And also change cars to new models midseason.
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Very sad days for the WRC and the rally fans. 2017-2019 was a great era I am afraid we won't see again unless something changes fundamentally.
It is a pity that no manufacturers are interested in WRC, while Formula E (with no fans at all) has 12 teams and almost all major car manufacturers...
I guess the world is changing but FIA and promoter MUST do something to attract manufacturers or else the product is going to die.
Currently the only demand for WRC manus is to use the chassis of a mass production model; they don’t have to build special homologation cars like in Gr.N/A days.
Most likely, with frame space chassis the FIA will still demand some link with mass production models (name, shape) in order to keep GT manus out of the WRC.
Even that is a problem recently. For example Subaru or Mitsubishi, which used to be traditional rally brands, have no suitable car in their portfolio. With the new rules they can join. This issue will only grow with the time due to the development in automotive.
Same name and similar shape is clearly required but the size can be scaled under certain tolerances. Basically the same what already works very well in Dakar. It means that for example Subaru can take Impreza and scale its shape down and build a space-frame proto car looking like Impreza.
They can enter as in R-GT models...
R-GT is bound to fail to attract manufacturer teams because of the position of the R-GT cars on the rally ladder. The GT manufacturers are not here to fight for the crumbs left after WRC manufacturers. They are the premium brands on the market and it has no logic for them to join a level bellow brands like Hyundai. There is zero marketing value in that (quite the opposite).
For me these -17 cars were a big mistake. They are too expensive and too hard to get for privateers and the lack of competition is really bothering me.
Yes, we had the big 3 competing, but we should have at least 10 drivers able to drive for the win. 1 crash and R5 driver has points.
For me that's not the way to do it.
I still like the idea of R5 being the top class. We could have 3 championships going on.
1 for drivers
1 for teams with 2 cars
and 1 for manus with 3 or 5 cars getting manu points. That way manus had to support at least 2 or maybe even 3 teams.
Imagine five current manus (Ford, Skoda, Citroen, Hyundai and VW) in R5 and multiply that with 4 or 6.
There's your top drivers!
They arent`t bothered, beacuse their slogans say " EV" or "hybrid". And competition would be like now most likely.