hmmmm
"toyota team" in superformula,
toyota sponsors a driver in f2 already,
toyota sponsor and have some tech people in haas
do we think toyota will announce their return to f1 for 2028?
will they leave wrc too?
haha me, the ultra-anxious person
Printable View
hmmmm
"toyota team" in superformula,
toyota sponsors a driver in f2 already,
toyota sponsor and have some tech people in haas
do we think toyota will announce their return to f1 for 2028?
will they leave wrc too?
haha me, the ultra-anxious person
99.9% of people don't know what WRC is, so just being in F1 it is more impressive than being WRC champion. In terms of challenging, circuit racing is in rude health, rallying is not.Quote:
Originally Posted by focus206
I have been an absolute WRC addict since i was a teenager in the late 90s, but to me, currently, it feels so far removed from the general public's radar, that winning a world championship has been completely devalued. If Elfyn Evans wins the WRC this year, it will barely make the mainstream news.
If the powers that be have any sense, Toyota will leave the WRC and enter F1. I can't see where the value comes from entering a WRC team, the exposure is minuscule.
kalle is not going to be that happy with all the f1 'marketing machine' dumb things. with drivers talking about each other, trying to guess "which circuit is this?". "whats lewis favorite meal?" haha
Back to Värmland i hope. Better stages and better for spectatorsQuote:
Originally Posted by skarderud
I would say 99% of people who follow F1 at least know what rallying is. Rally drivers are among the most respected motorsport drivers in the world, even by motorsport fans who don't follow WRC. I always found this to be the case when talking with F1 fans or reading comments on videos and whatnot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Doon
The fact that motorsport fans wouldn't recognize Kalle or Evans just makes WRC less popular than F1, I don't see where you get the more "impressive" or "challenging"... I don't think anybody would say that Tsunoda (or someone else, I don't know many F1 drivers) is a more impressive driver than Kalle, Ogier, etc.
Famous? Could be. Impressive? As soon as you'd tell those fans that Kalle and Ogier are multiple world rally champion, I don't think they'd pick Tsunoda.
You and I think WRC is more impressive, but most people don't and that why hardly anyone watches it. I know loads of F1 fans who wouldn't have a clue who Ogier and Rovenpara are. Just listen to a few motoring podcast, hardly any of them mention WRC, and constantly talk about F1, so many petrol heads don't even know who the current WRC drivers are. How can people be impressed if they don't know what it is?Quote:
Originally Posted by focus206
I´m waiting for Kalle saying circuit racing is the most boring thing he ever had tested. Same corners lap after lap, for hours... :(
Almost everyone who watches f1 will know who ogier and rovanpera are. And the other way around will wrc fans know most f1 drivers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Doon
But to the general public, neither are known. Most people might know Hamilton, but how many will know piastri? Let alone bearman or hadjar.
The most famous motorsport drivers to the general public are still Schumacher and mcrae.
Maybe he’s not fussed about WRC records, and maybe he wants to be considered the greatest driver of all time one day, and you can’t do that by being in WRC all of your life.
Just listening to the Dirtfish podcast, and they say the average person on the street has more chance of knowing who Pierre Gasly is than Rovenpara.
And no snow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Krigen
F1 vs WRC. I reckon there is literally 10x popularity gap between them in favor of F1. To know who Evans is, You have to watched a rally stage. I don't follow or click on F1 news but I know when Ferrari cocks up or when Piastri goes off. Media bubble is huge over F1.
As a estonian Tänak fan, I hope he stays in Hyundai next season. You can kick me. He has tried so many times with Hyundai, it would be hell of a story when he finally delievers. And then starts '27 with his own RedGrey team.
Funny how the Youtube algorithm recommended this to me only last night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMQC3Ez7hrwQuote:
Originally Posted by Rallyper
The costs in WRC are miniscule compared to F1 too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Doon
Toyota are clever for their technical partnership with Haas, but if they wanted to buy the team it's billions right now...
Judging by the vibes I got from ERC Royal Rally of Scandinavia, Varmland can run a very decent summer gravel rally. But I think it's idiotic to talk about a snow rally there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dontcut
Me too. If Tanak is at Hyundai, and he continues to get to grips with the difficult car as he has over the last couple of years, and Toyota lose one of their top drivers, that's an interesting WCC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
A lot of rallyfans on here proving they've got a massive chip on their shoulder about F1/ circuit racing. Most of the biggest talents in motorsport are to be found there......It's the place to be. Rallying attracts a small number of drivers, and it's biggest talent is jumping ship.
What is to be gained by beating 3-5 drivers year after year running up multiple championships in a struggling series? 'A big fish in a small pond' Better to try something new.....
Rallyfans also the most insecure group of people. Something changes and everyone thinks the sky is falling in.
A new seat available for a new young driver, while a star of the sport decides to go off and try something new. What exactly is the problem with that?
McRae, Loeb, Ogier all did it.
Many circuit racers have done the opposite: Raikkonen, Kubica, Takamoto.
These are people with opportunities taking advantage of them.
Not everything has to be a reflection on the sport itself....
