In the latest betsafe podcast(published yesterday) Ott said he's fully focused on 2022 season, and confirms again that he'll miss Monza because of family.
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In the latest betsafe podcast(published yesterday) Ott said he's fully focused on 2022 season, and confirms again that he'll miss Monza because of family.
I don't believe Tänak is going anywhere, but it's good to remind that they never tell in advance if they are leaving. In 2017 Tänak said directly to David Evans in the M-Sport event that he's not going anywhere and wrote in his blog that the rumors about him going to Toyota are stupid. And only weeks later the contract was revealed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tauri_J
What type or family affair can let you miss an event of your contract as top sportsman? I only can see death or birth of child. With that advance only birth…
Ok it is his personal life but the reason is very very strange.
Not even birth because babies can arrive earlier than due date.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
Everything is negotiable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
M-Sport & Loeb still in talks...
https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/m...going/6792271/
If he's said it's a 'family issue' then we must believe him....It really is none of our business to speculate on why/who/what....Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
Greensmith confirmed full season in Puma Rally1.
Rumours about Loubet in Puma Rally1 from Croatia.
If so, how do you see Fourmaux and Loeb working out? A bit cramped in one car, are they trying to run 4 cars?Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
One Puma will be with three seats.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mackie
Hm.Quote:
Originally Posted by bandit12
Fourmaux was hailed as a great, upcoming driver. Than Greensmith get a full year, and Fourmaux, Loeb and Loubet are supposed to share?
Loubet as a customer?
Breen
Greensmith
Fourmaux
Loeb/Huttunen
Loubet (custumer)
So 5 cars?
Loubet only from Croatia.
It should be pretty clear to anyone that (extrernal) funding is the prime decider at MSport. They were trying to make an impression that they were aiming for results after Puma was announced, but almost everything they did after that shows that running a business is the prime goal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mackie
Loeb might be getting a drive for free or even get some money (from Redbull) but that's because he brings a lot of ("free") PR.
They will run 10 cars if they find enough people who want to pay for them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mackie
Exactly! And also confirms that Ford aren't as committed as we hoped they would be; otherwise you don't need funding from your No 2 driver. It's rinse & repeat; so people need to stop the sympathy for M-Sport.....it's how they run their business. As for Gus, as yet, he's nowhere near a No 2 level; but now he is, he has to deliver those type of performances. And I hope he does.....Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
M-Sport is private team, not a full Ford factory-backed team, so they need to run with financial stability in mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
They have also suffered in the pandemic with lower car sales, parts sales and servicing earnings.
They have signed the best available driver, Breen, who has impressed in WRC this year, and who they are able to afford.
The 2022 Puma isnt going to be cheap to make and buy and even more to run than the WRC cars. Someone has to pay if its not Ford and that's the driver and their family or sponsors.
What do you mean by this?Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
They are btthurt that mr Mikkelsen, who spent the season driving with R5 everywhere, didn't get the seat and huge salary from Malcolm and Ford :)Quote:
Originally Posted by WRCStan
Can there be something that teams don't like about him/his team..?
Otherwise I don't see why isn't signed..
Maybe should have shown speed in a WRC car this season..
It's not about Mikkelsen. M-Sport usually gets the underdog treatment and the love with it. If M-Sport doesn't perform, it's because of their own choices. Money first, success somewhere further down the list.
On a other hand, it is not good for a world championship if the runner up champion cannot get a seat in the topclass for free, whatever his name and size of wallet is.
Here FIA has not done theire job to attract more interest.
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Eddie, yes we know all this. It's their choice how they operate, that is their business model. They've proven they can run successful circuit racing cars/teams - why not go down that avenue with a manufacturer? They want to stay in rallying, even without full factory backing........Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
They do a great job, but I just find the 'plucky underdog' a bit tiresome.
