[WRC] News & Rumours 2019

[cali]

ADAC is before Turkey. It`s tarmac. Paddon doesn`t like tarmac.Better than Greensmith

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[er88]

ADAC is before Turkey. It`s tarmac. Paddon doesn`t like tarmac.It's not like he's in a position to be fussy...

Msport need a driver.

[mknight]

Quite a lot of "rumors" from Porter about Camilli starting a rally with WRC car. Would work in Germany imo.

[Fredouye]

Quite a lot of "rumors" from Porter about Camilli starting a rally with WRC car. Would work in Germany imo.He tested the C3 at last month's PET, I keep m'y fingers crossed.

[AnttiL]

Or Elfyn’s replacement in Germany?

[Norm75]

I think Malcolm elluded on allive to seeing how Greensmith gets on in Finland. He was quite good in a dry Monte earlier this year, different kettle of fish I know but must show some potential on tarmac.

Would they perhaps call on Bouffier, is he not a bit of a tarmac specialist?

[mknight]

I was thinking Camilli to step in for Evans yes, don't see why Citroen would put in another car tbh. Much more likely than Bouffier imo.

[doubled1978]

I think Malcolm elluded on allive to seeing how Greensmith gets on in Finland. He was quite good in a dry Monte earlier this year, different kettle of fish I know but must show some potential on tarmac.

Would they perhaps call on Bouffier, is he not a bit of a tarmac specialist?

He certainly didn’t yes when asked directly whether Paddon could run in place of Evans in Germany....but he didn’t say no either.
I get a feeling there is a will from Msport to see Paddon in one of their cars if they can facilitate it.
Ironically, if Evans injury had come about before Paddon put a commercial deal for Finland together, I suspect he may have had a good chance of the ‘free’ seat that Greensmith ended up with.

[Nelly]

Breen has no contract with Hyundai. He'd be a perfect replacement. Won't happen but he is best qualified to be competitive there

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[meh]

Ostberg in studio seemed confident with "I'm having meetings" "to help some team to win factory title". (edit: for 2020)

My prediction - Toyota - they need some points scorer.

Others:
Citroen - why to travel to Finland to have this kind of meeting with your current team
M-Sport - do they put their priority to factory title?
Hyundai - have already big list of drivers.

[denkimi]

Ostberg to replace meeke then?

Or adamo buying everyone available on the market stop them from driving for the competition? :p

[KKS]

Ostberg in studio seemed confident with "I'm having meetings" "to help some team to win factory title". (edit: for 2020)

My prediction - Toyota - they need some points scorer.

Toyota fill up for next year. Or you think that Tanak or Latvala leave team? 3rd place was for Kalle

[AnttiL]

Ostberg in studio seemed confident with "I'm having meetings" "to help some team to win factory title". (edit: for 2020)

My prediction - Toyota - they need some points scorer.

Others:
Citroen - why to travel to Finland to have this kind of meeting with your current team
M-Sport - do they put their priority to factory title?
Hyundai - have already big list of drivers.

I would say Citroen. Østberg came to Finland because all teams are there at once?

[mknight]

I'd also say Citroen tbh. He will surely not cost them much and was quite consistent in 2018, just what you would need for 3rd driver. They also already have a "young" and coming driver with Lappi. They probably don't have funds to pay some other available driver like Evans or Mikkelsen. Also he will accept 1 year contract which Citroen will probably aim for, not sure if they start in 2021 at all or rather focus on developing new car.

Toyota would imo rather go for Evans or Suninen.

[er88]

Ostberg will be Citroen. No options for him unless he brings budget to Malcolm's door...

[meh]

Toyota fill up for next year. Or you think that Tanak or Latvala leave team? 3rd place was for Kalle

Prediction was purely based on that "interview" when Mads was in studio but I don't put my money on that. The most logical should be that he stays in Citroen. But of course, when full-time WRC seat will be available, he goes whereever.

I can not see any driver to be fixed yet in Toyota.
* Tänak - I guess it's Toyota vs M-Sport. More logical for me should be Toyota, but there are every kind of connection and friendly relationship with M-Sport also. If there are not world-class actors everywhere, then I rule out Hyndai. But you never know...
* Rovanpera - rumors rumors rumors, but it should be logical to get him some WRC seat-time next year. Full season in team with goal to get factory title... I doubt.
* Latvala and Meeke - both are fast, both are experienced, but they just don't deliver points. You can not rely on them. How long time someone want to pay salary if guys don't get the job done. I like them both, but at the moment I can not see the reason why they should be hired for next season.

[mknight]

I agree with you on not "fixed" drivers, but with what definitely looks like the fastest car around why would they go for Østberg, who while fast in Sweden/Finland and consistent on other gravel rallies, usually lacks a bit of speed to the top 3 and is weak on tarmac. Maybe if he would agree on sharing a car with Rovanpera (who wouldn't do all rounds).

Else for a fulltime seat I'd say Evans, Suninen and Mikkelsen are all clearly better choice and none of them would say no to Toyota imo.

[steve.mandzij]

I agree with you on not "fixed" drivers, but with what definitely looks like the fastest car around why would they go for Østberg, who while fast in Sweden/Finland and consistent on other gravel rallies, usually lacks a bit of speed to the top 3 and is weak on tarmac. Maybe if he would agree on sharing a car with Rovanpera (who wouldn't do all rounds).

Else for a fulltime seat I'd say Evans, Suninen and Mikkelsen are all clearly better choice and none of them would say no to Toyota imo.I don't see Suninen going to Toyota despite his nationality. I like him, but he's not particularly marketable for the Japanese, and he's got the potential to do great things but the smallest operating window of all the drivers. He's rarely in the zone; when he is, he's fucking quick (and mistake prone) but when he's not he's quite slow.

For me, Toyota might go the Hyundai route (I think Tommi would be brave enough to take notes from Adamo) and start swapping out their two non-championship drivers to give Kalle and Katsuta runs in the Yaris.

I've been pondering lately that one of the biggest differences of the modern WRC compared to 15 years ago is the absence of the specialist driver. Skoda and the PSA teams would frequently switch out the drivers that didn't battle for the title. Hyundai has brought that sort of dynamic back with a multi driver lineup, keeping their championship challenger in all season and swapping the rest.

With both the lack of seats available nowadays (no privateers being the primary reason) the driver swapping strategy must return. Truth is that not all drivers can challenge for the championship, so why bother? It's a little drastic, and I can feel myself getting too extreme, but Hyundai is doing the right thing by sticking more drivers into the championship than seats available.

Sorry for straying off topic.

[Morte66]

the driver swapping strategy must return.

Apart from anything else, spreading the points around 3 or 4 secondary drivers gives them lower position in the WDC and better running order in the gravel rallies. Look at Sordo in Sardinia...

[steve.mandzij]

Apart from anything else, spreading the points around 3 or 4 secondary drivers gives them lower position in the WDC and better running order in the gravel rallies. Look at Sordo in Sardinia...It sounds a little farcical but it's always been done, and would be an okay substitute for the privateer entry of yesteryear.

[mknight]

Swapping drivers when it's decided on the start of the season what they will drive (and probably written in contracts), like Hyundai in 2018 is somehow ok. Cause the drivers know what they are signing for and what the plan will be.

Swapping on a weeks notice cause you didn't like the performance in last rally like in Portugal is something else.

[dimviii]

ThisIsIrishRallying

Interesting to hear @Craig_Breen
& @paulnagle1
will switch to a i20 R5 for the next round off the @IrishTarmacTROA
the @UlsterRally

[meh]

ThisIsIrishRallying

Interesting to hear @Craig_Breen
& @paulnagle1
will switch to a i20 R5 for the next round off the @IrishTarmacTROA
the @UlsterRally

i20 R5 was really missing from his collection :D
https://www.ewrc-results.com/profile/5636-craig-breen/

[mknight]

I'd say Breen will almost certainly do rally GB with Hyundai WRC. Loeb said repeatedly he doesn't want more starts and will do one or both tarmac rallies, Sordo has always been very bad in GB and Breen was 4th last year.

Turkey is much more uncertain as Sordo is usually good on slow gravel rallies, but wasn't there last year, Breen was and drove well on friday. Australia is similar, Breen drove there last two years but both times with crashes and slow times. IMO Adamo might even try to get Paddon for Australia.

[Allez Andruet]

https://www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-2000006194435.html

Column on the largest Finnish newspaper claiming that Rally Finland sealed few things at TGR for 2020:

- Tänak to stay
- Latvala also likely to stay, though it divides opinion within the team, but the Japanese want to keep him
- Meeke to be replaced with Rovanperä

Usually this probably wouldn't raise any eyebrows, but the writer is the guy writing Mäkinen's autobiography at the moment (due to be released later this year).

[mknight]

it all sounds very likely... which doesn't mean it's true. After all most people thought Loeb to Hyundai was crazy...

Anyway if it's true I'd still say it's too early for Kalle to do full season. But on the other hand he is such a special case that even if he spends next 2 years with weak WRC results he likely won't get kicked.

[cali]

Too early for Kalle and while Ostberg and Paddon are available they are more reliable point scorers than Latvala, Meeke and others. Quite funny that Camilli is also mentioned here - 3rd tier driver and he is not any help to score vital manu points. Even on tarmac Paddon is more proven choice.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[Allez Andruet]

I don't think it's too early for Kalle. There's nothing more for him to prove with R5 machinery.

[mknight]

I don't think it's too early for Kalle. There's nothing more for him to prove with R5 machinery.

The risk in WRC is that he will be "in the middle of nowhere" behind all experienced drivers (like Suninen and Lappi were on overseas rallies last year). At that point he might either try to push and get retirements (and not learn much from the rallies) or spend so long at "less than top speed" that the step up can be difficult.

Ogier was somehow in similar situation though and after a year of clearly behind everyone he managed to step up nicely.

[eib1]

The risk in WRC is that he will be "in the middle of nowhere" behind all experienced drivers (like Suninen and Lappi were on overseas rallies last year). At that point he might either try to push and get retirements (and not learn much from the rallies) or spend so long at "less than top speed" that the step up can be difficult.

Ogier was somehow in similar situation though and after a year of clearly behind everyone he managed to step up nicely.

what is the other option?

[mknight]

Drive selected rallies in R5 when there is a lot of competition from other teams/drivers to keep and fine-tune the ability to drive 100% the whole rally.

[Tarmop]

Kalle was in trouble finishing 3 or 4 rallies in a row this season. For sure he is ready to make a partial move though.

[cali]

On the other hand Rovanperä has nothing to prove in R5 as well. Tough choice. Part time WRC and R5 season?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[AnttiL]

Kalle was in trouble finishing 3 or 4 rallies in a row this season. For sure he is ready to make a partial move though.

When he was driving private team cars with some setup issues in Sweden and Corsica. Monte is just a difficult event, the ice wasn't noticed by his safety crew.

[Tarmop]

Well, maybe, but still the burden of bringing home team points in that tight competition is quite a big responsibility for someone starting in the class. A shared car on favourite events, with no pressure is more ideal imo.

[m-ast]

ThisIsIrishRallying

Interesting to hear @Craig_Breen
& @paulnagle1
will switch to a i20 R5 for the next round off the @IrishTarmacTROA
the @UlsterRally

He only miss now to run the Proton of all the R5 homologated cars, not?, (excluding new generations of fiesta and fabia), I think not so much drivers have done it

[mknight]

Well, maybe, but still the burden of bringing home team points in that tight competition is quite a big responsibility for someone starting in the class. A shared car on favourite events, with no pressure is more ideal imo.

Yes I'd say so as well. But looking at who his manager is, it's more likely he just gets pushed in full time.

Don't agree he has nothing to prove in R5. This year in Sweden he was never really the fastest even against "B" guys and in Chile he was on same speed as Østberg. He still didn't win a tarmac rally with R5 (he did win Spain, but that's more than 1/3 gravel)

[steve.mandzij]

Despite Meeke's results so far I'm surprised to hear Tommi wants him replaced. Before he went to Toyota he was Kris' biggest shill, going on and on about how he could win any rally and really wanting him onboard.

Tommi is so confusing, and really seems to have a massive hardon for Tanak.

[Allez Andruet]

Don't agree he has nothing to prove in R5. This year in Sweden he was never really the fastest even against "B" guys and in Chile he was on same speed as Østberg. He still didn't win a tarmac rally with R5 (he did win Spain, but that's more than 1/3 gravel)

It's not like you've had to beat everyone on every surface on every rally before you can move up to WRC. It's about the overall picture and the maturity he's shown lately.

