It was Stuart Jones I think...
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It was Stuart Jones I think...
Think it is Ian Gwynne, Niall McShea was also apparently driving it at that session.
I must say I much prefer them to Grp N which are the dullest things ever rallied. I'd love to see S2500 or even S3000 as an eventual WRC replacement format, the noise would be tremendous. Thumbs up from me..
It was the mad Irishman
The rally commission had a meeting last week where they hammered out the blueprint of the new WRC regulations that will go into effect from 2010. They will try to get them approved at the council meeting on March 26.
On this meeting it was a new tone amongst the participants; FIA, manufacturers and ISC the media rights holder. Since the last meeting the change was that now that all worked for the same target, a cheaper and more low-tech WR Car.
The most important things in the new rules are printed in the latest Autosport, and I will try to put in a condensed version here.
Engine: Will be based on a S2000 engine, and a standard Turbo will be added, to get more torque, but not much more hp's than 270-280 that S2000 has today.
Transmission: Semi automatic boxes are out. Sequential box is in. Hydraulics on any of the diffs are out, mechanical diffs at all 3 places in.
Electronics: Much more standard ECU, closer to a road car. Therefor: Launch control out, toghether with all the rest of the electronic controls they have today.
Brakes: Brakes will be smaller than today, especially the asphalt brakes. Water injection to cool them is out.
Interior: Will look much more spartan and simple than today. Much because of the loss of all the electronics. Just gauges for pressures and temperatures will be there.
Exterior: Will keep the large rear wing that they have today. Both for giving more downforce, but also to separate them from the S2000 cars.
They are aiming to write the regs to try to make it difficult to use the WRC in any other championship than WRC, but as they are saying; we do not dictate the national governing bodies - so lets see.
Implementation: They aim to implement from 2010, and since the last version of todays WR Car will get homologated in 09, they will be allowed in the championship in 2010 in de tuned version, for non prioritized drivers, but not in 2011.
We are doing this to save money, and by that getting more manufacturers into WRC says Morrie Chandler to Autosport, and he is hoping for 7 manufacturers in 2010.
Well, Abarth has announced that they will start building a new WRC if/ when this is approved by FIA, and Suzuki and Peugeot will also jump onboard I guess.
This also opens up the road to merge WRC and IRC if that in the future will be an issue, and IRC will steal too much glory !
Do You think this is the right way to go ??
Time will tell about that, but it is long past the time that costs were controlled. Being a techno fan I feel a little loss at the super technology (electronics) on current cars, but from a sporting point of view if these new cars could be say €250,000 and not be out of date after 1 year, (see difference between 05 Focus and 07 car - not in the same rally) and have a 3 year life and down to €100,000 after a few years and young drivers could get a chance to prove themselves in a few year old works cars it would be good. Almost back to the days of say Petter and Markko Martin in Celicas 205s. Anything that rewards fast (young) drivers and returns us to 6+ manufactureres who pay drivers to drive rather than the blatant bring money situation we have now is a good thing. The proposals about mechanical sequential gearboxes should also reward "real drivers"Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
Sulland: Thank You, very interesting.
Thank you very much indeed, Sulland. Most of it sounds good to me, but these are my comments...
Personally, I don't like the idea of everyone having to have a turbo to be competitive. My preference is for a variety of engines in a variety of cars in a variety of configurations, allowing some manufacturers to be competitive with less powerful machinery if it has other advantages. I'm a little concerned that the front-runners will all be cars of the same configuration that just look different externally.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
All that seems excellent at first glance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
I would be interested if anyone could say how much slower S2000 cars are expected to be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
Instinctively, I don't like that. It will make national championships seem more insignificant than they already are. Surely history should tell the FIA to some extent that national championships are at their best when they are allowed to run the same sort of equipment as the WRC?Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
Sounds like 2010 could be a bit of an 'interim' year, with this odd mix of cars. I'd prefer a completely 'clean break', though I recognise why this probably isn't possible.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
I think this has to be inevitable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
Having watched the PWRC coverage from Sweden on TV today, the S2000 Peugeot was by far the best car to watch in that field, and the thought of similar machines being pushed hard by the very top drivers is exciting. However, my main concern is that we will have a field full of cars that are almost identical in configuration and behaviour, with little scope for manufacturers to vary from a 'norm' if they are to be successful.
Do I think its the right way to go?
Hmm, in a word - Yes.
Although I havent read the complete proposed guidelines and havent hear all the exact changes, I do believe that the aboe mentioned changes are the right idea.
They seem to be a mi of S2000 with a hint of Group A which I think is perfect.
They say that the cars will have a turbo, which by the sounds of it will be a pissy little thing just for a little more torque at low revs. Thats a good thing IMO, but to limit the cars to the same approx horsepower that a S2000 has is probably not the best move.
Im also excited to hear the plans for 7 manufacturers in 2010 - an absolute godsend if you ask me. The would be Ford, Citroen, Subaru, Suzuki, Peugeot, Fiat(Abarth) but who else? Are Toyota/Skoda/Mitsubishi/Lancia planning on making a return to WRC?
Anyway, at least someone sems to be thinking straight at the FIA
I think thats a good idea.
There will probably be a lot of manufacters.
I like the idea of a small turbo and a bigger wing