WRC 2010 - Teams and Drivers

[Sulland]

As we know 2010 will only be a gapfiller before the new formula will kick in in 2011.

As for this year only Citroen and Ford will have factory cars, 4 in total, and all those seats are taken.

What about the rest ?

Will Stobart still sponsor the Ford B team ?
Munchis, will they stay ?

What will Citroen do; will they have B or Junior teams, or will they instead support the S2000 WC instead ?

Will we have any private teams, ala Petter is doing this year ?

Will WRC be worth watching next year ?

[JFL]

Is it worth watching this year? It's like a 2 man championship.. ;) I hope we can get more people fighting for wins next year, but I'll guess we have to wait 2 years..

Petter is a maybe next year in WRC
Henning is a maybe
Stobart----probably...
Munchis----some events??
Galli?---hmm..Don't think so
Atko?---- Maybe..with a big M..

It looks bad.... I'll guess we have to wait and see.. On thing is sure.. It will only be 2 factory teams.. and maybe 2-3 drivers fighting for the title..

[HaCo]

Just like this year... who will be third one fighting for title? lol

[grugsticles]

The plot thickens.... as the WRC takes a rapid nosedive :(
Personally I dont think the WRC can survive another 'fill-in' year.

Honestly, this year has been a joke. If it wasnt for Loab making 2 'mistakes', the whole championship would be well and truly over. You cant tell me that after his 2nd off of this season he couldn't have continued. Remember his determination to finish in ?Greece? when he was with Kronos ? Driving along the highway on 3 wheels with the rear suspension literally falling off the car? I mean, C'mon!!!

IMO, the FIA has a reputation for being indecisive, unrealistic and seemingly having no grasp of the current global situation.
Some of the decisions that have been made in the last 10 years in reguard to the WRC have been disgusting.
If F1 can make drastic rule changes and have the teams put them into place as quickly as they do (Im thinking of the engine/body shape/wing design changes of the last 3? years), then why cant the WRC do the same?
You cant tell me it takes 3 years pondering a new rally car formula to come to a sensible decision.
Hell, I bet that with in a month the members of this forum could come up with a set of regulations and more than likely think of ALL the possible design/cost hurdles and overcome them.


Sorry, back on topic...
Id really like to see the FIA extend the number of nominated drivers to 3 per team allowing more factory seats. That would give Petter at least a sniff at a decent car (possibly at Ford), and younger, talented guys (Novikov/Atkinson) a better chance.

[serial jeff]

Driving along the highway on 3 wheels with the rear suspension literally falling off the car? I mean, C'mon!!!

That was awesome :D Three wheels and only two tires.

[DonJippo]

You cant tell me that after his 2nd off of this season he couldn't have continued. Remember his determination to finish in ?Greece? when he was with Kronos ? Driving along the highway on 3 wheels with the rear suspension literally falling off the car? I mean, C'mon!!!

Not allowed anymore in the rules.

[macksrallye]

The two factory teams will remain unchanged of course.

I wouldn't be suprised if Petter ends up doing s2k cup in the new fiesta (once finished) and being the development man, lets face it, he's got the experience & his attacking driving style suits s2k so if MW doesn't look for someone like him to develop the car he's nuts. I'd love to see Henning & Petter together in a team (imagine the marketing oportunities) but i doubt it will happen.

Rautenbach will disappear, he's costing way too much in repairs, Novikov will end up in IRC, Ogier should stay in WRC but if no other Citreon Jr is found they may pull the pin on the team.

Mattew Wilson will still be in Stobart but Rantanen will be his new team mate, Munchi's may stay, i don't know.

Atkinson will drive s2k in Aus or IRC next year to get into the new platform & put himself in a prime position for a drive for suzuki in 2011 with their 1.6T WRCar.

All of this i'm just plucking out of the air but it'd be interesting if it happened.

[tmx]

Not allowed anymore in the rules. Maybe he was asked to do mistakes to keep it not boring.

[grugsticles]

Which is exactly what I was implying :)

[AndyRAC]

The plot thickens.... as the WRC takes a rapid nosedive :(
Personally I dont think the WRC can survive another 'fill-in' year.

Honestly, this year has been a joke. If it wasnt for Loab making 2 'mistakes', the whole championship would be well and truly over. You cant tell me that after his 2nd off of this season he couldn't have continued. Remember his determination to finish in ?Greece? when he was with Kronos ? Driving along the highway on 3 wheels with the rear suspension literally falling off the car? I mean, C'mon!!!

