[WRC] News & rumours (part II)

Nonononono. The point of rallying is to see who is the fastest. If they have to drive like tourists on the stages then its not fun for the spectators and the drivers. Thats the main reason why WRC is better than F1. People are driving flat out. If something has to change then it should be that you get points every day. Like in poland. If you retite on day one then you can still get points from day 2 and 3. Then people are always driving flat out. The rally winner is who has thr best time through day 1,2 and 3.

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Originally Posted by eestlane

Nonononono. The point of rallying is to see who is the fastest. If they have to drive like tourists on the stages then its not fun for the spectators and the drivers. Thats the main reason why WRC is better than F1. People are driving flat out. If something has to change then it should be that you get points every day. Like in poland. If you retite on day one then you can still get points from day 2 and 3. Then people are always driving flat out. The rally winner is who has thr best time through day 1,2 and 3.

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With respect, this is quite a modern view of rallying. It wasn't always about going flat-out all the time — this was why drives like Mikkola on the 1983 1000 Lakes, or Vatanen on the 1985 Monte, were so exceptional. They took it absolutely to the limit to recover from problems and win. And it wasn't as if everyone else looked like they were cruising. Does one see any truly outstanding drives like those nowadays?

And the notion of awarding points for each day goes against the very notion of the sport as we know it. Why not go the whole hog and award points for each stage? That would be fine for a new sport, but not rallying.

Whatever happened to a test of speed & endurance?? It's almost now a dirty word in the WRC. 200km of special stages isn't exactly testing, is it?

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Originally Posted by AndyRAC

Whatever happened to a test of speed & endurance?? It's almost now a dirty word in the WRC. 200km of special stages isn't exactly testing, is it?

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Actually I don't know any event that has been below 300km of special stages, so far... Except for Rally Jordan that has been cut due to transport/safety issues. Actually I think events are getting longer again last few years (at least longer than 4-5 years ago)? Greece thisy ear and Sardinia last 2 years are the exceptions...

Yes, the "tolerance" to the length of the event is now wider allowing longer events. In last few years there was a number of 400+ km events which was not the case of the decade before. Argentina was scheduled even up to 500 km. Even the shortest ERC events are over 200 km.

Indeed... Average length of WRC event in:

2012: 387,89kms
2011: 356,96kms
2010: 351,33kms
2009: 349,91kms
2008: 346,64kms

You can't really say events got shorter in terms of SS kms, but in number of stages they got a bit shorter I think. More longer stages, like 40-50km long monster-stages, I don't really like the idea of less seperate stages, especially from a spectating point of view.

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Originally Posted by Sulland

If Kubica wins WRC2 and ERC, and we see that he is given a chance in the A-Team by Matton, more young drivers will try that way, instead of trying a WRCar too early.

And that is more or less how it should be!

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Good point! but it is not possible to win ERC for him anymore. Mathematically not possible.

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Originally Posted by bluuford

Good point! but it is not possible to win ERC for him anymore. Mathematically not possible.

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There was plans for Kubica to do ERC, but after bad results they have focused on WRC2.

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Originally Posted by PLuto

...but after bad results they have focused on WRC2...

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...where he has almost no competition! ;)

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Originally Posted by pucky54

...where he has almost no competition! ;)

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He can only beat those who enter, and anyway I think after Finland comments like yours are not nessessary.