There is no real competition in APRC. It's nice championship but winning it means nothing for WRC. The speed needed there is completely different.Quote:
Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1
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There is no real competition in APRC. It's nice championship but winning it means nothing for WRC. The speed needed there is completely different.Quote:
Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1
and moreover, his team mate Gaurav Gill was fastest than him - but not so reliable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
P-G didn't find APRC a walk in the park that's for sure
With Proton on DMack tyres ;)
I hear all of those drivers are contracted to VW at present :DQuote:
Originally Posted by sollitt
Alister hasn't let those issues hold him back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
So where is he now?Quote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
We'll know by round 1 of the APRC this year.
He won't be competing in APRC. His co-driver is with a different driver this year competing in the Australian Rally Championships.
But Proton are confirmed for APRC in 2013
Do you have a source for this? If so what will Alister be doing? Do you know who will be in the other Neo Satria?Quote:
Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1
McRae will attend Rally Queensland as a guest but not driving.
Nothing on drivers for Proton. Sorry.
But the info is reliable and good !
I think it would be good to quote the source, there is nothing coving this on the internet that I could find.
It doesn't take much to discover that Bill Hayes is indeed sitting in a Clio in the ARC and GG#1 is not known to spread idle gossip.
Back to topic please!
not rally, but rallycross:
norwegian Frode Holte, known with an fast and blue volvo c30, builds a i20 with some support from hyundai norway.
in an intervju with the norwegian marketingboss in hyundai, he admitt that an one make cup in norway is "interesting"... :)
Alain Penasse is the new team manager of Hyundai. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
Alain Penasse has been heavily involved in different championships since TBC. He started as assistant team manager for Toyota Team Europe, consultant for different teams in the WRC, Quality Assurance Manager of Rally Ireland, Logistics Coordinator of Michelin in WRC and IRC, Rally Manager of Geko Ypres Rally and Promotor of Belgian Championship are only part of the list of roles he has covered.
Team - On Event - All about rally
Michel Nandan interview
http://www.worldrallyblog.com/2013/0...eam-principal/
Will he try to resuscitate Duval?Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
I think Alain is a very capable person, regarding what he is doing and what he has been doing in the past. So I don't think Duval will be linked with Hyundai in any way, at least not before he could prove himself again in another car... :) Also if Yves Matton would give Duval a drive in some asphalt event, I think it could be a very risky gamble... Duval has been out of (proper) competition for too long.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
They have a crazy tight schedule if they are building the infrastructure and recruiting staff at the moment and aiming to have a car ready at the beginning of 2014.
I don’t know how the case is at the moment but I remember reading somewhere that when the new WRC started at the beginning of 2011, they had an opportunity to homologate new parts before 1.5.2011 and also had more jokers during the first year.
It's not because things are getting public now, that decisions can't have been taken longer ago... :) Who knows, they may already have a busy testing shedule without anyone of us knowing about it? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by OldF
That’s true, Hyundai have been very silence about the development.
They’ve probably done a lot of the development of the engine in the South Korea but imo the development of the suspension etc. which is a very key factor of the performance they need an experienced WRC or another experienced driver to develop the drivability of the car.
I don’t think there are that kind of drivers in South Korea. Maybe a driver like Tommi Mäkinen could have been involved. At least he’s been in China looking for new business because I don’t think the building of N4 / R4 has been so good business lately.
Just my guessing. :)
Seems that engine is homologated already.
http://www.fia.com/sites/default/fil...21.03.2013.pdf
Seems to be that Alain Penasse is going to be Team Manager....
The contract was signed around Sweden, early February. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by ProRally
Here is some good news about the Hyundai program: iRally | The free independent Rally App for the iPhone, iPad and Android
This is part is particularly good for us rally fans in the Asia Pacific region: Paddon is available and has made it clear he is looking for a WRC opportunity. The New Zealander could appeal to the Korean manufacturer with its Asia Pacific base and sales interests.
so back to sleep/no news mode again for Hyundai?
Paddon is treating his Germany and Finland entries as an informal audition for a Hyundai seat:
Hayden Paddon to contest WRC2 German and Finnish rallies - WRC news - AUTOSPORT.com
Who ever said that they are obligated to give regular updates on what they are doing?Quote:
Originally Posted by Leon
Who ever said that they are obligated to give regular updates on what they are doing?[/QUOTE]
Who ever said that Marketing, PR and the like are of any good use for a company. I guess VW were wrong in their approach during the build up period .........
Vw had full season with s2000, i20 isn't ready for testing yet.
I think you're forgetting business culture. Hyundai evidently don't want to build up excitement and expectations, only to disappoint.Quote:
Originally Posted by Leon
And the Fabia S2000 didn't really have a whole lot to do with the Polo R WRC. They mostly just used it to give the team some experience. Even if the Polo R WRC was derived directed from the Fabia S2000, what is Hyundai supposed to do, considering that they don't have any existing model that can compete as an S2000 entry? They'd essentially have to develop their development model before they could start on the WRC model, and that is a waste of time, effort and money.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barreis
While I agree with the later statement that Hyundai have no S2000 to start with I have to tell You that you underestimate the role of Fabia in Polo development.Quote:
Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys
First it was design reference - something what works well and what You can dismantle to bolts is always welcome for new team. Polo was not built from nothing. For example suspension mounting point positions and damper angles are same for both cars.
Second it was a reference for judging competitors. You have competitors in WRC and You have Ogier in Fabia S2000. You know on the stages the difference between WRC and Ogier was X. Now after the rally You stay there for testing on same stages. Now You have Ogier in Polo and Ogier in Fabia. You compare and the difference is Y. Than You compare X to Y and You know quite realistic difference between Polo WRC and Your WRC opponents. Thanks to splits etc. You can go further with particular sections of the stage.
With the help of Škoda they could test suspension settings on real stages with Fabia and compare Reiger and Sachs dampers both in real events and tests.
It also allowed VW to collect loads of data from real events and to practise all team working in real conditions - be it logistics, solving real issues etc. That's something You can't get without live experience.
Then let's take that in our stride and go back to the original comment that the i20 isn't ready for testing and development yet. That may be the case, but what alternative do Hyundai have? The have no S2000 model to use, and they can't exactly delay their i20 programme for an entire season with no presence in the sport. Manufacturers will only get involved if there is a pay-off involved, and Hyundai probably think that struggling through their first season and treating it as a testing and development phase is the leser evil when compared to having no presence in the category whatsoever.
That's probably the case or they are so much confident about the team of people they hired. Let's see what they can do.
Can't see they'll be good from the start without propper year of testing.
How does it look from the homologation point of view? I know that they're not longer obliged to homologate ten S2000 cars + ten WRC kits, but just ten (?) WRC cars. But, if they'll make the homologation on 1 Jan 2014, would they be locked from any major changes for another three years? That would be rather risky.
Who said that they were expecting to be?Quote:
Originally Posted by Barreis
I think the philosophy is different to VW who did a full year of testing out of competition in order to be able to battle for the top from the first stage. Hyundai I think will do that testing year directly in competition, or at least that's what the plan appears to be at the moment. We'll see how it turns out, they've recruited an experienced management team but we don't know much about the other guys, mechanics, engineers etc.