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Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
Even in 2006 when Toni was driving part time in Xsara (and 307), his performance was quite good (I mean not on Gronholm and Loeb level but he was right up there in terms of pace with likes of Sordo Hirvonen and Solberg).
spot on !!!Quote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarek Z
Kresta was a tarmac specialist. However, in most of the tarmac rounds Toni was performing level with him (sometimes even better). I also get that in that season Focus 04 was stopped developing and the team was focusing on the new car for 2006 (despite this Toni had some nice podiums)
Kresta's performance throughout the whole season was the main reason I said one of the weakest lineups but since Toni performed good, I would say 2025 lineup is the weakest.
you do realise Solberg, Gryazin and Rossel are all manufacturer-funded drivers....?Quote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
Exactly 100% agree. When Sesks had those two good rallies people on social media were literally calling him "the future champ" or "put him next season full time, he'll win all". I don't want to call him overrated because he has a potential (key word) to be a top-level driver but he has to perform like you said on tarmac and technical gravel rounds. We saw how he struggled in Chile (of course he had puncture but still). He also needs perform good in new events , making brand new pacenotes (see how Kalle developed himself for making new notes and performing excellent in new events.)Quote:
Originally Posted by focus206
The latter is necessary in order to be a champion in my opinion.
We need Top drivers in the main class of World championship, no matter how they are old..Quote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
Meeke, Loeb, Paddon, Solberg, Sesks, Gryazin, Virves..
Its not good for the sport also to give seats in the main class to everyone who has money.. How does it look from a side view? Not like a world championship.
And what about Ford, do they need such an anti-advertising?
MSport was also my favorite team for years, was... Now they become just a village team of rich nobodys.. very sad.
Y.E.S.Quote:
Originally Posted by Typ85
i hope 27' cheaper cars can fix that for teams & privateers AND manufacturers with the open engine/car model thing too.
Is McErlean even that rich or is simply most promising driver among Irish ones, where funding is decent?Quote:
Originally Posted by Typ85
Motorsport was always full of rich people, nothing new here. Cheaper cars would not stop rich people of joining main class, it will just allow some less rich but talented drivers to join it too.
hmmmm redbull selling the promoter, mcerlean presentation with no redbull logos (at least i havent seen on the pictures?). is redbull backing munster's car or its just serderidis putting the money? is msport that screwed without them?
All of the negative comments towards MSport and McErlean are really uncalled for.
There will always be some drivers with more budget than others - look at Stroll/Latifi/many others in F1 over the years. Hell, I'm pretty sure Latvala started out as a pay driver before being picked up by MSport in the WRC.
MSport have a choice between fielding drivers who bring money, or no drivers at all. I know which I would prefer. Sesks and possibly others will likely have part time programs as well depending on budget.
McErlean has shown good pace at times this year and was very close to taking a WRC2 win - he isn't a 'gentleman driver' who will just pootle round at the back, but it may take some events to build pace. I can see him getting some decent results towards the end of the year.
Edit - this post is partly directed at all the hate comments on Facebook
Well put.
but all this logic applied by the haters, we wouldn't have had Loeb, Ogier etc who were all HEAVILY funded by their ASN's and pushed up the chain for a period of time based on money....
But Meeke is also Irish. And a lot faster. Just checked, McErlean has newer won an international event. Also in rally2 class.. just one podium in his career in Portugal, is that really enough? Yes he is young, and maybe gets faster but cmon, thats bullsh*t...Quote:
Originally Posted by Backa
I will give McErlan a chance to prove himself in a RC1 car.
He has not proved himself as a ragular top contender in RC2, but he is still a young man.
Lets see after half a season, if he was pushed up too early.
Come on! Kajto is 45 years old and he beat McErlean in every single rally this year:Quote:
Originally Posted by archie106
https://www.wrc.com/result-and-stand...4_wrc2&lang=en
Sure, I'm not saying McErlean will be world champion next year, I'm saying give him a chance.
Also Kajto is a 3 time ERC champion. Loeb won Monte Carlo at 48 so I'm not sure the relevance of Kajtos age when he has a lot of experience.
And not promising. McErlean was 9th in WRC2 and among 8 drivers that beat him, only Pajari and Solberg were younger.Quote:
Originally Posted by Typ85
There is quite crazy coincidence, Craig Breen as 25 years old driver was 9th in WRC2 and among 8 drivers that beat him, only Lappi and Tidemand were younger.
I think that majority here is not actually disappointed for the fact that McErlean got a chance, but more about how it is all happening and what is the situation around it. But, i suggest to read provided Press Release carefully and you will find extensive references to John Coyne, founder and patron of Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.
- this clearly looks like a real national project with very patriotic and burning for the national rally Irishman behind it. It also looks like a good build-up for WRC return to Ireland, latest 2026. There are means, heart and purpose.
- McErlean attracted attention few years ago in ERC. He was setting interesting times on fast gravel, even he had grown up on twisty tarmac. He was on rise, but main problem - could not pull together excellent results. But, he clearly is one of the Next Gen guys with high ceiling, if he will be able to cope with given challenge. He has natural speed to be fast and be at least faster than his teammate.