Rovanperas move is a shock to me. But what I hope now, is Rovanpera making it to F1 - I mean regular starter in F1. Rovanpera has talent and has been driving cars from very very young age. He probably has a very good feel of a car and its movement and its limits. Yes - F1 drivers have become WRC regulars, but no other way around. Let's hope Rovanpera will be the first unicorn. He is still young, could make it to F1 with Toyota and red bull backing. F1 cahmpion - higly unlikely, bet F1 regular for couple of seasons - could happen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
Admin - there must be a problem with this site as the referenced posts aren't showing for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyfiend
It'll be interesting to watch how he gets on but it's not wise to assume a great driver is even an average racer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Negaiss
I think it’s great, he has achieved so much so early, why wouldn’t he try something else..Rallying is about to go through a period of change and who knows where we will be in 2-3 years time.
No. He might do some test one day, but he's never going to make it into an f1 race.Quote:
Originally Posted by Negaiss
I hope to be wrong, but Kalle could became Taka in F1, been there, just because he is 'Japanese'...
We all should be happy for Dirtfish - just today they managed to make 2 articles and 1 podcast. Wait min 3 more tomorrow. But Autosport is also cooking - 3 articles already.
It was expected. What people in modern sports are not getting - this Iphone generation is different - they get bored, motivations go up and down, their triggers for max focus are different. Kalle simply got bored and lost the spark for rallying - he had been driving fast since kindergarten. He was driving Rally 2 type car even before 15. He had been winning since 14 years old. The same 10 years of Loeb, just in different form.
I find this refreshing for the sport. One high-profile place opens and I am 90% sure it will be filled with Solberg. If Ogier goes, then it will become more interesting. Tanak jumping seats in the last year of his full time carrier - possible, but I do not believe it (yet).
I also think that modern WRC has come closer to circuit racing as ever - those driver learn PS by heart, watching videos over and over again - there is only 1 ideal line and they all are chasing it.
Kalles departure is better for the sports. It has been way too boring in past years. I am actually very looking forward to 2027 rules and what will it bring by opening competition again.
At least some life in the forum again. :)
This is probably also part of Kalle's reasons. The new cars moving to Rally2-power in 2027 wont give him any missing buzz.Quote:
Originally Posted by doubled1978
Toyota will also appreciate having the high Rally2 experience of Solberg in developing their new car. Kalle wouldn't enjoy this but Solberg will love it.
Dirtfish take, with some Kalle clips on his decision:
https://youtu.be/i7SMSSqJJtM?si=nAW4Fa1aircMnPNW
One imporant notice in general - current Rally1 drivers are afraid of season 2027 with brand new cars (most probably current Rally2 with bigger restrictor and aero as nobody except Toyota will be ready with new car)...Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Before you get too excited about Rovanpera in F1, remember that in Superformula in Japan he'll be racing against drivers with 15 to 20 years of racing experience. They all started in karts when they were little kids so driving in traffic and picking overtakes is second nature to them. Kalle is going to have to learn this. It isn't just about driving fast if you want results, unless you're that good you always qualify on pole & lead every lap!
I'm happy for him. But also feel sad, the WRC will loose one of the best drivers on the grid. I mean more great drivers, better battles through seasons. When do we last had 4 or five drivers fighting for the title? It was always two drivers battle or even one only dominating every event after event.
I completely understand him. He wants to try something other than rallying. He has his age at his side, have experience, two titles, many other achievements. I know it's completely different discipline, but he will surely not be last or first from the start. I bet even if he would drive against some F1 drivers currently on the grid, he would beat them fair and square. We all know that many of them are there just because of the money and not real talent.
Haven't watched F1 lately have you?Quote:
Originally Posted by deephouse
Yes most of them come from rich families and can be considered nepo babies, but the quality of the grid is extremely high right now. Ten or twenty years ago it wasn't nearly as high let alone in the nineties.
But regardless Rovanperä, if he developes well, could certainly mix it with them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Probably.
It’s happened before though, those of us old enough to remember going from Group B to Group A will recall that was a lot worse initially than this is going to be. Can you imagine what Salonen felt like going from the 205 T16 to the Mazda 323. It must have felt broken.
The 1987 RAC rally was a bit sad, but already by 1988 the competition was good and the cars were getting quick. 2027 might be a bit crap, but I’ll bet by 2028 things will be on the up.
Why is it idiotic? Have you ever spectated live? It not less snow tnow than in the 90 s 00 s nobody complained thenWhy have it up in a area wich is wery unatractive and remote for spectators compered to the original. And yes the stages are much worse also. It just fia got the idea that we need meter high snowbanks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfrsehGea8M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCPmH0469X8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39cyUAiG5MI
Well, Karlstad and Värmland is attractive. But lack of snow isn´t only problem. You need temperatures below zero for weeks before. Otherwise stages will not be competable. You´d have gravelrally with studs and ruts like in safari...Quote:
Originally Posted by Krigen
Dirtfish article-factory is still on full power and produced a statement from Tänak:
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/tanak...s-toyota-seat/
Quotes:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ott-Tänak-in-Dirtfish
What's the problem, its their job ?Quote:
Originally Posted by meh
And there were people complaining the other day that WRC is 'shut down' between events with no news or stories, especially compared to F1.
This is mind games
He once already fooled David Evans when he joined Msport
Nah. Wishful thinking from your side here...Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
As long as there are no official statements about contracts then until that my wet dream continuesQuote:
Originally Posted by bandit12
Tbh it was quite a useless article and like always Tänak gave an politician answer
I think Tanak says "No way I'll be in Toyota next year" no matter if there's an actual chance or not...
No team swaps can be confirmed at this stage when drivers still have 3 events left this season with their current teams. Any further chat needs to be in Silly Season.