[Allez Andruet]

have a massive hardon for Tanak.

Don't we all?

[trykmann]

Despite Meeke's results so far I'm surprised to hear Tommi wants him replaced. Before he went to Toyota he was Kris' biggest shill, going on and on about how he could win any rally and really wanting him onboard.

Tommi is so confusing, and really seems to have a massive hardon for Tanak.

It seems to me, when Meeke was driving the C3 and crashed a lot, then the popular opinion was, that the car not performing enough and he had to overdrive it quite a lot. Now driving maybe the best car, it is clear he just isn't thinking reasonably most of the time.

He definitely has the speed, but he can't transform them to any results. In this rally he had to play the team player role, but instead wanted to fight Tänak. He could easily collect 4. and 5. places, but when he is trying to beat the best drivers, then mistakes start to happen.

[Tarmop]

It's not like you've had to beat everyone on every surface on every rally before you can move up to WRC. It's about the overall picture and the maturity he's shown lately.

Picture is looking good, yes, BUT in those days, without specialist rivers, you have to beat everyone in lower classes, on every surface. There are multiple rallywinners jobless or oing partial seasons because of that today...
And he is young, he has one more than enough and could do it a bit more.


Interesting is, that after todays crash there hasn`t been anything more about it than a small tweet on TGR Twitter. That`s quite odd, though they had 2 excellent podiumplaces to hope and celebrate for and meeke is probably pissed himself... Also Mäkinen probably oesn`t have the heart to too changes in the middle of the season.

[AnttiL]

.

. He still didn't win a tarmac rally with R5 (he did win Spain, but that's more than 1/3 gravel)

But he did beat Kopecky in Rally Bohemia

[denkimi]

The biggest advantage for kalle is meeke and latvala's utter failure this year. He will have to try hard to to worse than meeke.

[Ifox95]

Keith Cronin should be considered for a drive, incredible talent, needs to be given a chance!!!!

[steve.mandzij]

The biggest advantage for kalle is meeke and latvala's utter failure this year. He will have to try hard to to worse than meeke.To be fair to Meeke, he's been the consistent points scorer Toyota thought they wanted, collecting points from the bottom on all but two occasions. He's been unlucky with punctures mostly, I can't recall him suffering many mechanical failures.

As much as I love Jari he's the one who should be in hotter water, since he's last of the full time drivers, behind even Teemu and Mikkelsen, deposite having his fabled 200+ WRC starts and the speed to go with it. He too has been unlucky, and wise in Finland this time around, but he's got to start pushing for the second half.

[Morte66]

The biggest advantage for kalle is meeke and latvala's utter failure this year. He will have to try hard to to worse than meeke.

Latvala and Lappi have both done worse than Meeke, they both have less points than Meeke after starting the same number of rallies.

I am sure Rovanpera could manage the same, without even trying very hard to do badly... ;)

But I agree, It is a lot easier to imagine Rovanpera in a Toyota now than it was in January, and not just because of his own driving.

[Morte66]

It seems to me, when Meeke was driving the C3 and crashed a lot, then the popular opinion was, that the car not performing enough and he had to overdrive it quite a lot. Now driving maybe the best car, it is clear he just isn't thinking reasonably most of the time.

He has forgotten to be scared of losing his job, like he was at the start of the year. Maybe that will come back now...

[mknight]

To be fair to Meeke, he's been the consistent points scorer Toyota thought they wanted, collecting points from the bottom on all but two occasions. He's been unlucky with punctures mostly, I can't recall him suffering many mechanical failures.


Note that 15 of his 60 points are from PS. At 25% that's the highest rate of any driver. Those don't count for manus.

When you look at the manu points per driver for example here: http://planetemarcus.com/saison-wrc/
Meeke has 44 only 1 point ahead of Latvala. Only driver that is worse is Loeb who also has 4 less starts.

[er88]

Finnish press was wrong last season regarding Toyota and Meeke so it could be again. Rally Finland has 'decided' nothing - especially not this soon after. Easy headlines and articles to write - so although it may end up becoming a truth - take it with a pinch of salt for now.

What is "known", is that Kalle will be in a yaris next year and the deal was done well in advance of Finland. Jari has been there 3yrs now and last season Tommi even admitted he thought Latvala's time was up, before his resurgence in the 2nd half of the year and Lappi to Citroen becoming a thing. To then perform as he has done in the first half of this season again, I don't see how Latvala continues under Makinen unless the Japanese make it so. However the Japanese have so far allowed Tommi run the team however he wants, so it remains to be seen what happens. Tommi has been a bit prickly in the press towards Jari all season as well.

My hunch which could easily be wrong, is that Latvala is already out the door and Meeke remains an open case for now (both could go, but there's no chance both stay). Tanak ofcourse will stay and Kalle has a full season deal.

[racerx1979]

Hmmm... I'm hearing they (Jouhki and crew) want Kalle to head to MSport for a 1 yr only deal.

I would think this mainly because Toyota is trying to groom Katsuta. Bringing Kalle onboard will make Katsuta look bad to be honest.

I actually think Kalle is fairly mature for his age and experience. He can be a 3-5th place finisher and bring strong points while building his skill. I would pick Kalle over Taka-San, but tell that to Mr. Toyoda.

[mknight]

I actually think Kalle is fairly mature for his age and experience. He can be a 3-5th place finisher and bring strong points while building his skill.

Depends a lot on the rally. Just take Suninen and Lappi, in Poland and Finland they had stage wins right off and win / fight for podium. Then in rallies like Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Turkey they were minutes behind everyone last year and sometimes also this year.

[cali]

Hmmm... I'm hearing they (Jouhki and crew) want Kalle to head to MSport for a 1 yr only deal.

I would think this mainly because Toyota is trying to groom Katsuta. Bringing Kalle onboard will make Katsuta look bad the be honest.

I actually think Kalle is fairly mature for his age and experience. He can be a 3-5th place finisher and bring strong points while building his skill. I would pick Kalle over Taka-San, but tell that to Mr. Toyoda.
Katsuta will be disaster in a WRC machinery and this comes with no disrespect at all. He just is not ready at all. Even Meeke is less accident prone than Taka-san

[racerx1979]

Katsuta will be disaster in a WRC machinery and this comes with no disrespect at all. He just is not ready at all. Even Meeke is less accident prone than Taka-san

I agree.. he pushes a lot and makes a lot of mistakes. Lets see how he does in Germany. My guess is he gets beat by a few WRC 2 guys.

[AnttiL]

I agree.. he pushes a lot and makes a lot of mistakes. Lets see how he does in Germany. My guess is he gets beat by a few WRC 2 guys.

My guess would be Greensmith level on gravel. Difficult to say about tarmac though.

[deephouse]

Some guys just isn't great and he is one of those guys. Great that they see potential in him, but eventually no one will be interested in him except japanese-finish. And out there are many young drivers with far more proven potential than him. I would say Bergvist, Solans, Gryazin and Ingram.

[Indreq]

Listening to rumors in various estonian sources - it seems that Meeke is as good as gone from TGR after this season and JML has "last warning". If either of them make stupid mistakes and ignore team strategy again, then they may get sacked mid-season.

[cali]

My guess would be Greensmith level on gravel. Difficult to say about tarmac though.No doubt about it that Katsuta has pace, but he is so inconsistent with a lot of crazy mistakes

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[skarderud]

Listening to rumors in various estonian sources - it seems that Meeke is as good as gone from TGR after this season and JML has "last warning". If either of them make stupid mistakes and ignore team strategy again, then they may get sacked mid-season.Maybe, but who can replace them on short notice?
Lets say after germany for one of them?
Tiedemann, paddon, breen? Østberg?
Rovenpära or katsuta is too early.

Sent fra min SM-G950F via Tapatalk

[Rally Hokkaido]

I agree.. he pushes a lot and makes a lot of mistakes. Lets see how he does in Germany. My guess is he gets beat by a few WRC 2 guys.

Well, I will agree that Katsuta in a WRC car will be a disappointment in some rounds. However, given his background, he should do reasonably well in Germany and, despite the pressure, very well in 2020 Rally Japan which is the main objective of drafting him into the team this season! For those unfamiliar, he was a leading driver in Japan F3 before following in his father's footsteps by competing in the Japan Rally Championship rallies, which is mainly narrow tarmac.

[Indreq]

Maybe, but who can replace them on short notice?
Lets say after germany for one of them?
Tiedemann, paddon, breen? Østberg?
Rovenpära or katsuta is too early.

Sent fra min SM-G950F via Tapatalk

I would go with Paddon. IMHO he was quite solid last year, even on part-time schedule. Toyota needs his support drivers to keep cool head and deliver top6 results, i believe Paddon can do that.

[wrc2017]

I would go with Paddon. IMHO he was quite solid last year, even on part-time schedule. Toyota needs his support drivers to keep cool head and deliver top6 results, i believe Paddon can do that.

Yes, he crashed before the event started.

[GravelBen]

Yes, he crashed before the event started.

Get some perspective... he hit an unavoidable rock in the middle of the road on a blind 6th gear corner. I'm pretty sure it was his first testing crash ever.

[er88]

Listening to rumors in various estonian sources - it seems that Meeke is as good as gone from TGR after this season and JML has "last warning". If either of them make stupid mistakes and ignore team strategy again, then they may get sacked mid-season.Makinen isn't sacking anyone mid season. No way

[Indreq]

Makinen isn't sacking anyone mid season. No way

Lets hope he doesnt have to. But if Meeke (or JML) screws up again, it might not be his decision. IMHO in Toyota it is not just another PR project, we have seen that Mr Toyoda himself takes great pride in their successes. That means it is personally important to Mr Toyoda. In Japanese culture showing proper respect is much more important than in western culture. He shows great respect toward Ott and other drivers if they perform well representing his brand. But make no mistake, if any of them disobeys direct orders and fails - this is not just some minor issue between subordinate and manager, this is also personal disrespect, disrespect towards brand and a slap in the face. He may overlook it once or twice but he will not forget and he will not tolerate it for long. You dont get to be boss of one of leading car manufacturers by turning other cheek.

[AnttiL]

I also don't see them sacking anyone mid-season, but for sure this is the time when they make decisions about next year.

[racerx1979]

Honestly, Meekes issue at Finland while JML secured 2nd is a big one.

Secondly, Toyoda-San is extremely grateful to JML for the development help he provided in 2017. I think that will be the only thing that keeps JML on the squad for another year. BTW the Japanese love love love JML. This also may have something to do with it. A friend in Sapporo once told me he was a huge Makinen fan because Mitsu was a Japanese brand and Makinen was a champ. This started the love affair for Japan and Finnish drivers. Latvala is that guy now, except he has not won any championships, but he reminds them of the good old days. Maybe this is why Tommi-San is not too pumped about JML.. lol.

[itix]

From what I can read it seems pretty much confirmed that Corsica and Germany are booted out in favor for Japan and Kenya.

I can understand Corsica, but Germany?

It's well visited, liked by teams and fans, short haul for the teams and really well organized. I truly do not understand the reasoning here.

We have shit rounds like Australia that means sending everything on a ship half around the world to a crap rally on crap stages in the middle of nowhere, visited by maybe 20 drunk morons every year that lie down right next to the stage and risk getting run over.

Can someone understand the reasoning at the promoter and the FIA?

[Katvala]

Yeah, Rally Deutschland is one of my favorite events, very central and practical for the teams, a big country that has a great influence over Europe, especially as far as car maunufactorer goes. As well as being a unique tarmac rally. I'm disappointed that it's getting dropped, and I wouldn't be surprised if the maunufactorers in the championship would be disappointed as well

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

[AnttiL]

Can someone understand the reasoning at the promoter and the FIA?

The name of the series. World Rally Championship. Also, money talks. But this is an endless discussion.

[Mirek]

It's quite funny to say "money talks" when speaking about Germany being replaced by Kenya :D

[the sniper]

Can someone understand the reasoning at the promoter and the FIA?

You'd have to think it's down to money, as it's otherwise pretty incomprehensible for 2020. To exclude the ONLY event you have in Central Europe and near the Benelux/Northern France region, surely the core market for rallying, seems like madness! But maybe there is a plan here? Maybe they're doing this to give the FFSA a kick up the arse, hoping it'll instigate Rally France moving back up to the North, with Germany being sacrificed to achieve that end goal in 2021. Todt has talked about wanting cross border events...


