The question was about 'big names'...Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
Are there any National champions who would be a great addition to the ERC ?
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The question was about 'big names'...Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
Are there any National champions who would be a great addition to the ERC ?
lol, except Ingram all the names from Pluto ARE national champions. Some multiple or even in more than one country.
Seen Liepaja list I see is Niki Mayr-Melnhof entered, is there any news about a one off or planing to do the championship next year, it’s another national champion to add to the list
Mayr-Melnhof is still evaluating his options for next year. A season in the ERC is an option, it depends pretty much on his performance in Latvia whether we will see him in more rounds or not.
Lykys interview at ewrc.cz
https://www.ewrc.cz/clanek/32852-luk...ede-jit-do-ms/
that ewrc.cz interview is translated part of this even broader interview which was published oficial site of ERC http://media.fiaerc.com/press-releas...-2018strongbr/
But they arent considered 'big names'. Are there any current or former national champions that could/would be classed as such ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
Surely there are drivers from bigger countries like Spain, France, Italy, Belgium etc ?
Someone being unbeatable at home doesn't mean he is that good anywhere else. In fact many times it proved otherwise. French champion Sylvain Michel appeared last year twice in ERC and was 8th and 5th. Spanish champion Ivan Ares appeared on this year's Canarias and while he was de facto at home he finished only 8th with not a single time in top 3. Italian champion Paolo Andreucci doesn't start abroad at all and same goes for Belgian champion Vincent Verschueren.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Also Neubauer in ERC this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
I wrote only about those which Eddie asked for. I don't want to say they are not good. Most of them simply lack other experience on international scene. I just don't know who Eddie asks for. Who is those big names? Drivers who can come and can be immediately on top in ERC are mostly sitting in WRC cars. The others need time to get experience and their national titles mean very little even in ERC - which is best illustrated by the fact that far majority of 4WD competitors in ERC actually are national champions.
Guys, do you like that music show "Name That Tune"? :D
https://www.fiaerc.com/former-erc-ch...-musical-side/
https://www.facebook.com/KajetanKaje...48288085204447
I don't know if it means anything, but I have just had a look at the list of all European Champions from this season and noticed something strange:
https://www.fiaerc.com/erc-champions-of-2018/
RUSSIA
HUNGARY
LATVIA
RUSSIA
LATVIA
SPAIN
6 champions and only one comes from western Europe...
Yep I realised this too, when they showed all the winners at the end of Rally Liepaja.
It must be sign of something... Maybe to put some money on Tanak winning the WRC ?! ;)
The WRC really dominates rallying in W.Europe and with the advent of WRC2 many of the top talent is moving straight into that rather than ERC.
Maybe the availability and ability of the Skoda R5 is also helping the rally boom in the East. Although having said that Kajto and Lukyanuk have both been Champion in the Ford Fiesta.
But if we are talking about drivers from West Europe (not count scandinavians), in top 5 of WRC2 is only Greensmith (and if we count top 10, it is only Greensmith, Andolfi and 10th Lefebvre). Drivers from Western countries prefers to stay at home and be kings there. When they go abroad, they found it is not so easy to win. Which is a pity, I think there is a potential for them to show it - last year great examples was Sylvain Michel and Josh Moffett, who were able to set some good times and results on some rallies, but then went back home.
On the other side, some of fast drivers from national championship are going directly to WRC events. And they are usually lost there...
In Belgium there are plenty of drivers who would like to go abroad, but you need the funds for it. It's quite simple, if you do the Belgian championship you have some return. There are quite a lot of spectators in comparison to ERC (and it seems to be rising almost every year). Also media coverage is better, if you do well you're sure to be shown on national tv, you may make it to a few newspapers and specialized magazines. ERC in comparison has no return at all in Belgium, while competing in it comes at a higher price... Especially since ERC isn't coming to Ypres anymore, nobody cares about here, it's the sad reality.
Maybe if there will be belgian driver fighting for high positions in ERC, it will have bigger impact to belgian media too. Also when Ypres was in ERC, there were not so many belgians going abroad. And only Loix was successful. Some of the drivers (Cherain, Casier, Molle, De Mevius, Bedoret, Bux, Dilley, Wagemans...) tried it, but failed...Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
You forgot Neuville... :D For Casier, from the few ERC events he did, he made top 5 in Madeira and Barum, I think it's unfair to say he failed... For the others you mention, there's always a reason they failed with it, some of them will never be able to get something together, even on national level.
Casier was quite successful, but it was in IRC :) Same for Neuville.Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
Chris Ingram: The 2018 European Rally Championship slipped through my fingers but I’ll be back next year.
https://www.carfinance247.co.uk/blog...back-next-year
I didn't notice that, but someone at Skoda did - 9 out of the first 10 cars in the final standings of the ERC are Skodas. Alexey Lukyanuk (in the first place) driving a Ford is actually the only exception:
https://www.skoda-motorsport.com/en/...-liepaja-2018/