[WRC] News & rumours (part II)

I have just asked a very reliable source regarding Novikov on DMACK tyres and that French site must have got it wrong. Novikov will be on Michelin in all of 2013.

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Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys

Because al'Attiyah is driving for Qatar M-Sport and Neuville is driving for Qatar WRT. They get title sponsorship of two teams, with minimal outlay.

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That's not what I hear. Østberg and Novikov will be under the "Qatar M-Sport WRT" banner and Neuville, Hänninen and Al-Attiyah will be under the "Qatar WRT" banner

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Originally Posted by tommeke_B

Regarding the programmes he did previous years ('09, '11 and '12) I doubt he needs money from DMack...

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Last year he was sponsored by dmack. We see him maybe one rally on Dmack tyres, like last year.

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Originally Posted by MikeD

I have just asked a very reliable source regarding Novikov on DMACK tyres and that French site must have got it wrong. Novikov will be on Michelin in all of 2013.

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Novikov on Michelin was confirmed here several times by Xsara Fan - member of Novikov's team.

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Originally Posted by Roy

Last year he was sponsored by dmack. We see him maybe one rally on Dmack tyres, like last year.

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They are/were tyre supplier for D-Mack in Russia, that doesn't mean Novikov his WRC-project was completely sponsored by it? ;)

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Originally Posted by Mirek

Novikov on Michelin was confirmed here several times by Xsara Fan - member of Novikov's team.

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I just responded to the link of the french site that claimed that Novikov would be on DMACK's in all of 2013, so I checked up with a source that denied it. That was all :)

Even worse, "Motor y Racing" is a Spanish site. You can delete it as a source.

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Originally Posted by tommeke_B

Don't underestimate Michelin... D-Mack tyres cost only half of what Michelins costs, so it would not be reasonable to expect the same quality. In Belgium, Viaene-S12 WRC tested them in the beginning of the year, but after the test he never used them again, so I guess the difference in costs is not worth the difference in performance? And that is for national level. Not talking about a WRC-event with loops of over 80km with same tyres.

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I have nothing against your quote in any way, but - what says D-Mack don´t develop all the time? We don´t know yet where they stand. But for the time being I´m happy Novikov and co are on Michelins, that´s for sure.

And price doesn´t tell all the story about quality. Michelin put their prices regarding no competition. Knowing the price just to make a tyre Michelin earning big money on being alone without competition in WRC. Of course we have Pirelli but let´s say they work out prices together...?

D-Mack is a chinese brand but motorsport office is at UK. And development is too as i know. 2011 season at TRC (Turkish Rally Champ) some crews try D-MACK Gravel versions at Lancer Evo's. As they told they have zero grip after Michelin and Pirelli. Of course they have very different compounds for WRC. And yes they are cheaper and they are getting R&D.

Michelin is a huge histroy of motorsport so they have great knowledge.

Beside D-MACK had sponsored to Czech Prokop too at some rallies 2012 season (Like Argentine.)

D-Mack = Dick Cormack - former Pirelli manager
Jonathan Fowler - technical director - another former Pirelli manager

I would say it's British brand which has it's production facilities in China.