It's quite funny to say "money talks" when speaking about Germany being replaced by Kenya :D

It is ironic, but we all know there's more money to be made from the Kenyan Government than the ADAC.

[Eli]

Doesn't Turkey need to be decided yet if they're in the calendar for next year and if they're not then Germany stays no?

[AnttiL]

It is ironic, but we all know there's more money to be made from the Kenyan Government than the ADAC.
Yes. I'm talking about money from the event organizers to the promoter doing the talking, not the money coming from spectators to the organizers.

[cali]

From what I can read it seems pretty much confirmed that Corsica and Germany are booted out in favor for Japan and Kenya.

I can understand Corsica, but Germany?

It's well visited, liked by teams and fans, short haul for the teams and really well organized. I truly do not understand the reasoning here.

We have shit rounds like Australia that means sending everything on a ship half around the world to a crap rally on crap stages in the middle of nowhere, visited by maybe 20 drunk morons every year that lie down right next to the stage and risk getting run over.

Can someone understand the reasoning at the promoter and the FIA?Plus Germany is huge car market

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[EstWRC]

FIA issues rear wing clarification after WRC Rally Finland anomalies

The FIA has instructed World Rally Championship manufacturers to comply with a clarification document concerning the rear wings on their World Rally Cars after anomalies were discovered during Rally Finland.

The governing body emphasised no parts were being run illegally - all manufacturer World Rally Cars comply with the homologation documents - but that the regulation concerning aerodynamics needed clarification.

The FIA has given the teams until next month's Rally Turkey to comply. Autosport understands Toyota's rear wing was at the heart of the debate, with clarification required to confirm its specification and measurements.

The suggestion to Autosport was that Toyota's rear wing sat outside the regulations, although the aerodynamic specification of the Yaris' rear wing has not changed since it was homologated at the start of 2017.

Asked specifically about Toyota, FIA rally director Yves Matton told Autosport: "There is no story about the Toyota rear wing. There has been a clarification concerning the rear wings from the World Rally Cars.

"We have asked all the manufacturers to do the work, and put them in conformity for Turkey. There is an action plan that we have asked all the manufacturers [to comply with]."



Following two late-night meetings on Friday, the teams put together a combined statement: "There is some problem on the homologation on the rear wing.

"All together we have to settle this because things are not very clear, and we have to settle all of this for Rally Turkey. Something has to be done to settle the homologation for all of the teams [regarding the rear wing]."

Toyota declined to comment beyond the statement, but a source told Autosport: "What caused this confusion?

"The car was presented to the FIA for homologation at the start of 2017. The FIA passed the car for homologation. These are the facts. Since then, the car has passed scrutineering every time, because the rear wing complies with the homologation document."

Matton accepted the FIA was at fault in the original homologation process, adding: "I would say, if there is a fault, it's the FIA.

"This is not Toyota, I told you all the cars are part of this action plan [for Turkey]."

Yves Matton Q&A

Why was this clarification needed?
When you make a homologation process, there are different interpretations between manufacturers, and this was the case here. That's why the clarification has been asked.

If you're given dimensions to work with, how can that be interpreted differently?
It's not so easy like that. It's not [that] you give a dimension... it's an aero regulation which is quite complicated, based on different figures, and different measurements and conditions. It's not just, [for example], 'this dimension from there to there'.

You have to take in all of these conditions, and there could be some different interpretations. That's the reason we had to check this, and this is why this clarification has been asked.

But the regulations don't allow the 30mm of overhang the Toyota has?
If you check the regulation, it's more difficult than this.

But no other car has an issue with the rear wing?
It's not the reality. We asked all the manufacturers to adapt their homologation. So does that mean none of the four manufacturers complies with the rules? No. All four manufacturers are complying with their homologation papers.

So they are in contravention of regulations, but homologated by the FIA?
No. Then whose fault is it that we need this clarification? I would say if there is a fault, it's the FIA, then. This is not Toyota [at fault], I told you all the cars are part of this action plan.

What's in the action plan?
That's between us and the manufacturers.

But there's no room here for different interpretation in the clarification?
We clarified how the text needs to be read. Why was that regulation not written tightly enough in the first place? The regulation will not change.

OK, why was there need for the clarification...
Before [now], nobody asked about this regulation. Maybe it's our fault that we have not seen this regulation could be interpreted differently. But now it's clear.

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/145265/fia-issues-clarification-after-finland-anomalies

[mknight]

So Toyota was homomogated with 3cm bigger rear wing than others and running it for 1,5 years?

That's certainly interesting as 3cm can make quite some difference.

EDIT:This article has much more details than the Autosport one: https://www.rallye-magazin.de/wrc/artikel/ein-heckfluegel-sorgt-fuer-klaerungsbedarf-41593/
It says Citroen found that out when they were trying to copy Toyota wing for their aero upgrade and that it is 30 mm longer than it should be.


EDIT2: Btw. if you remember Yaris did not comply with the rules when homologated and got a deadline by FIA to change at least 2 things on the car within 2 rallies as far as I remember. Don't remember the other thing, but one was illegal materials used in engine (think it was valves).
Maybe the officials doing the homologation were so busy with these issues and wondering what to do about them that they didn't pay enough attention to aero?

[EstWRC]

i read it like 3 times but still so confusing and messy for me

Like, "they did wrong but actually they didnt because its our fault but still they did wrong"

[reff92]

It seems that those fia french's are in panic,because this time isnt world champ from french. Very intresting to read that they almost say that we accept homoligation because thats our fault.

[pantealex]

Toyota wing is NOT actually bigger than others but their base car is smaller so wing/car is up to 3cm more than others have.

It´s true that they had to change some aerodynamics during homologation.

Sorry that I can´t explain it better.

[mknight]

i read it like 3 times but still so confusing and messy for me

Like, "they did wrong but actually they didnt because its our fault but still they did wrong"

Try the german article that I linked.

Sounds clear, it's 30 mm longer, but it was homologated like that so it's FIA's fault and they can't penalize them. When trying to write a clarification they found some minor details also for other competitors, but 3 cm is massive if you ask me.

-----------------------------
@reff92 Compared to previous years there has not been a single exclusion of a manu team for a few years now. People will remember Focus (in Monte around 2000), 206 in Argentina with water pump or Focus 06 in Portugal getting punished for 3 vs 4mm thick rear windows. Compare that with 30 mm longer rear wing!

[EstWRC]

okey understood now.

so they have to make it 3cms smaller now?

[mknight]

okey understood now.

so they have to make it 3cms smaller now?

Seems so.

In Turkey it won't matter but for the tarmac part in Spain that is a huge difference. See how (small) changes on the Hyundai ruined the car on tarmac before Spain 2017 and now before Finland again relatively small changes made it behave differently. Heck the changes to the front of the Yaris at end of 2017 were also relatively small.

Quite some testing will be needed to balance things out imo. Which is why FIA didn't dare to force them to change before Germany but first for Turkey where it doesn't matter much so they have almost 2 months time.

[cali]

Could smell some french influence in these news, but very interesting indeed how things start to turn out from now onwards

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[denkimi]

If the fia homologated that illegal rear wing its their fault. They should have noticed and told them to change it.

[denkimi]

Could smell some french influence in these news, but very interesting indeed how things start to turn out from now onwards

What do the french have to do with this?

[cali]

What do the french have to do with this?Ogier - >Citroën - >Matton - > title fight slipping out of hands.... Need I go on about this?

The timeline about these news after these cars have been run for more than 2,5 years is very interesting

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[mknight]

Ogier - >Citroën - >Matton - > title fight slipping out of hands.... Need I go on about this?

The timeline about these news after these cars have been run for more than 2,5 years is very interesting



The timeline is extremely logical as Citroen is right now working on changing their rear aero.

If you want to run conspiracy theories you can turn it around saying that Toyota deliberately send the car to the homologation with multiple "on the edge" issues late so that FIA had little time to check properly and not keep them from starting in Monte 2017. At that time VW just left and they certainly couldn't discourage Toyota much.
As mentioned Toyota had to rework multiple things on the car during the first rallies to comply with the homologation including things like materials inside the engine.

[cali]

The timeline is extremely logical as Citroen is right now working on changing their rear aero.

If you want to run conspiracy theories you can turn it around saying that Toyota deliberately send the car to the homologation with multiple "on the edge" issues late so that FIA had little time to check properly and not keep them from starting in Monte 2017. At that time VW just left and they certainly couldn't discourage Toyota much.
As mentioned Toyota had to rework multiple things on the car during the first rallies to comply with the homologation including things like materials inside the engine.Usually things happen right from the start. You just do not "accidentally" discover new things after 2,5 years. Specially when this is not some thing which is hidden inside the car but seen to everyone for a quite a long time. I call this BS as this has some parisian scent in it.


And the timeline is extremely logical indeed :D

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[cali]

Removed

[mknight]

Off course Citroen could have known this for a month or two and tried to get them excluded from Finland after the rally, that is actually quite likely. I mean why would they tell them long time before so they could adopt the car without any risk?

Does not change the facts though, the issue is there and it is real. It's not like Citroen "made it up".

[cali]

Off course Citroen could have known this for a month or two and tried to get them excluded from Finland after the rally, that is actually quite likely. I am mean why would they tell them long time before so they could adopt the car without any risk?

Does not change the facts though, the issue is there and it is real. It's not like Citroen "made it up".Agreed on that part

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[denkimi]

Ogier - >Citroën - >Matton - > title fight slipping out of hands.... Need I go on about this?

The timeline about these news after these cars have been run for more than 2,5 years is very interesting

So what you try to tell is that citroen and matton, who is not working for Citroën anymore, have deliberately allowed toyota to use a illegal rear wing for 2,5 year. Only so they could report it in the case they would one day have ogier hired and the title is slipping from his hands?

The only thing we can ask ourself is why the fia has allowed toyota to use an illegal part.

[Alex009]

This can't be true. Ofcourse its Toyota, they are used to cheating. This is wrong for three other teams, not fair competition and not real championship. Very sorry for mr Tanak.

[spiderem]

Ogier - >Citroën - >Matton - > title fight slipping out of hands.... Need I go on about this?

The timeline about these news after these cars have been run for more than 2,5 years is very interesting

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

Matton is Belge.

[cali]

So what you try to tell is that citroen and matton, who is not working for Citroën anymore, have deliberately allowed toyota to use a illegal rear wing for 2,5 year. Only so they could report it in the case they would one day have ogier hired and the title is slipping from his hands?

The only thing we can ask ourself is why the fia has allowed toyota to use an illegal part.Mental disability?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Maybe Ogier just couldnt work out how else Tanak could be so much faster than him.

'It must be the car, get it checked !' ;)

[Mirek]

If the car doesn't fit the regulations it's perfectly ok to say that no matter what is homologated. The one who points such thing out is not the one to blame.

Anyway the problem lies usually in bad work in writing the rules. There shall be no amguity.

[denkimi]

Mental disability?

I don't know you well enough to be able to tell that. You should find a psychiatrist if you think you might be mentally unsound.

[cali]

I don't know you well enough to be able to tell that. You should find a psychiatrist if you think you might be mentally unsound.No psychiatrist can help you. Lost case.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[cali]

If the car doesn't fit the regulations it's perfectly ok to say that no matter what is homologated. The one who points such thing out is not the one to blame.

Anyway the problem lies usually in bad work in writing the rules. There shall be no amguity.Yes absolutely true. Motorsports engineering has always been on the edge so this does not surprise at all that one will seek advantages. I just find the timing of all of this quite amusing. Interesting times ahead.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[er88]

Make no mistake this could effect the yaris' handling. You see how tiny, barely noticeable modifications can effect teams at the front of the car, and how long it's taken Citroen to come up with a better aero package (particularly with the position/size/angle of rear wing).

Teams spend months testing for little changes/upgrades, now you're asking to Toyota to radically alter the wing on a car that has been set for years, and is so strong on the aerodynamic front. Not good news and a huge oversight from the FIA here...

[EstWRC]

great news for Ott while fighting for the title.....


and hmmmm, Citroen discovering it? interesting...

[mknight]

Well it's not like you are apologizing on how many rallies he won with "unfair" car?

As to the conspiracy theories I noticed on Saturday mid-day mediazone Adamo and Milner had a long and seemingly "important" talk just in the mediazone. That seemed really strange since it was middle of the rally. Maybe this was the topic of their talk.
--------
Anyway I re-checked back to the latest Fiesta aero modifications in Mexico that were almost impossible to see and were on the order of a few cms:
https://www.wrcwings.tech/2019/03/07/aero-modification-in-the-front-of-the-ford-fiesta-wrc-in-mexico/
and MSport did acually use a homologation joker (449/08) on that as seen in the list:
https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/toutesvoitures_02.08.2019.pdf

So 3 cms along the whole width of the wing is definitely going to be noticed.

