[WRC] News & rumours (part II)

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Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys

When someone who isn't the World Champion might be given the number that only the World Champion has any valid claim to, yes, it is that important.

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was it important in '06?

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Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys

When someone who isn't the World Champion might be given the number that only the World Champion has any valid claim to, yes, it is that important.

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In rallying nobody has "claim" to #1. It's given to the champion as a matter of courtesy. If he's not there, it's given to someone else. Which is exactly how it should be.

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Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys

It just seems wrong that someone else other than Loeb should carry the #1 when Loeb is champion, even if he is not competing in a rally at the time. When Alain Prost retired from Formula 1 at the end of 1993, the numbers for 1994 were allocated based on the final 1993 World Constructors' Championship positions. Prost had been driving for McLaren, but Williams' won the Constructors' title, so they got the numbers 0 and 2. I get that #0 cannot be used by a competitive car in rallying, but I don't buy into the idea that the WRC has to have a car with the #1 on its window at all times.

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This is not true, until 1996 the F1 numbers were allocated according to the 1973 constructors championship. Only the team with the reigning drivers champion received #1 & #2, while last years owners of #1 received the old numbers from the current champion. In 1993 Prost won the championship for Williams, that is why they kept #1 & #2. By the way, Williams already drove with #0 & #2 in 1993 because 1992 champion Nigel Mansell deflected to the USA.

I'm well aware that the numbering structure in Formula 1 has gone through several versions.

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Originally Posted by sollitt

In rallying nobody has "claim" to #1. It's given to the champion as a matter of courtesy. If he's not there, it's given to someone else. Which is exactly how it should be.

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Actually, that's not true at all. Under the WRC regs it is specifically reserved for the current World Champion. It's common in many top tier sports.

MotoGP didn't just hand 1 to someone else when Rossi ran his normal number.

Who cares if there's no number 1 because Loeb isn't there? He earned it. No one else came within a country mile of earning it.

Loeb will be the only one to run 1 next year, and rightly so.

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Originally Posted by rallyfiend

Actually, that's not true at all. Under the WRC regs it is specifically reserved for the current World Champion. It's common in many top tier sports.

MotoGP didn't just hand 1 to someone else when Rossi ran his normal number.

Who cares if there's no number 1 because Loeb isn't there? He earned it. No one else came within a country mile of earning it.

Loeb will be the only one to run 1 next year, and rightly so.

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eWRC.cz - po všech stránkách rally…

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Originally Posted by Nornbugger

eWRC.cz - po všech stránkách rally…

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That specific case relates to a change in nominated driver after entries had closed and required a waiver for him to even step in to the car when Seb had injured himself? After entries had been closed and entry list issued.

Very different to a precise policy / regulation designed to reserve that number for the Champion.

I think up until the early 90´s, drivers numbers were seeded by the event organisers, so they never carried the same number whole year. I don´t see why we should attach to it really.

Interesting to see these statistics on final of the season.

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Originally Posted by rallyfiend

That specific case relates to a change in nominated driver after entries had closed and required a waiver for him to even step in to the car when Seb had injured himself? After entries had been closed and entry list issued.

Very different to a precise policy / regulation designed to reserve that number for the Champion.

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Is this why NZ and GB had no number 1 on the events? tbh I remember Loeb was injured etc but I forget the detail of why we had McRae and Pons at No1 and then the 2 events with no no.1.