for the good of the sport, i think its time for Loeb to move on from the WRC. He will be always be a legend and i dont think anyone will beat his "soon-to-be" 9 championship wins but the championship needs more competition..
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for the good of the sport, i think its time for Loeb to move on from the WRC. He will be always be a legend and i dont think anyone will beat his "soon-to-be" 9 championship wins but the championship needs more competition..
Seb vs Seb for the 10th title nice
As if the championship would improve then? Without Loeb Hirvonen would have won 6 times, plus 1 second and 1 third, and also once disqualified from victory. More competition? Not really.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbie Starkey
You may have a point. It would be kind of weird to have Mikko as a multiple champ but only winning maybe 1 or 2 rallies a year...On Loeb, I don't think him leaving will make a huge differnce to the championship as the financial and broadcasting issues are not reolved and are of more importance than him. People will watch WRC when it is packaged right and there are different cars closely matched. Having a driver fight would just be a nice addition at this point.
Personally i think Ogier would have won it in the past 2 years without Loeb, and yes Mikko would have won it at least once or twice. And with more people winning it, there would be different manufacturers winning it also. So i think the media would be more interested...especially if a Cumbrian based team was winning. But who knows...all shoulda woulda coulda!!
Without Loeb competing in the last few years, Hirvonen would be a three-time world champion by now, with 7 wins in 2008, 8 in 2009 and 6 in 2011. Slightly more than 1 or 2 wins per year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
There is not really much point debating this, as without Loeb pushing the others in the field who knows what would have happened. For example, would JML and Petter have crashed so frequently if they hadn't been attempting to keep up with Loeb? Unlikely, so who knows what could/would/might have happened?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Munkvy
Hang on, fred, what would happen to forums, eh?
Seems at least 2/3 the reasons forums exist is to allow experts to prove with inexorable logic exactly what would have happened in the alternate universes they know all about..
For example, if Loeb hadn't been around but say I got the rusty been patched too many time sills cut out and replaced in my mighty V4 Saab---the last Saab 96 to ever run a WRC event naturally-- all the field would have been simply STUNNED by the awesomeness of the Saab stunned to the point of being paralysed by fear and jealousy..
And I could have cleaned up.
Simple.
Logical.
Right?
Hirvonen having as much wins as Loeb? I don't think so... I would exclude MC & Germany for sureQuote:
Originally Posted by Lousada
Found official:
?KODA - ?KODA driver has already become the 2012 European Champion
Esapekka Lappi ŠKODA Motorsport driver, the Polish Rally Championship
This year's rally Finnish champion Esapekka Lappi will run in ERC-rally in the factory
ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 car.
ŠKODA has decided to test the talented driver. Run rally in Poland is one of the oldest rallies
ŠKODA has already secured a victory EM-series
New faces appear behind the wheel factory ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 car in Poland ERC Rally
28-30.9.2012 Mazur-Lakes scenery.
Esapekka Lappi (age21) is not only a talented young Finnish driver, but also in this year's World Rally champion of Finland. Rally Rajd Polski ERC-race Lappi working together with co-driver Janne Ferm with ŠKODA Motorsport Fabia Super 2000 car.
ŠKODA Motorsport Director Michal Hrabánek says he has been Esapekka following for some time.
- We believe him to be the next new rally ability. We have decided to give him the chance to take part in this rally in Poland, the executables to be run in Lappi's favorite gravel. Rally expect ŠKODA Motorsport for his prowess in our Fabia Super 2000 car, says Hrabánek.
Esapekka Lappi is excited ŠKODA Motorsport's a real opportunity.
- Each driver's dream is to get the chance to drive the factory team. Although this is only one race, this is a significant step forward in my career. ŠKODA has achieved great results Fabia Super 2000 car, and I hope I can for good performance in Poland. We appreciate greatly with Janne this possibility, Lappi says enthusiastically.
Skoda factory team driver Juho Hänninen couple and Mikko Markkula have already ensured the European Championship after winning four races in this year's series (Croatia, Belgium, Turkey and Barum Czech Rally Zlín).
Sorry for maybe my poor english translation...