[spiderem]

Not sure if Ott is confirmed at Toyota next year, but this may play a part in his decision between M-Sport and Toyota.

[mknight]

Not sure if Ott is confirmed at Toyota next year, but this may play a part in his decision between M-Sport and Toyota.

I doubt exactly this will, given the Toyota performance in Finland and MSport weak outing it certainly looks much less likely he will leave than after the Sardinia disaster.

Anyway C. Clark, right now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT1Gv_ytvtM
adds some rumors about M.Martin talking (possibly about Tanak) with Hyundai and that they are willing to use a lot of money on him. I find it really weird that he should go to Hyundai, either Toyota or MSport imo. But hey I also thought Loeb to Hyundai sounded insane and it happened.

----------------
I don't really agree with him about Breen. Yes he did very good job, but one good outing is imo not enough to put him on top of the list of drivers wanted for next season as he puts it. After all in Citroen last year he was much less reliable than Østberg. Sure it should be enough to get him another outing or two this year (GB and or Turkey or Australia).

----------
He also hints quite a lot on a Paddon outing soon. That sounds like MSport instead of incapacitated Evans.

--------------
His complete silence on the topic of Meeke probably explains how it looks on that front.

[doubled1978]

If it’s wrong, it’s wrong...I’m pretty sure that had Citroen or anyone else noticed previously, it would have been pointed out. Why would they ‘allow’ Toyota to continue to beat them with a part they know to be incorrect? Makes no sense.
The Matton statement is bizarre, the context is so ambiguous that it’s like he is trying to play down the fact the car has been illegal for so long.
Weird all round this one...be very interesting to see what changes have to be made.

[wrc2017]

I doubt exactly this will, given the Toyota performance in Finland and MSport weak outing it certainly looks much less likely he will leave than after the Sardinia disaster.

Anyway C. Clark, right now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT1Gv_ytvtM
adds some rumors about M.Martin talking (possibly about Tanak) with Hyundai and that they are willing to use a lot of money on him. I find it really weird that he should go to Hyundai, either Toyota or MSport imo. But hey I also thought Loeb to Hyundai sounded insane and it happened.

----------------
I don't really agree with him about Breen. Yes he did very good job, but one good outing is imo not enough to put him on top of the list of drivers wanted for next season as he puts it. After all in Citroen last year he was much less reliable than Østberg. Sure it should be enough to get him another outing or two this year (GB and or Turkey or Australia).

----------
He also hints quite a lot on a Paddon outing soon. That sounds like MSport instead of incapacitated Evans.

--------------
His complete silence on the topic of Meeke probably explains how it looks on that front.

What do people like this tabloid stuff. Clark, with all due respect, is not a journalist, just a chap that talks about rumours he has heard.

About Meeke performance. Just looked at on board. What a tiny.. tiny mistake. He did not deserve that. Latvala was a bigger impact, and he got away with it, and was a hero. The margins are soo minute.

Both his time mates are in there 2nd year in the Yaris and also.. also, not a small issue, Kris Meeke missed 2nd part of last season, and hasn't done any of these events for 2yrs, some stages were even completely new to him, with only 2 passes at 30mph recce. You can say what you like, what he was doing was actually quite remarkable. Nobody was telling him to slow down when was Toyota 1,2,3? If they did.. it was soo tight at the top, is impossible to drive 0.5% slower, without sliding right back to 8th.

Everyone expected Tanak to walk it on Saturday.. but Meeke was on the hunt. If only he had finished that morning loop, I think Tanak would have been under pressure, and maybe its he would have made the mistake? Who knows. But Meeke was also only 2s off Tanak in Portugal Sunday morning, before the spin. Tanak is not invincible... just very very quick, and now very very reliable. Meeke has always been quick, and to be fair, his indecreations this year have been small. With Germany, Spain, GB, OZ are all events Meeke has done well in. I hope he has a few incident free rally now to the season end. He would really benefit from a 2nd season, I think Toyota know that, but he just really needs to string it together. A Tanak none finish, and a Meeke win, keeping Toyota in the Manufacturers title hunt... all could be redeemed.

[steve.mandzij]

Meeke hasn't been stellar this year but he's been far from the total Trainwreck everyone makes him out to be.

[EstWRC]

Meeke hasn't been stellar this year but he's been far from the total Trainwreck everyone makes him out to be.

agreed...

but how many years i have to listen this IF, IF AND IF about Meeke ? IF he hadnt had puncture, IF he hadnt crashed, IF he gets it together he will win and etc.

i really liked the new Meeke in the beginning of the season, very mature and calm approach and decent results but it changed about Rally Chile time or so and since then he has had mistakes on every round.

Team principals want results and he hasnt brought them. Im afraid this will be for sure his last season in the series.

[mknight]

Meeke hasn't been stellar this year but he's been far from the total Trainwreck everyone makes him out to be.

He had issues (puncture or crashes) in 8 out of 9 rallies, the only one where he didn't have an issue was Sweden where he ended 6th without pace. Sure Toyotas have had a few punctures this year, but Meeke had definitely most.

The main issue though is the "second crashes" when there is no real pressure: Corsica SS5, Portugal PS and Finland Sunday.

Again it's the same arguments: "he is fast", "he can win any rally". It is called World Rally Championship, the ultimate goal is not to win a rally or two a season, but to win the championship either for drivers or for teams. As a championship driver he is a trainwreck this year.
This is teampoints brought by drivers this year (note that drivers in 2-car teams have a bit of an advantage in this statistic):
1 Tänak 151
2 Ogier 134
3 Neuville 121
4 Evans 74 (-1 start)
5 Suninen 72
6 Lappi 64
7 Mikkelsen 63 (-2 starts)
8 Sordo 51 (-4 starts)
9 Meeke 44
10 Latvala 43
11 Loeb 12 27 (-4 starts)

------------------------

Anyway he has tough times ahead in next 2 rallies. His record in Germany is a disaster with 12th as best result with a crash in every WRC start and he has never driven in Turkey at this location.

[Allez Andruet]

but how many years i have to listen this IF, IF AND IF about Meeke ? IF he hadnt had puncture, IF he hadnt crashed, IF he gets it together he will win and etc.

Fully agree. There's no denying Meeke's potential, that's obvious, and yes, he's had some bad luck as well, but no-one has unlimited amount of chances and Meeke for sure is about to have used and somewhat wasted (compared to his speed) his. He's no rookie anymore and if he hasn't matured enough till this point, what are the chances it would happen during the next 1-2 seasons? Quite slim I'd say.

And regarding JML, atleast the Finnish press makes it sound like he's relying even more on the Japanese support now than he was last year.

[meh]

If only he had finished that morning loop, I think Tanak would have been under pressure, and maybe its he would have made the mistake?

If if if... he did NOT. And because he was driving above his limits. He came to stage end, shaking and covered with swet like just came out from sauna. Compare with Tänak, he like arrived with taxi (as passenger).

If you have Toyota 1-2-3. your clear job is to keep it that way. Keep it away from main title contenders - Hyndai for manufacturers, Neuville and Ogier away from Tänak. It was all that way till it was ended because Meeke and Latvala wanted to compete with Tänak. Yes, Lappi was right there to challenge them for 2nd position, but Lappi wasn't important player for Manufacturer or Driver title. Did Meeke and Latvala really thought that they CAN beat Tänak with pure driving without any mistaks AND did they expect it is ALLOWED by Mäkinen? How many points they have already given to Neuville and Ogier...

[meh]

Anyway C. Clark, right now: adds some rumors about M.Martin talking (possibly about Tanak) with Hyundai and that they are willing to use a lot of money on him

I just can not find the logic why Tänak should go to Hyndai? How do they fit there together with Neuville? One of them must accept to be number 2 in the team. Do not be number 2 in the team was the main reason for Tänak leave M-Sport. I can not see it is going to happen.

... and like always disclaimer for this kind of statements: we probably didn't see Loeb to Hyndai scenario as logical one neither.

[Allez Andruet]

I just can not find the logic why Tänak should go to Hyndai? How do they fit there together with Neuville? One of them must accept to be number 2 in the team. Do not be number 2 in the team was the main reason for Tänak leave M-Sport. I can not see it is going to happen.

I think Adamo has said that he wants to have the best drivers in his team and for that intent Tänak fits quite well. It sure doesn't sound like the best mix (Tänak-Neuville-X-Loeb) regarding the drivers' title, but then again, they're not making offers just for fun. Will be interesting.

[dimviii]

I just can not find the logic why Tänak should go to Hyndai? How do they fit there together with Neuville? One of them must accept to be number 2 in the team. Do not be number 2 in the team was the main reason for Tänak leave M-Sport. I can not see it is going to happen.

... and like always disclaimer for this kind of statements: we probably didn't see Loeb to Hyndai scenario as logical one neither.

for sure all this talk its going to raise his salary for next year.

[eib1]

If if if... he did NOT. And because he was driving above his limits. He came to stage end, shaking and covered with swet like just came out from sauna. Compare with Tänak, he like arrived with taxi (as passenger).

If you have Toyota 1-2-3. your clear job is to keep it that way. Keep it away from main title contenders - Hyndai for manufacturers, Neuville and Ogier away from Tänak. It was all that way till it was ended because Meeke and Latvala wanted to compete with Tänak. Yes, Lappi was right there to challenge them for 2nd position, but Lappi wasn't important player for Manufacturer or Driver title. Did Meeke and Latvala really thought that they CAN beat Tänak with pure driving without any mistaks AND did they expect it is ALLOWED by Mäkinen? How many points they have already given to Neuville and Ogier...

In fact rally Finland was first time when Latvala took points away from Ogier & Neuville, Meeke never has (by overall results, didn´t count ps)

[EstWRC]

Evans to miss Germany too https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/august-2019/evans-germany/page/6576--12-12-.html


damn shame

[Winner]

I just can not find the logic why Tänak should go to Hyndai? How do they fit there together with Neuville? One of them must accept to be number 2 in the team. Do not be number 2 in the team was the main reason for Tänak leave M-Sport. I can not see it is going to happen.

... and like always disclaimer for this kind of statements: we probably didn't see Loeb to Hyndai scenario as logical one neither.


The only logic is if he goes there for the money...

[tomhlord]

Damn, that is a shame for Evans.

I hope Camilli gets a chance in the car.

[tomhlord]

I just can not find the logic why Tänak should go to Hyndai? How do they fit there together with Neuville? One of them must accept to be number 2 in the team. Do not be number 2 in the team was the main reason for Tänak leave M-Sport. I can not see it is going to happen.

... and like always disclaimer for this kind of statements: we probably didn't see Loeb to Hyndai scenario as logical one neither.

I think money is a factor, either as a wage from Hyundai or using it as a bargaining chip with Toyota. But also, if Hyundai has a new car next season, there's a chance they will be telling stories about how many hours and €€€ they've put into development, and look at our facilities and engineering team etc etc and that could also be an element.

Personally, I don't want it to happen, because having the top three drivers in different teams is good for competition. Reminds me slightly of when Hirvonen went to Citroen, it neutered the fight.

[mknight]

Personally, I don't want it to happen, because having the top three drivers in different teams is good for competition. Reminds me slightly of when Hirvonen went to Citroen, it neutered the fight.

Agree, Hirvonen to Citroen was a perfect case of "buying off" competition so they are no longer a threat.



for sure all this talk its going to raise his salary for next year.

I am actually wondering if Hyundai is doing that just make Toyota (or MSport) pay more money for him, knowing fully well it is very unlikely he will go to Hyundai.

[AnttiL]

Would M-Sport offer Breen to drive Germany? Would Hyundai offer him more drives in order not to go with M-Sport?

[mknight]

Would M-Sport offer Breen to drive Germany? Would Hyundai offer him more drives in order not to go with M-Sport?

Yes to both from me. Probably that's where it stands atm, deciding what's better and/or bargaining with Hyundai (they'd offer GB and he bargains for more (TUR, AUS)).

EDIT: If he does Germany in Fiesta he should have no trouble being fastest Fiesta (beating Suninen) and likely also beating all Hyundais unless they made some big changes since Corsica.

[Portimao]

Why would Mads go to London? M-Sport?