- What is wrong in all this - he is thrown into the cold open seas to participate in Iron Man even he had been swimming only in the pool, shorter distances. As we have seen in the past, there are guys, who simply can not cope psychologically with the big jump - cars have different physics, they cost million, every scratch costs, every mistake is scrutinised by millions, media, pr activities, tests, PETs etc. ect. To go from low profile ERC or few events in WRC2 to the spot light, with handicapped car - not every one can cope with it. It remains to be seen how Josh will manage this big jump.
- I think that juniors should not be given full season at once, without some test events. smth like Pajari case - when you have clear visuals that the person and crew can cope with it. If not - it can break promising carriers. Look at Camilli, Loubet, Greensmith, Sunninen, even Solberg. Another point - Pajari will drive the 4th car, no pressure, no attention. in M-Sport, those youngsters are 2 registered all year driver.
In conclusion - i believe that Josh McErlean will become a good top 10 rally driver in foreseeable future and I hope this unreasonably high jump to WRC all season will not break him.
About Sesks: actually I am ok, that he is not doing all season. (Read my arguments about junior drivers and full season problem as a 2nd driver above). I am pretty sure his team would not miss an opportunity to build up on this years success. Remind to be seen how many evens and when ( his insta few days ago had interesting pic from his flight to Sweden, without any comments or follow ups). Lets hope he was able to pull together more than 1 event. We need personalities like him in WRC.
He was just doing some EV road car testing with Østberg in Umeå it looked likeQuote:
Originally Posted by AndersX
I'm ok with McErlean at M-Sport as at least he is new and young with time to develop. He has ambition and it's better to have him than some old rich nobody (or no-one at all and M-Sport out of WRC.)
Sesks and some others will probably get a few 2025 M-Sport drives with Promoter funding, so all is not lost.
But imo they need a top class driver that drives for free, but shows the potential of the car, and get them some points!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Also they need to build a new Rally2 car that car fight for podiums and will make them money.
If Ford is not interested in putting in more money, maybe someone else are!
They need a top driver. Not just to show the car, but to teach the youngsters. And more importantly, to give them someone to compare with. To show how fast or slow they are compared to established drivers.
Is the costs for current wrc really matter for Ford??? How much per one T1+ car , 1 million $ to 1.5m $? that's 2 or 3 times compare to rally1car, So why Ford still throw money and have manufacturer team in W2rc??
it's only because Ford can sell many T1+ to customer in one year but can't sell any rally1 car at the same time,is that right?
ford doesnt build rally1 cars in wrcQuote:
Originally Posted by 1988senna
So what's the that before 2013? everyone know how Ford wrc team become to msport,Quote:
Originally Posted by saco0o
It doesn't even build Raptor, that job was given to M-Sport, since the team is the best expertise of transforming cars into beasts. But the difference is, that Ford Performance (official Ford's sport department), is funding that project heavily. They claim that they will step in WRC also if the regs will be the right. And the regs are out, and we sadly still don't know if this will become truth. I think they are evaluating everything and will decide later. But having already some edge here it could be their opportunity to win big prizes straight away, rather than someone completely new (and possibility of Hyundai leaving, only Toyota with that edge)
If the case will be, that Ford will not back them up officialy, they should reconsider of bringing some other brand into the game. MG for example, british legacy, they have small cars, Mr. Wilson drove them in his rallying career.
Ford have gone all-in on making their road cars EV's, including the next generation of Puma. So if they do back a 2027 Regs rally car it would surely be fully electric-powered. :(
Why 2025 is the right time for M-Sport’s new recruit to make WRC leap...
"I think maybe it is the most simple year from the past few years to jump into Rally1 without hybrid and the change of tyres to Hankook."
https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/w...leap/10686970/
4 rally1 Pumas at the Rally Sweden:
-Munster
-McErlean
-Sesks
-Serderidis
Man Hyundai will look really bad if they don't come up with something
Sesks program looks more and more promising, during today's last episode of More than Machine, Rich made a videocall to Martin and he told him that SafetyCulture wants to give him some funding for this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by deephouse
So, SafetyCulture, Promoter and some Latvian (and Indonesian I guess?) sponsors, it might come up with a good program!
Hopes but nothing confirmed yet...
https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/m...025-/10687444/
M-Sport’s 2025 Ford Puma Rally1 livery reveal is tomorrow ( Jan 18) at 12:00hrs UK time on their FB page
https://i.ibb.co/JFLXMw7/473802226-1...17823776-n.jpg
Safety Culture has become a more prominent sponsor, not a lot of Ford / Ford Performance.
Motorsport Ireland on McErlean's car...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GhksNllW...pg&name=medium
This is what can be called a nice design! Good job, M-Sport!
fk Ctrl C, Ctrl V
Thank you M-Sport for another beautiful livery! :)
Killing it like always. Too bad the drivers are so bad
McErlean is a good driver with some potential. I think people are underestimating him. Just that too sudden jump in the deep end, that might break him.Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC