Manufactures driving school
We have many discussion about Wilson in WRC. Some say it is better to learn rally is JWRC or FIA Juniors who is called since this year. I have think about it and do some research. I wonder what manufactures do. Do the have 'school plans' like Wilson jr has? I mean that 5 year step-by-step plan.
Watch how manufactures works:
Citroen: Loeb and Sordo comes from S1600. But a clear training path... I didn't see.
Subaru: The second seat: Who has money; The first seat: who is fast? Welcome!
But Ford. That is a different story.
They lead there drivers. Hirvonnen comes in world rally for the first time in a WRC car. He drives for Ford the third car in 2003. He learn and get some opportunities from Ford. Now he is a fast driver, the first driver behind Loeb and Gronholm. (Best of the rest).
Latvala is a good example from 'Fords school plan'. He get some drives in 2003 and 2005 by Ford in a Focus WRC and comes to WRC in 2007 sponsored by Ford also.
The new 'student' is Mikkelsen. He get a car from his dad, prepared by Ramsport. But watch the entrylist of Norway and Portugal. The name of the entrant is Stobart-VK-M Sport-Ford RallyTeam. That means they pay for his entry. M-Sport/Ford want that he is learning the WRC, rally, the skills and pay for him.
Ford has a plan with some drivers. Latvala is the comming man to the Ford 'A' team. Mikkelsen have some years to go and he is a Stobart driver before he is in the manufacturer Ford.
This is very smart of Ford. Offcourse they dont pay everything. Only the entryfee. But little by little, step by step the driver can learn the rallies AND the WRCar. Some other rallies who is not in WRC he can drive in another (cheaper) class. Like Latvala did (PWRC).
I don't see other manufactures had a 'school'. Maybe is Citroen from now focusing of talants in the C2. That will be smart to. They learn the roads and skills, but it take some tome to learn a WRCar.