[T16]

Anyone read the Autosport plus article about Toyota / Meeke?.... David Evans and Meeke clearly no longer pals!

[rallyfiend]

M-Sport is a looooong way from London.

There are definitely better ways to get there other than through London.

[Rally Power]

Teams spend months testing for little changes/upgrades, now you're asking to Toyota to radically alter the wing on a car that has been set for years, and is so strong on the aerodynamic front. Not good news and a huge oversight from the FIA here...

Yep, it looks like another FIA mess but mid season rules ‘clarifications’ aren’t that rare in motorsport; if all the other manus are now convinced that the FIA wrongly approved Toyota’s rear wing, this could be a reasonable way to avoid a nasty WRC crisis (with probes, penalties and appeals). Let’s hope for the best.



Agree, Hirvonen to Citroen was a perfect case of "buying off" competition so they are no longer a threat.
And so was Latvala to VW. Anyway, I still don’t see Tanak leaving Toyota even if he fails to get the title; he’s performing on a dominant mode with the Yaris (just like Ogier in the Polo years or Loeb back in Citroen golden era), a level which he hardly would be able to reach in Hyundai or MSport. Besides, Toyota has been steadily solving the reliability issues and money is no problem for them to pay whatever Tanak asks. Time will tell.

[deephouse]

Why would Mads go to London? M-Sport?

Maybe it's the time all of drivers are seeking oportunites especially that ones who don't have drive in WRC squad.

[Allez Andruet]

Anyone read the Autosport plus article about Toyota / Meeke?.... David Evans and Meeke clearly no longer pals!

What did say? Or write?

[the sniper]

Why would Mads go to London? M-Sport?

Earlier this year Mads and his wife were asking on Twitter for ideas for where to go on a short holiday in the UK this summer. I imagine this is that holiday.

[AnttiL]

Earlier this year Mads and his wife were asking on Twitter for ideas for where to go on a short holiday in the UK this summer. I imagine this is that holiday.

They already had that a month ago https://twitter.com/beatetorjussen/status/1148255787065729027

[Katvala]

Well it could also be nothing. Many here go to London, often even day trips

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

[mknight]

Greensmith in Fiesta in Germany:
https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1159057007481106433

Would have preferred any of Paddon/Breen/Camilli tbh.

[wrc2017]

Greensmith in Fiesta in Germany:
https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1159057007481106433

Would have preferred any of Paddon/Breen/Camilli tbh.

Off course you would. But it has no logic.

[racerx1979]

He's got that daddy money. Paddy money cannot compete

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Seems MW is convinced Greensmith is the future and wants to give him every opportunity.

It also appears there is no M-Sport interest in Breen, or vice versa. Maybe like Meeke there was a falling out in the past.

[mknight]

It also appears there is no M-Sport interest in Breen, or vice versa. Maybe like Meeke there was a falling out in the past.

Or Hyundai "convinced" Breen by making a deal on more starts this year if he doesn't drive for MSport in Germany.

[PLuto]

Seems MW is convinced Greensmith is the future and wants to give him every opportunity.

It also appears there is no M-Sport interest in Breen, or vice versa. Maybe like Meeke there was a falling out in the past.

Of course he is future for M-Sport. $$$$$$$$$$

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I spoke to Craig Breen a few years ago in the WRGB SP. At the end I wished him good luck with a drive. When I said 'hope its in a Ford' he looked very dismissive like there was never any chance of that...

[EstWRC]

Greensmith in Fiesta in Germany:
https://twitter.com/MSportLtd/status/1159057007481106433

Would have preferred any of Paddon/Breen/Camilli tbh.

Paddon definitely a huge NO because he isnt good on tarmac and he hasnt competed on it for a year. It would do him more harm than good.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Of course he is future for M-Sport. $$$$$$$$$$

If Greensmith's family could afford to pay for a full-time WRC drive he'd be having one now. He only has these drives now due to Evans injury.

Wilson regards him highly as a driver having come through every stage of his career there since R1.

And as you always mention money with M-Sport, how would you run a private WRC team and stay in business ?

[tomhlord]

If Greensmith's family could afford to pay for a full-time WRC drive he'd be having one now.

Isn't it more that to become competitive, you can't just jump in a WRC car from the start?

[er88]

Anyone read the Autosport plus article about Toyota / Meeke?.... David Evans and Meeke clearly no longer pals!Can you post the text?

[EstWRC]

its here but i dont have access to it https://www.autosport.com/wrc/feature/9371/how-toyota-proved-its-potential-to-shoot-itself-in-the-foot

[Ifox95]

A brilliant underrated driver in Keith Cronin should be considered for a WRC Drive, he has undeniably raw talent that has sadly not been seen in the WRC, it will be WRC's loss if this guy doesn't get given a chance!

[mknight]

"Mäkinen stands by Meeke":

https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/august-2019/makinen-on-meeke/page/6577--12-12-.html

Tbh the text isn't very reassuring, yes it says they won't drop him mid season. What happens after is another question.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Milener on Greensmith

"Gus made a positive debut with the top-specification Fiesta on gravel, and we were keen to give him the same opportunity on asphalt. We’ve been working with him for a number of years now, and I know he and Elliott will make the most of the experience.

“They impressed everyone at Rallye Monte-Carlo earlier this year and I think we could see some great progress from them on this surface,” he added.

[AnttiL]

A brilliant underrated driver in Keith Cronin should be considered for a WRC Drive, he has undeniably raw talent that has sadly not been seen in the WRC, it will be WRC's loss if this guy doesn't get given a chance!

Oh what about Ari Mökkönen?

[skarderud]

Neuville, Mikkelsen and Breen in Wales .

Sent fra min SM-G950F via Tapatalk

[wrc2017]

Oh what about Ari Mökkönen?

Jimmy McRae still does a bit?

[the sniper]

A brilliant underrated driver in Keith Cronin should be considered for a WRC Drive, he has undeniably raw talent that has sadly not been seen in the WRC, it will be WRC's loss if this guy doesn't get given a chance!

You're beating a dead horse on this one fella. There's a long list of 'Shoulda Woulda Coulda' WRC candidates out there. Cronin is far from alone and isn't particularly close to the top of the list.

[Rallyper]

GG is there only bcs of money. If money didn´t talk, there´s numbers of driver who´d been there otherwise.

[pantealex]

if Østberg visits M-Sport he doesn´t put that on social media.

[wrc2017]

"Mäkinen stands by Meeke":

https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/august-2019/makinen-on-meeke/page/6577--12-12-.html

Tbh the text isn't very reassuring, yes it says they won't drop him mid season. What happens after is another question.
Because that's his contract you baffoon. Did he mention Tanak or JML for next year? No.

[Andre Oliveira]

Neuville, Mikkelsen and Breen in Wales .

Sent fra min SM-G950F via Tapatalk

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/145281/breen-secures-rally-gb-drive-after-strong-return

[Norm75]

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/145281/breen-secures-rally-gb-drive-after-strong-return

Ooofff, that sounded like a vieled dig at Paddon, with the we've seen in Finland who is smart and who isnt jibe and the fluff about getting on the train.

[eib1]

GG is there only bcs of money. If money didn´t talk, there´s numbers of driver who´d been there otherwise.

Am i getting old or what is wrong with me - every time i read GG, first name that comes to my mind is Giggi Galli :D

[T16]

Share on
Tommi Makinen seethed. Then laughed. But the laugh had that ever so slightly manic edge to it. Makinen, just to be clear, wasn't finding any of this funny.

From the outside, Toyota has it all: the budget, the boys and the best bits. All is not what it might seem.

Seven Sundays before that, Ott Tanak was the maniacal one. Understandably. A steering fault - the same one that had hit his three team-mates earlier on Rally Italy - had found its way into his Yaris WRC at the least opportune moment. Just when he was about to celebrate a second Sardinian win in three years and slide into the summer break with a good 25 points between him and his nearest championship rival, the wheel tightened. And he finished fifth.

Talk to the team about what went on back in Alghero that Sunday night and there is no hint of laughter.

"Serious business," says one source, lowering his eyes and his tone in a way that makes it clear this particular conversation is done.

Toyota arrived in Finland last week with massive pressure on it. There was the pressure of proving the steering worked, pressure to make sure the alternator issue didn't return and that the wheels would hold up. All of these technical issues this year have complicated what could - and probably should - have been a very much more straightforward run to back-to-back manufacturers' titles and a maiden drivers' crown for the Yaris project.

And we're not done with the pressure thing yet. The Yaris WRCs might be re-prepared across the Baltic Sea at a fancy new facility in Tallinn in Estonia, but they were born in Finland. Just up the E75 north of Jyvaskyla in Puuppola.



For the Finns, this is their car. The home-built dream machine. And, in the current generation of World Rally Cars, it hasn't suffered a home defeat yet.

Rally Finland is, and always has been, the one everybody wants to win. Yes, Monte Carlo success would be cool and a Safari win showed you had the endurance edge, but the fastest roads of the season always provided an annual opportunity to show who's fastest. Who's bravest.

If you can't have the title, a Finland win is the next best thing.

Once you've stood on the top of the Paviljonki podium on Sunday afternoon, nothing else comes close. And you want to do it again.

Right when Toyota should be coming together and pooling its instinct, speed and resource to realign its title efforts, it looks to be falling back on the more basic human instinct of survival
Tanak and team-mates Kris Meeke and Jari-Matti Latvala have all stood tall, taller than anybody in that spot, and they all desperately want to do it again.

In short, and in Scandinavian mythology, Jyvaskyla is rallying's Valhalla. There's the final pound of pressure being applied to Toyota.

The three racehorses Makinen lined up at the start of the year, guess what? That's right, they all want to race.

You can't say the four-time champion Makinen wasn't warned. Folk - myself included - were queueing up to ask how he saw 2019 playing out, intrigued to know how this team of three of the world's fastest rally drivers could be shaped into a world championship-winning force.



Right when Toyota should be coming together and pooling its collective instinct, speed and resource to realign its title efforts, it looks to be falling back on the rather more basic human instinct of survival.

Time is very much ticking for Latvala and Meeke. Both know they need to perform, both know they have to deliver for Toyota and that didn't happen in Finland. Or it didn't happen for Meeke and just about did happen for Latvala.

A rock on the outside of a fifth-gear right-hander did for the pair of them. Ironically, Latvala's looked to be the bigger impact after he turned out of the corner to avoid an even bigger rock on the inside. The Finn dropped 14 seconds with a puncture, Meeke broke the suspension, parked up and took Saturday afternoon off.

Makinen, no longer laughing ironically or otherwise, did little to hide his displeasure and asked when, when, when would either driver ever listen to what they were told...

"They were told not to chase Ott," he said. "But when they pull on the helmet and they get into the big fight, they forget everything. Somehow their concentration has been disturbed and, unfortunately, it's not the first time this year."

Meeke hadn't helped his own cause by getting to the end of the previous test, Paijala - one of his favourites - fastest and talking about the fight going on.



Here's the tricky bit. Before Paijala, Meeke was only a tenth of a second up on Citroen's Esapekka Lappi. And to put into context just how close the battle was, Lappi was only 2.3s off the lead. How could Meeke back off?

The last thing Toyota wanted was a Finnish-French interloper ruining the perfect symmetry of a three-Yaris podium.

It's very easy in hindsight to dissect how Meeke and Latvala got it wrong. But they did. As Makinen said, they chased Tanak. That was never the plan
Ten and a half minutes up the road and with Paijala done, Meeke was 6.5s ahead of Lappi. On a rally where we're told 10s is the equivalent of 20s or even 30s elsewhere (simply because the high-speed nature of terrain means the cars are all running at similar pace without junctions or slow corners to make up time under braking or at the apex), was six seconds the start of a margin?

Certainly, Lappi had never been further behind the Toyotas than he was coming out of SS13 and you only had to watch the C3 to see how hard he was going to make those times.

Did Makinen make that call to Meeke and Latvala? Did he remind them of the plan? Should he have had to? Between the two of them they've started more than 300 rounds of the world championship - they knew the plan. They knew what had to be done. But they chose to chase the win.



Were Meeke reading this story - which he doesn't anymore - he wouldn't be reading it anymore. He'd have thrown his phone out of the window.

"What!" he would have cried. "What? I'm six tenths of a second off the lead at Rally Finland and he's asking me if I'm going to fight for the win?"

Add in a bunch of expletives and watch the phone fly.

