Struggling to remember when Loeb or Ogier had to use own money /sponsors that they found money to drive. A very recent example is Lappi, don't recall him paying for seat for any longer period either.
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Struggling to remember when Loeb or Ogier had to use own money /sponsors that they found money to drive. A very recent example is Lappi, don't recall him paying for seat for any longer period either.
Ogier was helped by FFSA, PSA was also in his career quite early. Not sure what was the case with Loeb, although he also had "private" starts before. Lappi happened to be Finnish in a new Finnish team, young WRC2 champ...just another exception.
E: First start with a WRC car, in WRC for Loeb: Rally Tour de Corse 2000 - Rallye de France WRC
Toyota Corolla WRC
K-AM 608 Equipe de France FFSA
First WRC Start 1999: Rallye Catalunya - Costa Brava - Rallye de España
WRC
Citroën Saxo Kit Car
8116 MT 52 Equipe de France FFSA
First start in WRC for Ogier: Corona Rally Mexico 2008 JWRC
Citroën C2 S1600
7214 NE 52 Equipe de France FFSA
No-one does it for free, that's for sure. The FFSA program was/is just like a sponsorship deal would be, at the end of the day someone is paying. It doesn't change the fundamentals of the game even though the funding is coming from a federation.
And the same goes for Lappi. I doubt that the Fiesta S2000, in which he burst onto the scene in 2012, was given him just like that by Printsport.
Not exactly "longer period". When did Neuville pay? (must be before 207 time)
Etc, etc. list of "nobodies" is getting long.
The practice of buying yourself a WRC "factory" seat is cancer Joukhi brough to WRC with Hirvonen at Subaru in 2004 and Wilson was more than happy to embrace since then.
Off course it's not like a driver comes from nowhere and gets paid. But historically arranging your own drive was only needed on low levels before they proved themselfs. At WRC factory seat level it is only a fashion last 14 years and still it doesn't count for everyone.
Come on now, do your homework. "Buying a seat" has been part of the game basically as long as the sport has existed in its modern form. Jouhki, not Joukhi, wasn't the one inventing it. And actually Jouhki's clients have also been victims of this same procedure; in 2001, if I recall it right, the third Focus was already promised for Gardemeister, but then came Delecour with money from Ford France and rest is history.