Umh, if you think about last two seasons, then they are pretty equal with their own mistakes, that cost them a result. Then add the luck-factor, no. 1 and no.2 driver hierarchy...
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Umh, if you think about last two seasons, then they are pretty equal with their own mistakes, that cost them a result. Then add the luck-factor, no. 1 and no.2 driver hierarchy...
Its like with Lavala... he gets more 'bad luck' with mechanical failures.
Even in the tank-like VW Polo he had more issues than Ogier.
But for how long can it just be luck ? Eventually it has to seen as the driving-style or poor decision-making or even bad pacenote making...
Colin Clark has lost it. Tänak has too many mistakes and/or bad luck under his belt. To be in the fight for the championship he has no room for errors anymore and he needs all the help from other drivers as well + bad luck to Neuville and Ogier. Pacewise Meeke could have been that guy who randomly could take some points off here and there from Neuville and Ogier. He has now been dumped from Citroen which makes the task even harder. Unlikely to happen.
Neuville is my pick for the title now considering the ratio of pace and consistency.
Ogier tried to impose himself in Portugal and would at worse been second. Neuville now has to clean for Seb - I expect like last year the pressure of championship leader will get to Thierry and that possibly by the end of NORF, certainly Deutschland, Ogier will be leading again.
What will make it more interesting is the relative lack of pace for all Hyundais last year after Poland until Australia. It has been a problem this year as well that none of their drivers are happy with the car on a certain rally. If Hyundai hasn't fixed the problem then the title is Ogier's.
Yes, Finland was disaster last year in terms of pace. Spain wasn't much better.
UK was actually very good (better than Ford without DMACK). Still "writing off" 2 rallies is something you can't really afford in close title fight.
This is imo one of the reasons why so many people mention Tanak as favorite.
too much talking about Hyundais weak rallies.
Ford ,Toyota havent got their weak rallies?
Toyota has so far in terms of reliability (Mexico twice in a row), GB in terms of performance last year. But they have been "mediocre" on many rallies last year often because Latvala was out soon and then there was no driver that could be used as a reliable benchmark.
Ford kind of did not have a very bad rally performance-wise last year, maybe Australia?
With Hyundai last year it was these huge contrasts.... domination in Poland then nowhere in Finland.