IMO, the FIA has a reputation for being indecisive, unrealistic and seemingly having no grasp of the current global situation.
Some of the decisions that have been made in the last 10 years in reguard to the WRC have been disgusting.
If F1 can make drastic rule changes and have the teams put them into place as quickly as they do (Im thinking of the engine/body shape/wing design changes of the last 3? years), then why cant the WRC do the same?
You cant tell me it takes 3 years pondering a new rally car formula to come to a sensible decision.
Hell, I bet that with in a month the members of this forum could come up with a set of regulations and more than likely think of ALL the possible design/cost hurdles and overcome them.


Sorry, back on topic...
Id really like to see the FIA extend the number of nominated drivers to 3 per team allowing more factory seats. That would give Petter at least a sniff at a decent car (possibly at Ford), and younger, talented guys (Novikov/Atkinson) a better chance.

Good post!! Completely agree - another year like this will be a disaster. Why the regs couldn't be agreed earlier and started 2010, I just don't know. In fact there has been recent confusion over whether the new regs are S2000 or S1.6T. Madness! I honestly don't think some people realise just how bad this year has been - the WRC doesn't matter anymore, in fact the only people who seem to follow it are us on Rally forums - the average sports fan doesn't know about it.

[Jon 'Massa' Beagles]

Slightly off topic but I think the impetus the WRC so desperately needs would surely come if Ari Vatanen manages to gain FIA presidency. I have the impression that he could be crucial in attracting new manufacturers etc to the series :)

[DonJippo]

Maybe he was asked to do mistakes to keep it not boring.

Sure ...

[seb_sh]

Id really like to see the FIA extend the number of nominated drivers to 3 per team allowing more factory seats. That would give Petter at least a sniff at a decent car (possibly at Ford), and younger, talented guys (Novikov/Atkinson) a better chance.

Actually that's quite an interesting idea. It would basically not cost the teams much and there would be two extra top seats available plus it would be a nice swansong for the current spec cars.

Anyway I think they should have pushed the new rules earlier or at least go with S2000 for one or two years. Not only are there 4 officially supported cars already available both Citroen and Ford will have S2000 cars easily available by next year so I don't see why this farce has to continue. Even if only Ford and Citroen would field works teams (although I'm sure at least Proton and Skoda would join) private teams would have more options to buy cheaper top level cars and there would be a lot more natural competition and more sporting spectacle even if the cars would be slower for a couple of years until the 1.6T engines are introduced.

[Motorsportfun]

If F1 can make drastic rule changes and have the teams put them into place as quickly as they do [...], then why cant the WRC do the same?

Maybe because they have budgets 4 or 5 times bigger than works teams in WRC? (otherwise a cr(n)azy white-haired commercial leader... :D )

The biggest budget a factory team ever put (Subaru) has been about 60 million euros.
The main budgets in F.1 are... 500 millions!

Different, isn't it?!

Anyway, I think maybe Munchi's could step out from WRC cars to the S2000 WC. They could create a 2-car team for the programme, maybe trying to welcome a young drivers also from Tango Rally Team... maybe they'll think about it. At least, I hope so! Stobart I think will confirm their partecipation to the 2010 season.

Let's try an entry-list:

BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT - MIKKO HIRVONEN
BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT - JARI-MATTI LATVALA
BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT - KHALID AL QASSIMI

Citroen (switch title-sponsor?) - SEBASTIEN LOEB
Citroen (switch title-sponsor?) - DANI SORDO

Citroen B-Team - CONRAD RAUTENBACH

Citroen S2000 team? - Novikov (own budget)
Citroen S2000 team? - Ogier (FFSA and Total budget)

Also PETTER and HENNING SOLBERG could easily find a budget, at least for the S2k WC.
Waiting Proton and of course VOLKSWAGEN... they called to this regs together ABARTH (1600-turbo) to the FIA.

[grugsticles]

I know the budgets are no where near remotely similar, but surely that the lack of budget for a WRC team doesnt equate to a technical turnaround recorded in a number of years?

[Motorsportfun]

I know the budgets are no where near remotely similar, but surely that the lack of budget for a WRC team doesnt equate to a technical turnaround recorded in a number of years?

Why they develop cars that in a year-time will be dumped from the pinnacle of the sport?

[urabus-denoS2000]

Ford already has 3 works cars