If it was free we'd all be doing it.Quote:
Originally Posted by skarderud
Much better conversation to have than having a pop at those who invest into the sport. But there's not much to say that hasn't been said. Manufacturers and sponsors just don't want to play.Quote:
Originally Posted by skarderud
So in your opinion if Mikkelsen had paid for a World car and all being well he may have been able to prove to M-Sport that he was worth what he was paying for? I suppose then people could attack him for using 'daddy's money' and 'taking up a seat'.Quote:
Originally Posted by TypeR
You don't have to wave a flag for anybody but it's absurd and unjust to attack people who make things happen. This sport isn't profitable, there's no financial reward. Anybody who continues to attack the teams and drivers who choose to do this sport for either not taking on debt or spending more wealth to go maximum attack and win rallies or championships must be out there having a go themselves.
M-Sport splashed their own cash on paying Ogier when he became available, so they dont always stick with that 'business model'.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
Since then the pandemic hit them, Ford hasnt returned and the other top drivers have contracts with the manu teams of Hyundai & Toyota. Breen is the best available and they have paid out to get him.
If you can do better then start a team.
Again this discussion about MSport's money. Would you rather they go bankrupt? It's the FIA/organizer/promoter who are to blame for that lack of teams.
Or maybe the car manufacturers because they decide not invest in this kind of marketing? Or maybe we can blame the world that has changed from the 80's when rallying was still cool?Quote:
Originally Posted by seb_sh
It's no longer politically correct to promote motorsport using combustion engines. It's not only about talking heads and noisy activists but also about money. Emission allowances, the invisible but existing issues to get money from banks for politically incorrect projects etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Manus are more likely to invest in the cars they want to promote/sell. (without going into the reasons why a particular type is promoted).Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
For most manus that is now electric, with hybrids beeing a "temporary" solution.
Citroen wanted hybrids 2 years ago, VW basically even earlier.
So you can blame FIA for staying too long with current manu wishes instead of aiming for new ones.
On the other hand the move to hybrids and electric accelerated in last 2 years. So while it looked ok to keep current cars after 2020 when it was decided in 2018 (I think). It looked like a bad decision basically already at start of 2020.
Rallying should actually work quite well for promoting reliability/range/charging of EVs towards the typical anti-EV crowd (" it will catch fire all the time", "charging takes ages", " no range to do a stage" ...blah blah...).
As to the typical comments about EV marketing not promoting "sporty" driving... even VW now started own sports brand with only hybrid and EVs (Cupra), not to mention GTX versions of the ID family, and RS for Skoda Enyaq. Ford even named the car for Mustang and Tesla is fighting with Porsche for Nurbugring laptimes.
You have to take into account that electric/hybrid philosophy is to be green and to save energy - not to waste it in racing. That means that there is rather small chance that manufacturers of electric/hybrid cars would be attracted by a motorsport running through forests and wild nature because that goes against the whole thing promotion. Even if the sport went all electric (which is atm technically hardly possible) we would probably have the same teams involved minus M-Sport.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
That's your usuall comment, and it's wrong. See the long list of sporty cars getting promoted by EV manus in my post.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
Also see Extreme-E, they do a whole series that promotes sustainability by running EVs in wild nature.
I guess the message is "you can have fun without running on dead dinosaurus".
I think you are both partly correct. It's increasingly difficult to get any kind of sponsorship for motorsports, but if the car manufacturers are using something to promote their products in motorsports, it's EV's.
The thing is that we were discussing what if scenario which by simple logic means that we were giving our opinions. Nothing more and nothing less. Neither one was correct or wrong because the subject we discussed was purely hypothetical. So keep your opinion, I will keep mine. For me it's perfectly ok.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Attracting car manufacturers doesn't seem to be a problem for other series........
There is obviously an issue with the sport of rallying, as to why they're not joining. Nobody wants to ask why....
This thread has gone somewhat off-topic, but anyone know if there is somewhere in the world where the powerstage is shown on free-to-air TV?
That would be a good ambition for the WRC promoter in my opinion. It’s a good and exciting format for TV and could be a good way to hook more people in to paying for All-Live.
In Austria you can watch it on Servus TV (Uncle Red Bulls influencer TV station)
I've just looked at WEC, WTCR, F1, the picture isn't pretty. Scrap the idea of having only the manufacturer homologate and run the car is a good start.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
Do manufacturers in Extreme E and Formula E anything but sponsorship? It maybe ironic but I don't think Extreme E is sustainable.