[WRC] News & rumours (part II)

Whoever governs the sports, there must be stability in the regulation, and that's what's really lacking in the current WRC. Manufacturers are not there for fun but their involvement in WRC must be a good investment for them in the form of promotion, technical development, etc., but with regulation changing faster than you can adjust to, the manufacturers cannot really invest in WRC these days. And the problem with FIA is that manufacturers don't have much say about the changes. I think FIA should need to stop changing regulations and open the door to manufacturers so the WRC can be good place to invest.

I'd suggest FIA and manufacturers review the regulation every 3 to 5 years to make adjustment as requested from both sides and stick with the same regulations (including calender) for that period of time.

I have said they need a 5 year minimum on regulations. The cars aren't that expensive to build, it's the rebuilding and retesting every other year that drives the price up so much.

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Originally Posted by Saabaru

I have said they need a 5 year minimum on regulations. The cars aren't that expensive to build, it's the rebuilding and retesting every other year that drives the price up so much.

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Not expensive - I'm not sure about that. Isn't a WRC gearbox about £70,000? Totally ridiculous amount.
I'm all for the simpler the better; a H-Pattern/Sequential manual gearbox, get rid of the fancy electronics. There is more chance of attracting new Manufacturers if things are simpler. Unsurprisingly, the current Manufacturers want Hi-Tech, and while I can understand their point - they're being selfish. 2/3/4 teams is no way to have a competitive World Championship.

These are suppose to be the worlds most prestigious rally cars and cutting them down to S2000 would be a shame. I would be happy with S2000+ or even a Group N+. If you took a PWRC car and put the WRC wing, simpler hydraulic gear box, better brakes and a 40mm restrictor on it I would be ecstatic.

I very much agree on the stability request:
The new regulations should be the ones that are in effect in the 1 jan 2010 - 31 Dec 2014.

Small adjustments to correct unintended errors/effects of the regs is all thatg is allowed !

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Originally Posted by Saabaru

These are suppose to be the worlds most prestigious rally cars and cutting them down to S2000 would be a shame. I would be happy with S2000+ or even a Group N+. If you took a PWRC car and put the WRC wing, simpler hydraulic gear box, better brakes and a 40mm restrictor on it I would be ecstatic.

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If they really think about it through, that'll be the only possibility :up:

Needless to say, I'd be ecstatic too :D

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Originally Posted by Saabaru

These are suppose to be the worlds most prestigious rally cars and cutting them down to S2000 would be a shame. I would be happy with S2000+ or even a Group N+. If you took a PWRC car and put the WRC wing, simpler hydraulic gear box, better brakes and a 40mm restrictor on it I would be ecstatic.

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I agree with you that a WRC car should be little more than a S2000. This is more technical than news and rumours, so I continue in the thread “The Technical Regulations for 2010 (part 2)”

Bernardo Sousa will test Škoda Fabia S2000 and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X to choose one of them for PWRC 2009.

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Originally Posted by Saabaru

"Actions speak louder than words". If you want to read press releases and eat up every word they feed you then go ahead but don't call me ignorant because I choose to look at the facts and what actually happens instead of living in the dark like some people. Group B is just where it got started and it nevered ended and if you want proof then all you have to do is wait and see what a tight leash they keep on this new promoter. The manufactures wanted to fix Group B not get rid of it. Audi pulled it's Group B cars not because of the car itself but in protest of the crowed control, a safety issue that was never addressed.

But this is just ignorance talking, after you read those press releases you can enlighten us all...

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Man you sure can talk some hard facts.
BOTH you and Bruce are talking to some degree crap. Bruce I believe was old enough to be reading and talking to people in the time GpB was current.
GpB was banned as a ad hoc on the spot decision bt Jean Marie Balestre the terrible day Toivanen and Cresta were burned to a crisp in Corse in the Spring of 86. The safety concerns were real enough but mostly about utter lack of control of the spectators rather than the cars themselves, and there were immediate new rules announced such as the elevation of GpA to the top tier, the mandating that 300bhp be max permitted, the introduction of 40mm air inlet restricters for the turbo, the mandated max average speed on SSs.


So meetings schmeetings , Balestre was shocked as everybody was and said stupid things--"Group B banned from end of season!" then defended them from pure obstinacy.
It was a fait accompli, and he and the FIA were sued in court by Peugeot over the stability clause.

Your comments on Audi are BS tho. After I DNFed in the last GpB WRC event (on SS19 out of 38) I ran into a number of the other DNFed crews and even more fun, Hannu Mikkola's co-driver and former Saab 96 co driver Arne Hertz.
They knew the car was already outclassed as soon as the Pug 205 and Lancia S2 arrived, and even worse shape in the new GpA world. The craziness with French and Portuguese and Italian spectators had been bad for years, was bad for years after, the GpB cars were on average only about 4-5 km/hr faster than the works rwd Gp4 cars, so the spectator issues was nothing new, nor was the speeds excessively high.
The cars were outdated against purpose built, better balanced, lighter cars. No wins were possibible so no point.
Straight from the co-driver's mouth.

You deride Bruce---who as I said was likely active then and we all read EVERYTHING we could get our hands on, and yet doing so compels us to ask what your sources of knowledge are for you to form your opinions about things 22 years ago.

Were you active in the sport then?

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Originally Posted by 'Mirek Fric [Cze

]Bernardo Sousa will test Škoda Fabia S2000 and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X to choose one of them for PWRC 2009.

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Isn't true, itz false. I've talked to Bernardo and he said he don't know anything...