... and if he fails (0.01% possibilities...) he would only ruin is 'unbeatable' aura. He needs to raise his 'legend' level, which is actually not legend at all because he had no opponents except Bosse in the 2 Ford years. He needs to do something REALLY great. Winning Montecarlo with a S1600 or better, winning in F1 !

If he doesn't start in F1 now he is 34, every year more could be a worse one. And I hope there is no WRC in 2009, I couldn't survive seeing Wilson or Rautenbach risking to win a rally :s

[Daniel]

What is Loeb doing in WRC still ? What ALL are doing in WRC still ?! Only two manu lol ? They should rename WRC to WTF !

I think NOW it's the perfect time for Loeb to walk away from WRC that is pratically dead, he really has the potential to perform well somewhere else (unlike all the other WRC drivers...) and since there is no battle here in WRC (he is clearly the best, has already all the records etc.), no need to still stay in this farce IMHO !

Would be boring to win again and again ... and if he fails (0.01% possibilities...) he would only ruin is 'unbeatable' aura. He needs to raise his 'legend' level, which is actually not legend at all because he had no opponents except Bosse in the 2 Ford years. He needs to do something REALLY great. Winning Montecarlo with a S1600 or better, winning in F1 !

If he doesn't start in F1 now he is 34, every year more could be a worse one. And I hope there is no WRC in 2009, I couldn't survive seeing Wilson or Rautenbach risking to win a rally :s
I doubt we'll see Seb in the WRC past his current contract date. He has nothing to prove of course. I think he's been thoroughly bored this year. At least when Marcus was around he enjoyed the fight but this year there was nothing really other than the Ford boys playing tactics.

I doubt we'll see him in F1 though. He would always be behind the other drivers who have been brought up to be F1 drivers from before they could walk.

[Helstar]

He would always be behind the other drivers who have been brought up to be F1 drivers from before they could walk.
More and more if he beats all (or most or even some) of them ... don't you think ?

To win in 2009 WRC means nothing anymore ... there will be always the same things like "no opponents" "wrc = farce" "yawn" "bring back all the manus/classic rallies/old days" and so on.
Pointless to not try now IMHO, I don't think Citroen would stop him if he really wants (and if he really has the opportunity to switch).

Citroen could take Ogier and Sordo for 2009, at least we won't know who wins between the 4 works drivers ^^ could even be a little less boring than this year who knows lol