I'd imagine Nasser as a 3rd driver as well. Some great news but, just have to download the podcast.
Printable View
I'd imagine Nasser as a 3rd driver as well. Some great news but, just have to download the podcast.
+1Quote:
Originally Posted by Josti
They were saying on TotalRally that Hanninen should get the VW seat, but apparently Al-Attiyah is preferred for their first season. And as I say, Petter is currently in talks with VW too.
I'm another to agree, Al-Attiyah would be a decent 3rd driver, but is nowhere near a top line driver. If VW are serious, then they want two top notch drivers. Solberg/ Hanninen would be a good pairing.
it was total rally postcast tonight not ?
It was.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbmarcus21
thanks ;)
Nasser is 40 exactly (+1 month). But he is more like a third driver indeed. Maybe some kind of Middle East deal is in the game? However, VW should have enough money to run their program and three drivers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Josti
Solberg-Hanninen and Al-attyah keeping the team wealthy...sound like a good plan.
I would like to see Hanninen, Sordo, and Solberg in a three car team
I would like to see you with something good in Acropolis! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by GINE
How about letting them drive off roadbook? Why should they pacenote for a marathon rally? It just takes up way too many resources to do. Keep the route a secret so there's no illegal recce, and let them go on the roadbook.Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyfan+
Are you serious, this is no Dakar.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitch555
+1 :DQuote:
Originally Posted by atsiotras79
Me too!!!!! :D :D
But still nothing set
Some deeper thinking would be:Quote:
Originally Posted by GINE
Solberg, hanninen and Sordo ( since Sainz will probably be in the team ) swapping places for point scoring, while mikkelsen does SWRC with skoda to gain experience.
And the year after they keep the best drivers in the first team and mikkelsen in the second team. But the future should be Hanninen - Mikkelsen for VW
Novikov returned in WRC. Source here.
http://www.almrally.ru/english/info/4524/
I think that probably in the Ford Fiesta
Mikhail Lepekhov: "This decision was unexpected for me. Like a lightning bolt from the blue sky. I can't find another comparison. I understand Zhenya. Career and job are the main things in young man's life but one shouldn't miss opportunity to participate in the World Championship driving a WRC car. And I'm proud that I succeeded in persuading him and arranged some moments - in this year Evgeny will drive a WRC car under an intensive programme!"
good news!!
Now this is interesting and good news. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by AP-Racing
Just wondering who will codrive for him...
NICE. Now i have someone to cheer for in the championship!!
Maybe he drives alone :-PQuote:
Originally Posted by Juha_Koo
Good news indeed. He has grown older and last year in Russian Championship it looked like he is mentally stronger as well. He will become 21 years old in this September, hopefully few more years of age also helps. Entry list for Mexico will be closed in a few days, so, we might expect something by Portugal at earliest.
This year in WRC looks better right now that last year looked in December :-P
I cant describe how glad i am that Novikov is returning to the Wrc. He is what the sport needs. Raw talent, raw speed. I don't think we have seen anything like it for a long time. Again good news!
very good news about novikov....a guy with huge potential in my opinion if he manages to control his pace somehow.
If they prefer Al Attiyah to Hanninen then they are already making mistakes...Quote:
Originally Posted by pettersolberg29
He's far from the best drivers but let we see..
I think there is more than one reason to compare him with a certain Colin McRae. I rather have a fast and spectacular driver like Novikov or Latvala than a driver like Mikko who can say things like "lets settle for 2nd" already the first day.Quote:
Originally Posted by N.O.T
I am very serious! It may be no Dakar, but you can still rally without pacenotes. Australia does at least half of their rallies as roadbook, and RAC Rally in the UK had no pacenotes for many years. It's just an additional challenge they can have, and saves a lot of time and money with having no recce. Can be a new challenge, and we can see which driver is the most committed, read the road and drive to the conditions the best.Quote:
Originally Posted by mm1
I definitely hope Novikov would manage to few jumps I'm planning to spectate at in NORF. And like said, he must've matured over the past year.
But the backers of Nasser Al Attiyah owns at least already 20% of VW..... and getting more shares.... so Nasser will be there and they can find a extra driver who is youngerQuote:
Originally Posted by RS
Being Finn, I understand that rallying is possible without pacenotes but I've always seen that pacenotes are a inseparable part of world rallying.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitch555
Modern drivers are familiar with long recce days, everytime there's a new rally/new stages they do over 12-hour days.
I don't agree with you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitch555
I had some experience in both ways in very small amateur events but, I can assure you that with only roadbook is very dangerous.
There's always a rock or ditch on a corner that isn't on roadbook, or bumps, jumps, if a corner is long, short.
With pacenotes you can put everything to help on driving but it is also much safer.
Well Todt-s idea was that rallying should not be a work from 9 to 17. And every event must have its own face. It looks pretty different to all other events. Imagine recce day from 8 in the morning until 23 in the evening, sounds like my normal working day on the fieldwork season ;-) This is very nice step to make something different, very different and brings back more the endurance side of the sport!Quote:
Originally Posted by Juha_Koo
He would certainly be a better third driver than the one Ford have. I was sure Juho was being groomed for a VW seat though, maybe Malcolm would like to have him if one of his current two Finns don't perform this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by ProRally
Hanninen isn't being groomed by VW at all - the opposite if anything. They are trying to force him out of Skoda so Kopecky can win the IRC, but that won't happen, while another manufacturer is very interested in Juho for 2012 and the future. Skoda/VW are resting their hopes on Petter and another young Norwegian. Al-Attiyah would be a sufficent driver for the first year of development I think.
We will see, but Juho has already during the last year showed what he is able to do... And there is no doubt that he is ready for the fight with the big boys. There is no sense for Skoda to send him to drive S-WRC unless there is a plan. During this year he and the BRR Skoda collect the information of the WRC events and this data will be the base of the VW´s WRC effort. Their planned Word Rally Car must be based to Polo and it will be rather easy to modify current Fabia Super 2000 to be this VW`s World Rally Car.Quote:
Originally Posted by pettersolberg29
They can have some talks with Petter and Andreas is coming, but it will take many years before Mikkelsen is able to beat WRC top drivers. Monte Carlo showed that he has still much to learn and during this year in the IRC series he is able to develop as a driver. We can not know yet what his ultimate level will be, but if he is able to achieve that level he can be VW´s works driver with Hänninen and Al Attiyah...
I would not exaggerate so much. Juho always wanted to go back to WRC and after he took the title in IRC, he has nothing more to prove there. For sure it suits Mr. Kopecký sen. to have Juho outside IRC as Jan will be more visible and have more chances to win the title (in my opinion it won't happen anyway) but I don't think that it's the main reason for Juho in SWRC. For sure people in Škoda know that THE DRIVER is Juho. Now we just have to wait for the future. 1.6T prototype already exists and so far it has had Fabia bodyshell...Quote:
Originally Posted by pettersolberg29
+1!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by rp
Fair enough - I'm sure you know more than me about the internal politics of Skoda! However the Scirocco is also being developed, and surely the VAG group wouldn't allow a Fabia 1.6T WRC to fight against a Scirocco 1.6T WRC would they?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
And lets make it clear that I agree that Juho is easily good enough to be a WRC driver, however from what I've been told and what Colin Clark said, Juho is wanted more by another manufacturer than he is by Skoda/VW.
I suppose that would be Ford then. Cant see Citroen being interested in anything else than a frenchman.. =)
Lol what have you been told, what team? and who is colin clark?Quote:
Originally Posted by pettersolberg29