And it's very easy to sit here in hindsight and dissect how he and Latvala got it wrong. But they did. Like Makinen said, they chased Tanak. And that was never the plan.

Now, six seconds ahead of the man ahead or six tenths behind the leader, those two are professional drivers, Toyota employees with a job to do. Whether they like it or not, when their line manager gives them an instruction, they have to comply.

One of the more astute voices in the service park put it into context.

"I don't understand Kris and Jari-Matti," the source said. "It's like they don't see what the rest of us can clearly see.

"Tanak is in the right place right now. It happens every once in a while with a driver. It was [Sebastien] Ogier's time in the Volkswagen and for [Sebastien] Loeb it was the [Citroen] Xsara or C4. Now it's Tanak.

"When a driver comes to this kind of form, it stretches everybody - but this is where your team-mates have to be smart.



"Look at Dani Sordo, he's extended his career brilliantly because he was smart enough to understand to pick his battles. He wasn't going to beat Loeb, so he chose to stay in his job instead."

Meeke's a vastly intelligent chap. He's an engineer. But above that he's an absolute lionheart of a driver who leaves nothing in the locker and puts everything on the line.

It's not like we haven't seen him play the percentages. He started his season beautifully and was building great momentum when Portugal happened and he threw away a podium.

It's vital he turns that around in the next five rallies. He has to.

The current thinking is Tanak will stay where he is next season and with Kalle Rovanpera joining Toyota, that leaves one Yaris left.

On Sunday afternoon, following Meeke's second off, sources in the service park said Meeke and Latvala were both gone at the end of the year. Let's see. There's time yet for both to make a case for that seat. But only just.

Much as they both see victory bringing redemption, they have to stop driving for themselves and focus on the team's bigger picture.

And now, more than ever, is the time for Makinen and the Toyota team management to rigorously impose themselves. Tanak's title tilt must take priority among the drivers. The Estonian has to be given every resource and backed at every turn just in case the manufacturers' title heads east to Hyundai's base in Seoul at the end of the season.

[Allez Andruet]

"Mäkinen stands by Meeke":
https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/august-2019/makinen-on-meeke/page/6577--12-12-.html


“I don’t understand why they don’t listen. I think Kris might be confused, somehow, about the overall situation. Yesterday’s (Saturday’s) mistake and everything generally, maybe he is confused. Maybe he was thinking of something else while he was driving.”

So what was he thinking then? What is the "overall situation" that's left Kris "confused".

[mknight]

Ooofff, that sounded like a vieled dig at Paddon, with the we've seen in Finland who is smart and who isnt jibe and the fluff about getting on the train.

More like a very obvious dig...

Anyway I still keep laughing on those people saying that when Breen was in position to let Neuville pass it was the best he could achieve. Don't get me wrong he did very good job and much better than expected beforehand. But that statement is simply not truth. Even if we ignore fantasy-level ideas like Breen winning the rally then even if he was just ahead of Ogier I really doubt he would be told to drop behind, seeing how Adamo seems to favor manu champ. relative to drivers. Similarly Adamo wouldn't care to drop Breen behind Mikkelsen if he was ahead. Then there are also the options of being 2., 3. or 4th...

[mknight]

"Look at Dani Sordo, he's extended his career brilliantly because he was smart enough to understand to pick his battles. He wasn't going to beat Loeb, so he chose to stay in his job instead."


The clear comparison there is Duval in the same team. He choose to try to fight Loeb basically from first rally and he lasted one (incomplete) season.

[wrc2017]

Share on
Tommi Makinen seethed. Then laughed. But the laugh had that ever so slightly manic edge to it. Makinen, just to be clear, wasn't finding any of this funny.

From the outside, Toyota has it all: the budget, the boys and the best bits. All is not what it might seem.

Seven Sundays before that, Ott Tanak was the maniacal one. Understandably. A steering fault - the same one that had hit his three team-mates earlier on Rally Italy - had found its way into his Yaris WRC at the least opportune moment. Just when he was about to celebrate a second Sardinian win in three years and slide into the summer break with a good 25 points between him and his nearest championship rival, the wheel tightened. And he finished fifth.

Talk to the team about what went on back in Alghero that Sunday night and there is no hint of laughter.

"Serious business," says one source, lowering his eyes and his tone in a way that makes it clear this particular conversation is done.

Toyota arrived in Finland last week with massive pressure on it. There was the pressure of proving the steering worked, pressure to make sure the alternator issue didn't return and that the wheels would hold up. All of these technical issues this year have complicated what could - and probably should - have been a very much more straightforward run to back-to-back manufacturers' titles and a maiden drivers' crown for the Yaris project.

And we're not done with the pressure thing yet. The Yaris WRCs might be re-prepared across the Baltic Sea at a fancy new facility in Tallinn in Estonia, but they were born in Finland. Just up the E75 north of Jyvaskyla in Puuppola.



For the Finns, this is their car. The home-built dream machine. And, in the current generation of World Rally Cars, it hasn't suffered a home defeat yet.

Rally Finland is, and always has been, the one everybody wants to win. Yes, Monte Carlo success would be cool and a Safari win showed you had the endurance edge, but the fastest roads of the season always provided an annual opportunity to show who's fastest. Who's bravest.

If you can't have the title, a Finland win is the next best thing.

Once you've stood on the top of the Paviljonki podium on Sunday afternoon, nothing else comes close. And you want to do it again.

Right when Toyota should be coming together and pooling its instinct, speed and resource to realign its title efforts, it looks to be falling back on the more basic human instinct of survival
Tanak and team-mates Kris Meeke and Jari-Matti Latvala have all stood tall, taller than anybody in that spot, and they all desperately want to do it again.

In short, and in Scandinavian mythology, Jyvaskyla is rallying's Valhalla. There's the final pound of pressure being applied to Toyota.

The three racehorses Makinen lined up at the start of the year, guess what? That's right, they all want to race.

You can't say the four-time champion Makinen wasn't warned. Folk - myself included - were queueing up to ask how he saw 2019 playing out, intrigued to know how this team of three of the world's fastest rally drivers could be shaped into a world championship-winning force.



Right when Toyota should be coming together and pooling its collective instinct, speed and resource to realign its title efforts, it looks to be falling back on the rather more basic human instinct of survival.

Time is very much ticking for Latvala and Meeke. Both know they need to perform, both know they have to deliver for Toyota and that didn't happen in Finland. Or it didn't happen for Meeke and just about did happen for Latvala.

A rock on the outside of a fifth-gear right-hander did for the pair of them. Ironically, Latvala's looked to be the bigger impact after he turned out of the corner to avoid an even bigger rock on the inside. The Finn dropped 14 seconds with a puncture, Meeke broke the suspension, parked up and took Saturday afternoon off.

Makinen, no longer laughing ironically or otherwise, did little to hide his displeasure and asked when, when, when would either driver ever listen to what they were told...

"They were told not to chase Ott," he said. "But when they pull on the helmet and they get into the big fight, they forget everything. Somehow their concentration has been disturbed and, unfortunately, it's not the first time this year."

Meeke hadn't helped his own cause by getting to the end of the previous test, Paijala - one of his favourites - fastest and talking about the fight going on.



Here's the tricky bit. Before Paijala, Meeke was only a tenth of a second up on Citroen's Esapekka Lappi. And to put into context just how close the battle was, Lappi was only 2.3s off the lead. How could Meeke back off?

The last thing Toyota wanted was a Finnish-French interloper ruining the perfect symmetry of a three-Yaris podium.

It's very easy in hindsight to dissect how Meeke and Latvala got it wrong. But they did. As Makinen said, they chased Tanak. That was never the plan
Ten and a half minutes up the road and with Paijala done, Meeke was 6.5s ahead of Lappi. On a rally where we're told 10s is the equivalent of 20s or even 30s elsewhere (simply because the high-speed nature of terrain means the cars are all running at similar pace without junctions or slow corners to make up time under braking or at the apex), was six seconds the start of a margin?

Certainly, Lappi had never been further behind the Toyotas than he was coming out of SS13 and you only had to watch the C3 to see how hard he was going to make those times.

Did Makinen make that call to Meeke and Latvala? Did he remind them of the plan? Should he have had to? Between the two of them they've started more than 300 rounds of the world championship - they knew the plan. They knew what had to be done. But they chose to chase the win.



Were Meeke reading this story - which he doesn't anymore - he wouldn't be reading it anymore. He'd have thrown his phone out of the window.

"What!" he would have cried. "What? I'm six tenths of a second off the lead at Rally Finland and he's asking me if I'm going to fight for the win?"

Add in a bunch of expletives and watch the phone fly.

And it's very easy to sit here in hindsight and dissect how he and Latvala got it wrong. But they did. Like Makinen said, they chased Tanak. And that was never the plan.

Now, six seconds ahead of the man ahead or six tenths behind the leader, those two are professional drivers, Toyota employees with a job to do. Whether they like it or not, when their line manager gives them an instruction, they have to comply.

One of the more astute voices in the service park put it into context.

"I don't understand Kris and Jari-Matti," the source said. "It's like they don't see what the rest of us can clearly see.

"Tanak is in the right place right now. It happens every once in a while with a driver. It was [Sebastien] Ogier's time in the Volkswagen and for [Sebastien] Loeb it was the [Citroen] Xsara or C4. Now it's Tanak.

"When a driver comes to this kind of form, it stretches everybody - but this is where your team-mates have to be smart.



"Look at Dani Sordo, he's extended his career brilliantly because he was smart enough to understand to pick his battles. He wasn't going to beat Loeb, so he chose to stay in his job instead."

Meeke's a vastly intelligent chap. He's an engineer. But above that he's an absolute lionheart of a driver who leaves nothing in the locker and puts everything on the line.

It's not like we haven't seen him play the percentages. He started his season beautifully and was building great momentum when Portugal happened and he threw away a podium.

It's vital he turns that around in the next five rallies. He has to.

The current thinking is Tanak will stay where he is next season and with Kalle Rovanpera joining Toyota, that leaves one Yaris left.

On Sunday afternoon, following Meeke's second off, sources in the service park said Meeke and Latvala were both gone at the end of the year. Let's see. There's time yet for both to make a case for that seat. But only just.

Much as they both see victory bringing redemption, they have to stop driving for themselves and focus on the team's bigger picture.

And now, more than ever, is the time for Makinen and the Toyota team management to rigorously impose themselves. Tanak's title tilt must take priority among the drivers. The Estonian has to be given every resource and backed at every turn just in case the manufacturers' title heads east to Hyundai's base in Seoul at the end of the season.

What's the point of this article. Did Toyota not nearly score maximum points? Only 2 can score. That's why they run 3 drivers.

[Norm75]

“I don’t understand why they don’t listen. I think Kris might be confused, somehow, about the overall situation. Yesterday’s (Saturday’s) mistake and everything generally, maybe he is confused. Maybe he was thinking of something else while he was driving.”

So what was he thinking then? What is the "overall situation" that's left Kris "confused".

I'm guessing, but if Rovenpera has a seat at Toyota and it leaves only one remaining, even though they were both told not to fight with Tanak, given how close they were Kris possibly thought by showing he is faster than Tanak at the fastest rally he would be more likely to keep his seat next year, when the reality is if he plays the team game better than Jarri Matti instead of trying to prove his speed, which isn't in doubt, he would be more likely to keep his job.

[eib1]

I'm guessing, but if Rovenpera has a seat at Toyota and it leaves only one remaining, even though they were both told not to fight with Tanak, given how close they were Kris possibly thought by showing he is faster than Tanak at the fastest rally he would be more likely to keep his seat next year, when the reality is if he plays the team game better than Jarri Matti instead of trying to prove his speed, which isn't in doubt, he would be more likely to keep his job.

Or maybe Kris already knows that he is out of job next year and tried to impress other teambosses...

[mknight]

Or maybe Kris already knows that he is out of job next year and tried to impress other teambosses...

But it's the same with everyone else. Nobody doubts his speed for the last 3+ years. Everyone doubts his reliability.

[eib1]

yes, but every win raises your fragile cv

[Norm75]

yes, but every win raises your fragile cv

IT does, but maybe he needs to have a chat with his mate Dani, who has two wins to his name but a much longer career.

[wrc2017]

But it's the same with everyone else. Nobody doubts his speed for the last 3+ years. Everyone doubts his reliability.

Maybe, Meeke just loves to drive a WRC car as fast as possible, and probably getting well paid doing it.

People will remember Kris Meeke, they'll not remember mknight.

