WRC Testing

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Originally Posted by AnttiL

Entry fee to a rally could be like 1000 euros, while renting and repairing a test road 15000 euros. What makes running a local rally more expensive? I understand there are things that might be tricky like if you get a technical problem on SS1, you're retired for the day and all the effort goes to waste while on a test day you could just tow the car to service and fix it. And testing on one road has its benefit for comparing data, but then again running more different roads could also have its benefits. A test day could give you more kilometres, and a local rally takes more liaison driving.

I don't think we should ban testing nor running in local rallies.

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Even if teams can make the optimum arrangements for those local rallies, as they would for dedicated tests (unlikely - the best hotels are always booked a year in advance by national teams), the value for money is always substantially worse. As you say, even on a national rally, the maximum you can expect is 100km of running. Assuming nothing breaks - so worthless for experimenting with new ideas and concepts.

The biggest problem is, however, the fact that a team's different drivers can't all do a national rally on different days. They have to compete at the same time, or do different events. Either way, this either means teams being busy 51 weekends per year, or sending 2 or 3 cars (with the appropriate number of team personnel) to each event. Thus, significantly more expensive than a dedicated test.

So, it's for those reasons why I think what Turdfish proposed - banning testing and encouraging teams to compete in unlimited national rallies - is a really dumb idea. As usual from them.

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Originally Posted by ouvreur

The biggest problem is, however, the fact that a team's different drivers can't all do a national rally on different days. They have to compete at the same time, or do different events. Either way, this either means teams being busy 51 weekends per year, or sending 2 or 3 cars (with the appropriate number of team personnel) to each event. Thus, significantly more expensive than a dedicated test.

So, it's for those reasons why I think what Turdfish proposed - banning testing and encouraging teams to compete in unlimited national rallies - is a really dumb idea. As usual from them.

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This is a very good point. Also it might not always be possible to find local rallies with matching roads to the following WRC event.

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Originally Posted by ictus

Big exaggeration, you can get a 5km gravel road with safety and emergancy services on site for 2500-3000€, at least here where I'm from

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OK. I know nothing but I heard these numbers from someone who works in a WRC team.

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Originally Posted by AnttiL

This is a very good point. Also it might not always be possible to find local rallies with matching roads to the following WRC event.

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Exactly. Even Otepaa and Kuopio are a compromise, and are only really useful for giving new drivers a bit more seat time.

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Originally Posted by AnttiL

OK. I know nothing but I heard these numbers from someone who works in a WRC team.

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It depends where you go, of course. Eastern Europe or Spain are always going to be cheaper than Finland or Estonia. Italy kind of falls in the middle. Knowing the right people can give you access to some pretty cheap forests in the UK. Unfortunately some organisers see WRC teams coming and the €€€€€ start flashing...

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Originally Posted by ouvreur

It depends where you go, of course. Eastern Europe or Spain are always going to be cheaper than Finland or Estonia. Italy kind of falls in the middle. Knowing the right people can give you access to some pretty cheap forests in the UK. Unfortunately some organisers see WRC teams coming and the €€€€€ start flashing...

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And tarmac testing is cheaper cause you don't have to repair the road

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Originally Posted by ictus

And tarmac testing is cheaper cause you don't have to repair the road

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Depends on the road and surface. Sometimes repairing the tarmac road is more expensive than gravel... I remember when I have seen "last WRC" cars on Corse, they were literally shreading pieces of road.

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Originally Posted by PLuto

Depends on the road and surface. Sometimes repairing the tarmac road is more expensive than gravel... I remember when I have seen "last WRC" cars on Corse, they were literally shreading pieces of road.

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And if I remember correct, in one country, in the cost of the tarmac test, rent for the road was required to the local authority…

Soooooo.... do we comment here about WRC drivers when they're doing national events, or in the European National Rallying section ?!

I have had that thought for about some time..
If a ,,works' " driver legally buys a car from the manu team and just wants to drive it from time to time.. I'm pretty sure that there is no rule/law that forbids to do that..