Rovanpera test input...
https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2023/wrc...-yaris-rally2/
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Rovanpera test input...
https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2023/wrc...-yaris-rally2/
Norihiko Katsuta in the new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 is second overall after 6 stages. Heikki Kovalainen wins every single stage so far:
https://www.ewrc-results.com/results...2023/?s=403970
Seems the Yaris Rally2 had a mechanical and didn't complete the final stage...
https://www.ewrc-results.com/entryin...-2023/3653259/
hey, what? it’s homologated already?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarek Z
No, still in development running under local Japanese rules.Quote:
Originally Posted by RS
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FqdlPXwa...jpg&name=large
What do we know about the driver? Related to Takamoto or is everyone in Japan called either Katsuta or Arai?
He is 54 years old and is Takamoto Katsuta's father. It seems they are both not very fast. Maybe it's in the genes.Quote:
Originally Posted by RS
Norihiko Katsuta is 9 times Japanese rally champion, 2021 being the last championship he won. So definitely not a slow driver by the Japanese championship standards, maybe even the fastest.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarek Z
https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2023/wrc...for-c3-rally2/Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
Yaris Rally2 testing on all surfaces done and now it's about narrowing the homologation choices...
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/the-t...o-test-rally2/
Ohhh boy! Any news on seeing this car on european/world stages this year or the homologation process is a "2024 only, fellas"?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
No win for the new Fabia RS in Fafe and a driver of the old model should've won. An i20 and C3 were also higher placed than the car of Marczyk in 4th.
Anything to worry about for Skoda ?
Lmao is that serious question?
Well yes as it's the biggest gravel rally so far and it has won on tarmac and snow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenneth
There are drivers in the cars too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
C3 Rally2 development to stay competitive - by WRCWings
https://www.wrcwings.tech/2023/03/13...oen-c3-rally2/
Like young Heikkila in the old car vs ERC Champion Llarena in the new one...Quote:
Originally Posted by Hartusvuori
Llarena didn’t win ERC. Everybody else lost it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Same with Ingram.
Driver differences are bigger than car differences. Huttunen has won two events in Finland with the oldest Fabia R5.
I think nothing to wonder about.. The best stage times dilivered young Sesks in his first full Rally2 season, also he won a stage, was second etc.. I see the biggest problem with the new Škodas in ERC so far - there are good drivers, but not (maybe not yet) pure winner type drivers in the new Škodas in the Erc... If Lukyanuk or Meeke had a chnance to drive this car here, the picture would be very different.. ;)
somehow the reply on ''No win for the new Fabia RS in Fafe ...didnt work on my first post here..
It’s a valid question but I agree with other comments that the best drivers were in the other cars here so wouldn’t want to draw too many conclusions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
My impression is that the potential of the new one is higher with an aggressive driver (Gryazin, Solberg). Mexico this weekend will be interesting with Solberg in the new one and Lindholm and Gryazin in the old one!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
I think I can agree here. The best, first league drivers in Fafe were not driving the new Fabia. Llarena may be the reigning champion, but with him you never know if he's going to win or finish 7th. He is not (yet?) a driver like Mikkelsen, Basso, Rossetti or Bouffier (not to mention Lukyanuk ;)) that can go anywhere and fight for the win in each rally. But let's wait. Something tells me that this season is going to be exciting :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Typ85
Who is "everybody else"? Who from the drivers last year was pure faster than Efren in ERC last year and lost it?Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
"Lost" was maybe not as fitting to Llarena's opponents as it was to Ingram's, but in 2022 it was more about faster drivers not doing full seasons and WRC stars skipping the series altogether. Also three rallies were won by drivers who didn't do any other events. In addition to Llarena, only two drivers completed a full season.Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
There were more drivers doing full season (or almost full and stopped/missing after crash or loosing the chance to win). I think it was clear that Efren was able to fight for top places on almost every race and he deserved the win. Yes, there were not big names like Mikkelsen on Lukyanuk in previous years, but from the drivers who were doing the season, he was the best. And there were not so bad drivers, sometimes multichampions in national championships...Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
It was also Llarenas first rally in the new Skoda, need more time to get it right I guess.
But level of competition has not been this high in ERC for many years, if ever, so that is also a factor.
I asked (before the rally) Marczyk about this RS, and he told that RS is really different car and needs package of setups. For sure it is and will be fast car but driver has to adapt. He was in Fafe for test RS and wake up after winter before WRC, but if he was there to score points in ERC, he would choose old car.
Llarena was very consistent, being on the podium or close to it. And to reverse deficit and win Azores with Moura on his land needs some proper skills.
All I can say is that we will see this season how Llarena does with more competition.Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
His Fafe result was better than last year and he should be strong in the Canary Islands but after that it will be interesting. Not sure if he is doing the main Spanish championship to keep him match fit this year either.
Seems like Skoda took a Polo and improved it, and got the RS.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom K
The Polo does not fit all, especially drivers that do not spend a lot of hours getting the setup 100% right.
The Fabia R5 and the evo is much easier to get to 98% quickly, and with much less fuss.
But if you get the Polo right, and is a good driver, it is still one of the best cars in the class.
We need more rallies with many drivers at the levers before we know how good the RS is as a package.
Based on final result yeah, but last year he won three stages.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sal yet again
Llarena explains...
"We are losing time in the slow corners, we have no traction, for me it’s a disaster. In some parts I am pushing like hell but I was losing a lot of time in the slow corners.
“Honestly I tried my best, I was absolutely flat out, unfortunately we were not fast. We were not comfortable with the car, we were always out of the line. You can push 200 per cent but you are losing time in every corner, [so it’s] very disappointing.”
If you look at times of all MRF crews, their tyres seemed to work much better on Saturday than Sunday. On Saturday Llarena was running in a different road position to other guys and his times didn’t compare well to Sesks with same car and same tyres.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
New Fabia RS Rally2 car is different from the old one. You need to find correct setups, you need to adapt to the different driving style. I think now you can understand why Oliver Solberg is so much testing, same like other WRC2 drivers of Skoda...
Ireland, the former heartland of the Fiesta R5, is now dominated by the Polo, i20 and lately the Citroen C3.
On the current West Cork Intl Rally the highest placed Ford is a Mk2 Escort !
Sounds like M-Sport are determined to fight back and improve the Fiesta..
Asked how much of the British championship Adrien Fourmaux will do, Wilson said: “It’s still up for discussion but there’s no question we want to improve and make the car even more competitive, so for sure we will definitely do the next round.
“We’ve got some tests planned in Ireland coming up quite soon so we want to just try and basically make sure we can keep the Rally2 Fiesta competitive.
“We want to try and give Adrien as much seat time as possible and keep on developing and improving the car.”
Developing and improving the car? 4 years later than it should be...Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
A financially-devasating pandemic, runnng a WRC Team and creating a new Rally1 car all had an impact on this.Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
Plus most other Rally2 manufacturers only had that car to concentrate on (Skoda, VW Polo, Citroen C3).
Edit: Fourmaux is confident of the Fiesta's potential...
https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2023/wrc...ly2s-potental/
New Yaris Rally2 tarmac test...
https://youtu.be/AJR8fhnscHU