[Allez Andruet]

Maybe, Meeke just loves to drive a WRC car as fast as possible, and probably getting well paid doing it.

People will remember Kris Meeke, they'll not remember mknight.

Go to sleep Kris.

[stefanvv]

Share on

Great article. I always wondered what is Tommi's plan about Meeke. At the beginning of the year it appeared there is one, but now he's back on his usual. Oh man.... how I wish it would work out.

[wrc2017]

Go to sleep Kris.

I speak the truth. What part of that post do you disagree with?

[Allez Andruet]

I speak the truth.
Yet you started the post with "maybe".

[wrc2017]

Yet you started the post with "maybe".
Maybe I'm giving you a chance to digest. All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

[meh]

What's the point of this article. Did Toyota not nearly score maximum points? Only 2 can score. That's why they run 3 drivers.

Meeke could finish in front of Neuville and Ogier, more Driver points for Tänak. The difference between Tänak and Neuville/Ogier could be a bit larger when Meeke could do his job.

[er88]

Share on

Cheers mate.

[Portimao]

Go to sleep Kris.

LOL, you made my day.

[wrc2017]

Little amuses the simple.

[wrc2017]

No apologies for standing up for one of our countrymen, especially when the keyboard warriors take a epileptic fit in front of the keyboard... It just seems like the press random keys and hope that it makes sense.

[deephouse]

https://www.facebook.com/501750213224200/posts/2635034946562372/

Hyundai announce electric project

[EstWRC]

https://t.co/ovdOw3Z9vW

[mknight]

https://t.co/ovdOw3Z9vW

Obviously we dunno how much is speculation...

This part is clearly aimed at potential Hyundai offer:



"“He knows exactly how to drive the car in every condition. When you jump to the new car you need to learn it again, you don’t do it immediately, it always takes time to learn new car how to go fast – now you just concentrate to doing your work yourself.

“If I am looking at the bigger picture for him, staying with us is the biggest way to guarantee success.”


For Hyundai it's true since neither Mikkelsen nor Loeb have been able to be consistently fast with the car. (Breen only did 1 rally so far)

But imo it shouldn't really apply to Fiesta as it's not likely to have changed much since he drove it.

[Pršljen]

https://www.facebook.com/501750213224200/posts/2635034946562372/

Hyundai announce electric project

Made in cooperation with Croatian Rimac automobili. They recently announced of a joint electric project, didn't expect the car to be made already.

[Andre Oliveira]

I hope Hyundai release the drivers in excess. They actually have all “best of the others” crews under “radar”. So i see no future to M-Sport, for example, pick a rally winner driver. If they race in Hyundai all year... ok, but like that,...

[mknight]

I don't think Mikkelsen or Breen, neither of which have contracts for next season, would be difficult to convince to go to MSport if given a "normal" salary and full season of rallies.

Anyway will be interesting to see what MSport does if Tanak doesn't join them. Worst case is they stay like this year, or even let Evans go somewhere else and drive with Suninen and Greensmith.

[Pršljen]

M Sport will definitely need a contender better than Evans. If this was a season of a preparation for such a signing, they are runni g out of options. I doubt that either Mikkelsen or Latvala would be a huge upgrade compared to current lineup. Suninen showed some progress this season but he is still having too many blackouts even for a 2nd driver. Greensmith definitely needs more time but I doubt that he will learn fast with teammates like these.

[Rally Power]

https://www.facebook.com/501750213224200/posts/2635034946562372/

Hyundai announce electric project

That's not a rally car, for sure. Future WRC cars will be hybrids, not full electrics. According to rumours it must be their racing car for the new ETCR series (starting in late 2020), which will use a common spec electric powertrain (developed by Seat).



Made in cooperation with Croatian Rimac automobili. They recently announced of a joint electric project, didn't expect the car to be made already.

Interesting; Rimac also assisted Seat on the Cupra ETCR development.

[mknight]

M Sport will definitely need a contender better than Evans. If this was a season of a preparation for such a signing, they are runni g out of options. I doubt that either Mikkelsen or Latvala would be a huge upgrade compared to current lineup.

Problem is you are kind of contradicting yourself here. Saying they need someone better than Evans and then saying that two of the best available ones are not good enough. Yes they are probably not a huge upgrade but still an upgrade.
Only the top 3 are a huge upgrade, but 2 of them are not available and now rumors say the 3rd one isn't either.

[doubled1978]

Problem is you are kind of contradicting yourself here. Saying they need someone better than Evans and then saying that two of the best available ones are not good enough. Yes they are probably not a huge upgrade but still an upgrade.
Only the top 3 are a huge upgrade, but 2 of them are not available and now rumors say the 3rd one isn't either.

That’s a fair statement, the reality is those top 3 will mop up the majority of the wins in a season, so the others are fighting over a few wins in a given season. Evans can count himself unlucky not to have one to his name, Sordo has one, but it would be no surprise if that was it by the end.

[Allez Andruet]

https://www.is.fi/ralli/art-2000006198937.html

Timo Jouhki on Latvala/Meeke:

Latvala's situation looks a little bit brighter now after Finland, but we don't know how it's going to end up. He had such a terrible start for the season so there is a lot of work to do. Personally I would be surprised if Meeke keeps his seat (for 2020).

On Katsuta:

Katsuta's programme is a separate one from the actual TGR line-up (i.e. he'll be driving a fourth Yaris, not one of the three).

On Latvala's rumored partial programme for 2020:

If he can't continue with Toyota, then it's a possibility. But at TGR it's full season or nothing.

[mknight]

He thinks it would be crazy for Tanak to leave, while I kind of agree can you image that Tanak gets 1-2 punctures that weren't clearly his fault in Germany and suddenly looses WDC lead again? That's why I am not so sure he has re-signed for Toyota just yet.

Anyway too bad they didn't ask Jouhki if he is trying to get Suninen into that 3rd Toyota.

[rallyfiend]

.

Anyway too bad they didn't ask Jouhki if he is trying to get Suninen into that 3rd Toyota.

Given that he manages both drivers, surely he wouldn't give a useful answer anyway. That would mean he's screwing one of his drivers with the other..

[er88]

If Jouhki is saying there's a lot of work to do, then it looks very bleak for Jari. He knows it.

Things only look better after Finland because Meeke was the unlucky one of the two drivers who retired because of that rock - when in fact Jaris impact seemed just as hard/even harder. If that went the other way, you'd have the opposite sort of stories we've seen coming from the Finnish/ Estonian press.

[Allez Andruet]

If Jouhki is saying there's a lot of work to do, then it looks very bleak for Jari. He knows it.

Things only look better after Finland because Meeke was the unlucky one of the two drivers who retired because of that rock - when in fact Jaris impact seemed just as hard/even harder. If that went the other way, you'd have the opposite sort of stories we've seen coming from the Finnish/ Estonian press.

And Latvala would have had to do that silly mistake in Laukaa stage as well...

Actually Jouhki finishes the story by saying that Latvala has "quite good support from Japan and it helps in a situation like this".

e. Somehow it sounds like Tommi would like to oust both JML and Meeke, but the Japanese might come to rescue and save Latvala.

[AnttiL]

And Latvala would have had to do that silly mistake in Laukaa stage as well...

Actually Jouhki finishes the story by saying that Latvala has "quite good support from Japan and it helps in a situation like this".

Latvala being liked by the Japanese Toyota people is a well known fact.

[mknight]

While I agree Latvala's impact looked even harder and he was just more lucky, imo the main reason it's looking very bad for Meeke is what happened on Sunday.

Completely unnecessary crash on unimportant stage when there was no pressure due to a massive cut.

[AnttiL]

While I agree Latvala's impact looked even harder and he was just more lucky, imo the main reason it's looking very bad for Meeke is what happened on Sunday.

Completely unnecessary crash on unimportant stage when there was no pressure due to a massive cut.

I wouldn't say their future contracts are decided on the Rally Finland incidents alone.

[Allez Andruet]

Latvala being liked by the Japanese Toyota people is a well known fact.

True, and none of the parties involved no longer hide that in public.

[mknight]

I wouldn't say their future contracts are decided on the Rally Finland incidents alone.

Well off course not, but for Meeke it follows a pattern of similar incidents (Portugal, Corsica SS5, Portugal 2018, Argentina 2017).

[er88]

Somehow it sounds like Tommi would like to oust both JML and Meeke, but the Japanese might come to rescue and save Latvala.

Yeah, Japan could well save Jari. However the reality is he doesn't deserve to stay at Toyota over Meeke (as things stand right now), based purely on performance factors. That's just an objective view despite how much I like Jari and want him to remain in the WRC. It's his 3rd year in the car, Makinen was going to bin him last season before his resurgence/Lappi leaving, and he is still currently (just) behind Meeke in the championship let's not forget.

Despite what the Finnish press say, I don't believe anymore that they have chosen between Latvala and Meeke at this stage. There were rumours a month or two ago that Jari was gone, but those were probably easy rumours based off of his form and not accurate at all. Tommi probably knows one has to go at least, but after the next few rallies things could change massively in Latvala's favour or Meeke's - if a string of solid finishes helps get Toyota back ahead of Hyundai.

Imo the only way definitive decisions have been made at this stage is if both are out regardless - otherwise I reckon Meeke and Latvala will be left in the dark and given the next 3/4 rallies to try and win a deal for next season, while Toyota keep their options open. By then both could have driven/crashed their way out of a possible 2020 contract, or one could have saved their Toyota career with good results. 4th place in the drivers championship is still possible for both drivers (more so Latvala due to his form on these upcoming rallies last year, while as Mknight mentioned, Meeke has a horrible record in Germany and has never been to Turkey. Then you have GB with possible poor road position...).

Clearly both championship battles are where most of the interest will be, but with so many drivers out of contract for next year it'll also be really interesting to see who performs and who doesn't in the last 5 rallies. There will be some big winners and losers.

[mknight]

It's always difficult to weight last few (one?) rally vs last 1/2 year, year, 2 years...

Some people (and managers) seem to weight the last 1-2 rallies a lot, while others (like Wilson and seemingly also Tommi) are more about the long-term. Obviously there is no perfect answer on what is better.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Meeke is the one with the biggest doubt.

He has again shown he cant be trusted to deliver good points for the team and even the odd win looks beyond him now.

Finland could have been the final straw.

[EstWRC]

i read yesterday from finnish media that Latvalas salary is as much as Tänaks

sounds quite crazy for me if it is true.

[Rallyper]

i read yesterday from finnish media that Latvalas salary is as much as Tänaks

sounds quite crazy for me if it is true.

You must see the whole picture. Then you´ll understand.

Next year is another year, though...

[TypeR]

i read yesterday from finnish media that Latvalas salary is as much as Tänaks

sounds quite crazy for me if it is true.

Actually can be true.. Latvala made the contract based on his experiences and value and etc.. Ott made his contract in mid 2017, when he was not yet that valuable and fast.. I bet from next year he will be the most paid man in WRC. Rumours are even around 5-7mil per year..

[EstWRC]

I understand this when he made the contract in 2016 coming from VW, at that time he was considered maybe the second best besides Ogier.

But didnt they renew the contract for this year?

[TypeR]

They did renew it, but I assume, he wanted same or more money :D

[Allez Andruet]

But didnt they renew the contract for this year?

I think (couldn't find any news to confirm it though by quick search) the deal Latvala made with TGR in December 2016 was for 2+1 years. Most likely the terms of that option year have already been defined in that original contract. If it was indeed like that (2+1), then it wouldn't be that big a surprise if Tänak (who made a 2-year deal for 2018/2019) and JML had similar salaries.

[wrc2017]

Hold on, is Meeke not ahead of Latvala (and Lappi) on the standings, and has only 7 months in the car. Latvala is in his 3rd year. Tommi just said yesterday, about Tanak, you need time the car to become 'connected' to your car. Joukki can't say, this or that, about Latvala over Meeke, about an incident that was small, and almost identical, and one driver was more lucky than the other. Its manager talk. Still think Meeke has more upside available than Latvala at Toyota, just needs to tidy up the loose ends. He hasn't destroyed cars like Lappi, Neuville or Evans, it's just small stuff, than can, maybe, be contributed to seat time.

[meh]

Hold on, is Meeke not ahead of Latvala (and Lappi) on the standings, and has only 7 months in the car. Latvala is in his 3rd year. Tommi just said yesterday, about Tanak, you need time the car to become 'connected' to your car. Joukki can't say, this or that, about Latvala over Meeke, about an incident that was small, and almost identical, and one driver was more lucky than the other. Its manager talk. Still think Meeke has more upside available than Latvala at Toyota, just needs to tidy up the loose ends. He hasn't destroyed cars like Lappi, Neuville or Evans, it's just small stuff, than can, maybe, be contributed to seat time.

