If Tanak is off to Hyundai what's the bet that Neuville has let MSport know that he has an out clause in his contract.
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If Tanak is off to Hyundai what's the bet that Neuville has let MSport know that he has an out clause in his contract.
It's an investment. Tanak is hottest name out there right now and having him in the team is huge marketing plus. And they are developing new cars for WRC and R5 and still want to find the budget for two car team there so I think budget is not a question at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kradovech
What kind of clause?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mk2 RS2000
Maybe Mikkelsen is ready for M-sport, he need to "restart" his career (or not, everyone know it's down to the car), a year in the fiesta for low salary or even for free, but personal sponsors to pay his salary, can be a good thing for him.
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A Hyundai dream-team could be pretty bad for the WRC.
Citroen/Ogier are already struggling to compete with a lower budget and that inconsistent C3.
Unless he goes to Toyota (and then just for a year as he's supposed to be retiring) then the titles are a foregone conclusion.
If tanak goes to hyundai, i realy see ogier at Toyota. They need a lead driver and have the money for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
I also think it's bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
But I disagree on the second part. If Ogier goes to Toyota it will be even worse. I think he has a chance with Citroen after all the new changes finally get homologated for next year. However, if he leaves both Citroen and MSport will be just fighting their own fight for 4th place.
"Ott could win many more titles, if he is in the right car" Kris Meeke during short service prior to ceremonial finish
it could be sound like Ott leaving to Hyundai or staying in Toyota.Quote:
Originally Posted by KiwiWRCfan
Ogier has a contract with Citroen for 2020 and recently again mentioned it's his last season.
In other words, nothing we don't know?Quote:
Originally Posted by KKS
Problem is Citroen's changes (if they work) are just to match the existing level of Toyota & Hyundai. But those two wont be standing still over the close season.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Without those changes Ogier was best out of the rest until Spain... even including 2 crashes (Sweden, Sardinia) and multiple punctures or small crashes (Argentina, Germany).
Some have started to speculate that Tänak might even do "Rosberg" after this season.
They're wrong. He's signed for Hyundai.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oraamat
There's a huge budget behind making the 'N' a well-known performance brand. You don't hire the head of BMW 'M' and give him a blank cheque for nothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kradovech
There's a new i20 out soon with the first i20N hot-hatch too next year. WRC is good marketing for that.
There's a lot of money from R5, but mainly i30 TCR sales, which have been very strong to help give the motorsport division even more available funds.
In short, yes they have the money and the impetus.
https://www.rtbf.be/sport/moteurs/ra...ve?id=10352231
Maybe monday tuesday we know more
There is an obvious list of possible conflicts coming at once at Hyundai:
What if he wants changes to the car that go opposite to Neuville and that can't be done without homologation jokers?
- a) Probably he will have the last say as reigning world champion. But what if that makes Neuville and Sordo much slower and therefore threaten manu champ?
- b) Or what if the changes are not really possible without changing the whole car? This applies especially on tamac as shown by Loeb/Mikkelsen
Let say no (drastic) changes are needed at start. It's still quite likely that Neuville will be as fast or maybe faster in first few rallies. But it's unlikely we will start to see strong n1 prioritizing at once, but that can in the end hurt the chances both have to the title as Ogier will benefit.
It might be that he only agreed to join if he is clear n1 from start, but b) could still be a problem.
For team dynamics it will be interesting.
Even if thats the case, how Neuville will react to this and will he be teamplayes even if he is clear n2?Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Toyota can hire Mikkelsen, Breen etc. Why would they keep either Latvala or Meeke who are both accident prone
From Adamo's point of view, I would push Neuville to n2 position. He has been driving with Hyundai since 2014 and was second in 2016, 2017 and 2018(this season is still ongoing). He has had the opportunity to win, but hasn't managed to do it. How long can you wait for it to happen?
For Toyota I mentioned on Friday that there is a huge span of options in addition to Katsuta+Rovanpera.Quote:
Originally Posted by COD
From "complete makover" with Ogier, Evans and Mikkelsen to "staying the same" with Meeke, Latvala and Katsuta+Rovanpera only.
Seems quite hard for me to predict which way they go. Didn't except they'd kick Lappi either.
As a Tänak/Toyota fan I expected Meeke and Latvala to hand it to the Hyundais in Catalonia, because they had no other option considering the state of Toyota's team points (and Tänak's championship), but it turned out to be the opposite. The truth of the matter is there are currently 3 top drivers in WRC - Tänak, Neuville and Ogier with the rest lagging behind quite significantly in the bigger picture. Just look at the rally wins this year, the only driver who scored a win outside of this trio was Sordo in Italy and Sordo has already signed with Hyundai. If Toyota want to stay relevant they need one of the big 3, period.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Latvala is in a mega slump right now but I trust he's still quick, just suffering from a bunch of different kinds of pressure. If Tanak leaves Toyota and Latvala remains I can see him turning development back towards what he prefers and resurging again. He's done it before, so it's not out of the question.Quote:
Originally Posted by ggg377
Some thoughts
A couple of years ago, Ott Tänak was finished, and nowone even think he could be WDC in 2019.
