Silly Season 2019

Thierry Neuville
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@thierryneuville
4m4 minutes ago
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I’m delighted to tell you that @nicolasgilsoul and I will continue with @HMSGOfficial team for the next 3 years! Building a strong partnership for a long and exciting future. ����
#StrongerTogether #TeamGoals #WRC

https://twitter.com/thierryneuville/...61170583339008

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Originally Posted by mknight

Btw. with people sending 2-3 drivers "out" (Evans, JML etc.), who is supposed to actually drive the cars... there are still 11-12 factory seats to fill.

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Good point which so often gets overlooked. While it can easily be argued that Evans (for example) could rightfully be sent off from the main class for 2019, who would take his place (assuming the replacement comes outside of current WRC roster)? I.e. how many drivers there are, who are likely to score more points than Evans? This is one of the issues the FIA created by launching these new WRC cars which are practically only available for factory teams and drivers. You can say there's Tidemand, but even him, with all the achievements he's had in WRC2, is completely untested in a current-spec WRC. Quickly counting, outside of the current factory drivers, there are only Meeke, Hänninen and Camilli who have any kind of experience from these new cars (deliberately excluding Kremer, H. Solberg and Serderidis). I bet the number was a bit different in late 2012, but ok, that's probably the price we have to pay for having these new cars. And I, as a fan, am more than willing to pay that :D

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Originally Posted by Allez Andruet

there are only Meeke, Hänninen and Camilli who have any kind of experience from these new cars

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Camilli hasn't driven a 2017 car. But Lefebvre has.

It's a good point, will some new guy be better than a struggling old one?

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Originally Posted by AnttiL

Camilli hasn't driven a 2017 car. But Lefebvre has.

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Didn't he test the 2017-spec Fiesta sometime back in 2016? Lefebvre I forgot about.

That Neuville news is brilliant. Shows Hyundai are effectively commited for another 3yrs.

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Originally Posted by Allez Andruet

Didn't he test the 2017-spec Fiesta sometime back in 2016? Lefebvre I forgot about.

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I think you are right, but there are more to that list then if we count non-competitive action

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Originally Posted by AnttiL

I think you are right, but there are more to that list then if we count non-competitive action

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That's true... so let's just stop before we have to count Tommi, Malcolm and Bosse in as well.

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Originally Posted by Allez Andruet

That's true... so let's just stop before we have to count Tommi, Malcolm and Bosse in as well.

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and Kalle.

and Marcus

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Originally Posted by Allez Andruet

That's true... so let's just stop before we have to count Tommi, Malcolm and Bosse in as well.

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About 10 different drivers have tested Yaris... (Nikara, Katsuta, Petter...)