Can you describe Meeke as team-player?

You should not concentrate on the fact that Latavala was more Lucky than Meeke. To hit that stone, they both ignored Mäkinens instructions to "manage the pace and do not try to match Tänaks pace". They both failed.
The difference comes from next episode. Latvala backed-off, took it to "confortable level" and lost some speed. But this was exactly what team expected. Conclusions made, job well done. Meeke meanwhile.. did another stupid mistake.

[mknight]

I think (couldn't find any news to confirm it though by quick search) the deal Latvala made with TGR in December 2016 was for 2+1 years. Most likely the terms of that option year have already been defined in that original contract. If it was indeed like that (2+1), then it wouldn't be that big a surprise if Tänak (who made a 2-year deal for 2018/2019) and JML had similar salaries.

Yes it's perfectly possible Latvala has same salary as Tanak.

However, I wonder how much of drivers salaries is "base value" and how much is based on results. (bonus for 1st or podium for example, or per point).

Even more interesting is how are these bonuses threated when a technical issue ruins the result. Tanak in Sardinia is easy example, but Tanak in Argentina retiring from close fight for win in the middle of the rally is much more difficult.

[Rally Power]

He thinks it would be crazy for Tanak to leave, while I kind of agree can you image that Tanak gets 1-2 punctures that weren't clearly his fault in Germany and suddenly looses WDC lead again? That's why I am not so sure he has re-signed for Toyota just yet.

Or maybe he hasn't re-signed yet just because he’s trying to improve his finantial deal with Toyota. No matter how frustrating it’d be to get more reliability issues on the Yaris, Tanak is the undisputed nr.1 driver on his team and drives the fastest car of the series. At Hyundai he’d have again to get used to a new team and share the leading status with Neuville, while in MSport he would’nt get a superior car. In the remote case he fails to get the tilte this year, it’s hard to tell how he can improve his chances to become WDC by moving to another team.

[eib1]

I remember Mäkinen said somewhere that driver bonuses may be up to 100k per event or sometimes even more

[wrc2017]

Can you describe Meeke as team-player?

You should not concentrate on the fact that Latavala was more Lucky than Meeke. To hit that stone, they both ignored Mäkinens instructions to "manage the pace and do not try to match Tänaks pace". They both failed.
The difference comes from next episode. Latvala backed-off, took it to "confortable level" and lost some speed. But this was exactly what team expected. Conclusions made, job well done. Meeke meanwhile.. did another stupid mistake.

I'm not, joukki is.
Lol.. Manage position? Top 4 covered by 0.6s? Top 7 by 20s. There is only one speed.

[RAS007]

I'm not, joukki is.
Lol.. Manage position? Top 4 covered by 0.6s? Top 7 by 20s. There is only one speed.

You're quite right. Rallies are so short now, every event is a sprint. There is no "managing pace".

[Morte66]

Even more interesting is how are these bonuses threated when a technical issue ruins the result. Tanak in Sardinia is easy example, but Tanak in Argentina retiring from close fight for win in the middle of the rally is much more difficult.

Yes, that would be extremely interesting to know. Paging any journalists...

[Norm75]

I'm not, joukki is.
Lol.. Manage position? Top 4 covered by 0.6s? Top 7 by 20s. There is only one speed.

Yes, this was the difficulty with this rally. Back off, even slightly, and the result could be no better than pushing the limits and being very unlucky. And I do believe this year Kris has been very unlucky. He hasn't pushed way over his limit, he has had one incident where he cut an inch or two too much and paid a heavy price, and another where he clipped a rock at the side of the road and paid a heavy price again.
Trouble is, if you are in a rythym, and that rythym is a fast one, it can be difficult to slow that rythym down without mistakes creeping in. As we saw on Sunday, Kris made another mistake, but this time his speed was not as fast, as he was in cruise mode until the power stage.

If the margins in this rally were greater, we may have seen a different mindset, and a different outcome, but that is all ifs, buts and maybes.

I hope Kris can regroup and come back stronger. He knows his place, and his job. He deserves to be in the championship imo as he is one of the fastest, and spectacular drivers out there.

[Andre Oliveira]

Takamoto Katsuta says goodbye

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EBjhKkpW4AA5njl?format=jpg&name=large

[T16]

Yes, this was the difficulty with this rally. Back off, even slightly, and the result could be no better than pushing the limits and being very unlucky. And I do believe this year Kris has been very unlucky. He hasn't pushed way over his limit, he has had one incident where he cut an inch or two too much and paid a heavy price, and another where he clipped a rock at the side of the road and paid a heavy price again.
Trouble is, if you are in a rythym, and that rythym is a fast one, it can be difficult to slow that rythym down without mistakes creeping in. As we saw on Sunday, Kris made another mistake, but this time his speed was not as fast, as he was in cruise mode until the power stage.

If the margins in this rally were greater, we may have seen a different mindset, and a different outcome, but that is all ifs, buts and maybes.

I hope Kris can regroup and come back stronger. He knows his place, and his job. He deserves to be in the championship imo as he is one of the fastest, and spectacular drivers out there.

Very well said.

[racerx1979]

Japanese love JML. I think I already wrote this, but it comes from Tommi and the days of Mitsu. Tommy was a Finn and the Japanese fell in love with him. Everyone had Tommi livery on their evos. When JML came along they could relate to him. There are so many Japanese publications with JML and his cars in Japan. They all love the guy. You can also see why Toyoda loves Tommi...he was the first Japanese Finnish rally driver love affair.

[pantealex]

Takamoto Katsuta says goodbye


"See you very soon my friends in Wales" is what he says, so probably skipping only Turkey, not goodbye.
(but he has done all his 7 WRC2 starts)

[tommeke_B]

Wales with Yaris WRC?

[Allez Andruet]

Näin Valtteri Bottas viettää F1-sarjan kesätaukoa – testaa taas ralliautoa https://www.is.fi/formula1/art-2000006198761.html

Valtteri Bottas to test Ford (though the story does not specify whether it's WRC or R5) next week in Germany.

[AnttiL]

Wales with Yaris WRC?

My interpretation is that it's his last R5 rally with the team. He's set to do Germany and Spain in the Yaris WRC, and most likely next year no more R5 starts..

[mknight]

IMO he will be back (down) to R5 Toyota as soon as they make it.

[AnttiL]

IMO he will be back (down) to R5 Toyota as soon as they make it.

I say they’ll rather send him back home if he hasn’t become a world class driver by that time

[mknight]

I was thinking about Arai (father) in Subaru. He got some WRC starts and wasn't quite fast to fight for wins there, so got dropped back to PWRC where he was fighting for podiums for quite long.

[able1]

I say they’ll rather send him back home if he hasn’t become a world class driver by that time

I suspect that if he does not impress anyone driving yaris , he will end up competing in national rallies back home. Toyoda just wanted Japanese driver in TGR, but imo Katsuta is not it.

[stefanvv]

Katsuta is not it.

Do they have better option?

[Allez Andruet]

Toyoda just wanted Japanese driver in TGR, but imo Katsuta is not it.

Most certainly it's Katsuta or nothing. They don't have time to waste another 3-4 years to develop "Katsuta II".

Btw, I think Katsuta will do better in Yaris WRC than most think.

[pantealex]

Most certainly it's Katsuta or nothing. They don't have time to waste another 3-4 years to develop "Katsuta II".

Btw, I think Katsuta will do better in Yaris WRC than most think.

His win ratio with Yaris is 100% (2/2)
Is there any other drivers who have more than 1 start with modern WRC and only 1st places?

He will be faster than R5 but can he keep car in road is another thing...

[deephouse]

His win ratio with Yaris is 100% (2/2)
Is there any other drivers who have more than 1 start with modern WRC and only 1st places?

He will be faster than R5 but can he keep car in road is another thing...

I think he will be (if he manage to stay out of the trouble or at least on the road) somewhere between Tidemand, and other ocassional drivers. I can only think of being faster than Bertelli, Qassimi, Block. (Well not so many start these kind of cars)

[Jarek Z]

IMO he will be back (down) to R5 Toyota as soon as they make it.

According to this article this car won't be ready before 2021:
https://www.rallye-magazin.de/int/artikel/toyota-plant-r5-mit-drei-zylindern-41617/

[Jarek Z]

I was thinking about Arai (father) in Subaru. He got some WRC starts and wasn't quite fast to fight for wins there, so got dropped back to PWRC where he was fighting for podiums for quite long.

There is a similar situation with Arai's son, Hiroki. He got dropped and competes in European Championship now. But even in ERC he is not fast enough.

[spiderem]

Any update on the rearwinggate?

[mknight]

Any update on the rearwinggate?

Just a lot of unknowns.

We have no idea what the new rules "explanation" actually means and how big modifications are needed.

Also if modifications are needed can they be made without jokers? (I'd guess so, but how does that fit in the rules?)
EDIT: If they don't need a joker, Citroen could use this opportunity to put on a new/bigger wing without needing a joker.


Will the "changed" cars get a new homologation (isn't that very expensive process?) or how will that be adressed?

If you get less rear downforce with the changes you might need modifications in other areas which might need quite a few jokers. Or you might sacrifice some top speed with a new rear wing that has same downforce but more drag.

Anyway if teams are actually doing changes my guess is we won't see any testing of them before start of september.

[deephouse]

Guys is here anybody who knows if this is true. By some sources I have found out that Turkey could be out of next year's calendar instead of Germany? (glad that they are not droping another asphalt event).

[Eli]

Guys is here anybody who knows if this is true. By some sources I have found out that Turkey could be out of next year's calendar instead of Germany? (glad that they are not droping another asphalt event).

I saw something similar in a few places round the internet, if I remember correctly they (Rally Turkey organizers) have until the middle of this month to decide whether they can or want to participate in next year's calendar.

[lankey555]

Ohhhhh please come to NI and to proper stages not the last rally Ireland crap!!!

[EstWRC]

Also another rumor is that Japan will the last round.

[AnttiL]

Basically last three rounds could all be on tarmac or at least all tarmac rallies (except Monte) are on the last half of the season. It would be interesting for the championship because there would be no road sweeping issues.

[SubaruNorway]

Japan was not very well attended in the past, why are they so desperate to have low attended events that probably half as many watch online as the last one?

[Rallyper]

Would be too much tarmac to be WRC, in my world... ;(

[Tauri_J]

Really?

Motorsport is very popular in Japan.

[AnttiL]

Japan was not very well attended in the past, why are they so desperate to have low attended events that probably half as many watch online as the last one?

Marketing wise Japan is an important region. It also has a lot of car manufacturers.

[AnttiL]

Would be too much tarmac to be WRC, in my world... ;(

Right now we have Monte (snow/tarmac), Corsica, Germany and Spain (gravel/tarmac). Two full tarmac rallies and two half tarmac rallies. In the future we would have Monte (snow/tarmac), Japan and Spain (now without gravel stages). Still too much tarmac?

[SubaruNorway]

Within the first 15min of this one I've maybe seen one fan that looks like he's been hired in as well.
A few at a junction and some in the SSS but looks like a ghost rally when you watch it back now.
At 14min
https://youtu.be/liRjisEUp_g

[rallyfiend]

Within the first 15min of this one I've maybe seen one fan that looks like he's been hired in as well.
A few at a junction and some in the SSS but looks like a ghost rally when you watch it back now.
At 14min
https://youtu.be/liRjisEUp_g

You need to understand the Japanese culture... They don't just go an stand in the middle of a stage. That would be naughty. They go only to the designated spectator locations.

I was lucky enough to go one year to Obihiro, and I can assure you the whole city was right behind the event. One of the best ceremonial starts I've ever been to. Amazing crowds.

And don't forget, this time it will be on the main island, just a couple of hours from Tokyo...

[T16]

Japan was not very well attended in the past, why are they so desperate to have low attended events that probably half as many watch online as the last one?

You have probably hit the nail on the head within your question.... they aren’t bothered about people spectating on the events, they want online and TV ratings. This is what brings the dollars in.
Having the last round attracting a large online audience puts the promotors in a good position for generating higher profile sponsors going forward.
It’s shit, but that’s how it is.

[mknight]

Afaik on previous rally Japan quite a lot of stages were even officially closed to the public. Also as mentioned it was far away from any population centers.