We know that the feeling with the car, and the cooperation with the team is crucial to get the last % of the driver and car.
Like Mikkelsen in Hyundai, as Loeb has shown, that car not suits everyone, he really should got another car, he did much better in polo and citröen , now he are good, but not magic.
The same to Lappi, he was better in Toyota than in citröen.
Who of the existing drivers could be the "next" Tänak if they got another car and the oportunity?
Todays drivers are insane good, it is just details that makes the difference, i think.
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Fair enough. The fact of the matter is there are currently more talented drivers than there are cars - Evans, Ostberg, Breen and Mikkelsen being the most notable drivers without a 2020 contract. I still have my doubts whether any of them could deliver for Toyota all season and fight for the titles. Wilson even said recently that he's not interested in letting Suninen and Evans go. Realistically if Toyota lose Tänak they will probably keep Latvala and Meeke with Katsuta and Rovanperä rotating the third car. That is fine, but given the past seasons I still doubt it could bring the points needed for titles.Quote:
Originally Posted by steve.mandzij
Actually they didn't. That was Lappi's call to leave the team.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Whether any of the other drivers than Latvala and Meeke could fight for driver title is highly doubtful given latest results. But given this years results both Evans and Mikkelsen would be better for manu title. They both have more points than either Toyota driver with 3 less rallies driven and they both have more or as many podiums.Quote:
Originally Posted by ggg377
https://news.err.ee/996512/video-ral...faith-rewarded
Reporter to Mäkinen: "Will you continue together [with Tänak]"?
Mäkinen: "I hope so"
Either he is not aware of the Hyundai/Tänak signing or there are still some loose ends. Since Tänak said he expects the contract to be announce tomorrow or the day after tomorrow I expect it to be signed already, but we'll just have to wait and see.
I totally agree. In my opinion Evans is the most obvious challenger to the current top 3 drivers and Mikkelsen has been underrated for so long. Mikkelsen is still sitting at the #4 position in the driver's championship and he hasn't even done every rally unlike many who are behind him. He has delivered Hyundai a lot of team points, which allow their current comfortable lead in the constructor's championship. And yet he keeps getting flack, perhaps more than any other driver. Toyota with Tänak/Mikkelsen or Tänak/Evans would be a devilish combo, but one can dream.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
The post even press conf is on RACC website:
http://www.rallyracc.com/2019/en/nota.html?id=nota14#en
The only mention is this:
Q:
Thierry, congratulations on winning here in Spain. You know that you had to win to try and keep the Drivers’ title hopes alive. The Drivers’ title has gone and the Manufacturers’ title remains? How are you feeling?
TN:
Yes, first of all I would like to say congratulations to our two new World Champions. Obviously we have been fighting all year and Ott and Martin have been very strong, so congratulations to them on their first title. It will not be so easy for them next year…
That is something all would say, promising to fight back...
Yes and no. When asked about getting Tanak as teammate earlier during the weekend Neuville said he would prefer it cause he has "always been faster than his teammates" no matter who they were.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarmop
Evans is very good but rather inconsistent, and while at times he's pulled out incredible performances he's not been able to maintain them for too long. Best of the rest for me, no doubt, is Sordo this year, then maybe Evans and even then I'd consider it a toss up between Loeb and Mikkelsen. The rest are horribly inconsistent.Quote:
Originally Posted by ggg377
And not only that, but bar Sordo who's been exceptionally quick this year all of Neuville's teammates have, at one point or another, struggled with setup for the i20. If Tanak does indeed go to Hyundai there's no guarantee he'll do as well as he's doing now in a car made specifically for him.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Dont forget that Toyota wasnt made for Tänak and he had pace from the beginning of the first event with it.
As long as they let him setup and work with the car I do not see a problem. Same story applied to Toyota and he was fast right out of box beating his teammates. I do not see this as a problem, rather than then the atmosphere in the team with Neuville could be poisonous.Quote:
Originally Posted by steve.mandzij
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so at some hours we will have the answer.
Quoted at Hyundai next year, Tänak has not cut short rumors. "All possibilities are open, I hope to make a decision for next season on Monday or Tuesday."
https://www.rtbf.be/sport/moteurs/ra...ve?id=10352231
Sordo has (just like last year) only driven rallies that suit him, always with road position advantage on gravel. But yes he was consistent on those, much better than last year where he crashed twice.Quote:
Originally Posted by steve.mandzij
Anyway I find it really strange that you consider Loeb "consistent" with Hyundai. From 6 starts he only scored manu points in 2 rallies and took a single podium. His tarmac results were terrible, just like his speed in Sweden and in Portugal he even crashed out with nothing to push for after a weekend with no pace. Compared to the 3 starts with C3 in 2018 I'd consider his 2019 season a disaster.
It is entirely possible that the whole story is a deliberate "release" by Martin to put extra pressure on Tommi. Judging by Tommi's face/interviews during the weekend it worked perfectly.Quote:
Originally Posted by dimviii
After this huuge win Tommi's face was so sour...Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
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