Couldn't agree more on that one ;)
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In this terms I like one adage: "To be a champion you dont need to be fastest driver, but the best driver."
Of course, every driver is unique. We cannot say strictly that one way is the best one and others are shit. Everybody is trying to go by their own way and in the final they are more or less successful. I like a lot not only to think about it, but also to talk about it. As I was involved in JWRC in golden era around 2005 and later in IRC/ERC, I had opportunity to talk with lot of drivers. Range of this drivers is really big - some of them are successful and have WRC factory seat, some of them are nowhere now. With lot of them I was talking about their plans, about their progress, about their thoughts. And later I can confront them again and understand, what was good and what was bad from their perspective. It is very interesting to know experience of that drivers, to know what they expected from their plans, what was their decisions and what is the reality. I was also trying to give some advices or part of my experience to some drivers. Somebody of them agreed with me, somebody of them not. But I must say that lot of them now agreed that this advices on the beginning of their careers were not bad...
I kind of agree with PLuto.
He is ERC man and Iīm WRC man but still: Many good points.
Itīs never bad to go ERC before WRC and maybe 95% of drivers canīt start from WRC.
Kalle has used Rally2 in every WRC event which he attended, canīt continue like that, also tarmac- and some gravel type skills quite low but he has factory deal. Let him try WRC2.
Kalle is now works driver which means he will have plenty of tests and lessons to take. Generally speaking in last ten years Škoda has been very good in development of young drivers. Let's see where Kalle can get. Just for remembering when Juho came to Škoda he was near useless on asphalt but three years later he even defeated Jan fair and square on Barum rally.
Also Škoda's APRC program, I think, is very good for young drivers to gather experience.
Juhoīs beginnings in Skoda back in 2009 were beautiful times. Two crashes, 5th place on Rally Ypres and then in Russia where there was a surface that suited him the most of all , Juho had been caught by police for speeding and they confiscated his driving licence. I said to myself: "What a moron" :D ...but then I started to like him more and more. As I said...what a beautiful times ;)
Maybe you right, but Gill has no competition from Asia-Pacific region drivers, and Škoda provide someone each year. But for youngsters every km counts, especially in those rally, where they never drive before.