2016 Silly Season

Ask Latvala to slow down to Mikkelsen pace and he will be magically more consistent. Ask Mikkelsen to increase pace and to try to match Ogier's in every rally and Mikkelsen will become inconsistent. The thing is, neither of them wants probably change their driving, because Latvala is dreaming to be World Champion and Mikkelsen is comfortable with his 1 min behind to Ogier at the end of any rally.
Also, consistency comes with experience so please don't compare relatively inexperienced drivers like Tanak and Kubica to drivers like Hirvonen and Sordo who have over 10 years of WRC experience, because it just doesn't prove anything.
I'm really looking forward to next season to see what Hayden and Thierry will do. The new i20 won't be slower for sure, so it could be interesting to see how the fight inside the team will help Hyundai start delivering.

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Originally Posted by RS

He's not the fastest on loose surfaces either but he is reliable and he deserves his place in the WRC. In some ways Meeke and Ostberg compliment each other well. Meeke is clearly faster almost everywhere.

I suppose it depends what Citroen want and what their future will be.

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Regarding Østberg, he has become much faster on tarmac this 2 last years, he was not so bad in Germany and Spain.
On snow, he can challenge for a win, on gravel he can take podiums.
I cant understand why he should not be in wrc.
No, he probably not became a WC, but who's gonna when ogier/vw is around?

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Originally Posted by skarderud

Regarding Østberg, he has become much faster on tarmac this 2 last years, he was not so bad in Germany and Spain.
On snow, he can challenge for a win, on gravel he can take podiums.
I cant understand why he should not be in wrc.
No, he probably not became a WC, but who's gonna when ogier/vw is around?

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When was the last time he actually challenged for a win on snow? Or any surface for that matter.

Ostberg on his facebook, Google translation: There have been many questions to multiple teams and multiple drivers what is the plan for next year. As always, the part card that is held close to the chest. Mads says the following about it: "we have good control and know what we know. More I have not permission to say but; We tune in next year's WRC, with the aim to do better than this year. The plan that dictates that there it is realistic. So can those who want to speculate on what that means ", concludes with a broad smile Mads.

so Meeke doesnt know anything but Mads already looking to next year? From that it seems that Ostberg is going to another team because Citroen havent decided their future yet. Of course it can be the other way that Mads will stay but it sounds weird that they havent talked to Meeke but Mads knows his deal already.

With time I've started to believe that the old saying: "it's better to make a fast driver consistent than the contrary" is just wrong.

Look at the facts.
Latvala finished his events on 2007-8 minutes behind Loeb. Now he can match Ogier speed on almost every rally. His inconstistency on the contrary is still there, maybe improved a bit but not as much as his speed.

Hirvonen has always been consistent and became faster from 2006 to 2009.

Paddon is building his speed as well while his average number of errors in a rally is almost the same.

And it is not only a matter of experience here...

The one that fits in the old saying can be Ogier himself. He was prone to errors but slightly fast just from the beginning and became very much consistent with the time. But he seems more an exception than a rule.

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Originally Posted by dimviii

are you talking to me??????

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I couldn’t resist.;)

Robert De Niro – Taxi driver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQkpes3dgzg

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Originally Posted by AL14

Paddon is building his speed as well while his average number of errors in a rally is almost the same.

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May be the case with Paddon is that he began consistently to adapt to the car/or adapt the car to him/perhaps both in the first place. Then naturally the speed slowly but steady came. I believe he was always very fast driver, and if he tried to do the impossible at the beginning, the result would be literally nowhere. Good job by him.

The heck !?...

K.Meeke " (...) Je ne piloterai plus de Citroën officielle en 2016 mais il reste quelques semaines avant de repartir pour une nouvelle saison et trouver un nouveau volant. "

http://www.lequipe.fr/Rallye/Actuali...993#xtor=RSS-1

What that part of "flying finn"?

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Originally Posted by Karukera

The heck !?...

K.Meeke " (...) Je ne piloterai plus de Citroën officielle en 2016 mais il reste quelques semaines avant de repartir pour une nouvelle saison et trouver un nouveau volant. "

http://www.lequipe.fr/Rallye/Actuali...993#xtor=RSS-1

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So that means he won´t drive for Citroen in 2016 and needs to find a new seat?