Yeah, but who's paying attention?Quote:
Originally Posted by MJW
By al accounts Lydden Hill had no more than about 5,000 per day attendance.
Most of the broadcast partners of RallyX are IMG's own channels.
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Yeah, but who's paying attention?Quote:
Originally Posted by MJW
By al accounts Lydden Hill had no more than about 5,000 per day attendance.
Most of the broadcast partners of RallyX are IMG's own channels.
I didnt know the attendance figures for Lydden, but I guess even though its the British home of rallycross its a long way from the heart of motorsport population. I am not suggesting Rally X is there yet but I hear more and more about it as a sport and the impression I get is that it is gaining popularity.Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyfiend
I will not watch the WRC anymore. The ERC is miles better currently anyway. Eurosport Events know how to run a good championship so that'll do for me as a rally fan
This would be the end of the WRC — the form of world motorsport in which I first became interested — for me, too. Such a format would mean it ceased any longer to be 'rallying'. Easy for an aficionado to say, I know, but that's the way it is, without any over-reaction.
Where did it go so wrong? I fundamentally believe the reason lies in the way the FIA's chosen technical regulations have rendered the WRC's top-level cars out of the financial reach of national/local championships. It has reduced the talent pool of drivers and the amount of meaningful rallying available to spectators. As a result, the WRC suffers. With the greatest of respect to all involved, why would one wish to go and see, let alone watch on TV, a championship that bears little relation to the top level of the sport? The WRC was always strongest when there were strong national/regional series of quality running in parallel. The one time there existed a technical formula below the top WRC level that people found appealing, namely the Formula 2 rules of the mid-late-1990s, the FIA effectively canned it.
As for the supposed rise of rallycross, there's not much evidence of it yet. Rallycross used to be really big in the UK, thanks in no small part to BBC coverage — as quick-fire Saturday/Sunday-afternoon TV entertainment, with commentary from Murray Walker to match, it was ideal. In no way has the sport returned to those levels of popularity yet, at least in Britain. For it to do so, it requires mainstream, prime-time TV coverage. That's not about to happen. Even the British Touring Car Championship, which may not be to the taste of all but is thriving at present, can only be found on what amounts to a minority (albeit national, free-to-air) channel.
I see that someone, quite rightly, has mentioned above the possibility of Jean Todt intervening. I wouldn't bet on it. For all his talk, and the supposed benefits of his more 'hands-off' approach, can anyone name a single achievement of his time as FIA President?
He got the co-driver's names back on the rear windows!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by BDunnell
How on earth could I have forgotten that? I take back everything I said.Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyfiend
So this move is going to bring more TV and Manufacturers? Is that what they think?
Somebody earlier stated that the more they change it the less interest there is. Will there even be a WRC in 10 years?
I can't think of another sport that has sold itself down the river in the last 10-15 years.
What I find annoying is being told this is progress and we should swallow it. No we shouldn't....
Are enough people currently interested even to know that it will change, let alone care?Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
This^^^.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack4688`
Why not have a panel at the finish, consisting of maybe Simon Cowell, Mel B and Gary Barlow, who have the final say as to who the winner is?Quote:
Originally Posted by MJW
Can a mod please delete the above post? I'm concerned that someone at the FIA might read it and think it a seriously good idea.Quote:
Originally Posted by RAS007
And what will you actually watch in the irc? Lappi? Kajto? :snore:Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack4688`
Dont be afraid, people from FIA are reading this forum. And all interesting proposals they are writing to their list "not to do".Quote:
Originally Posted by BDunnell
IRC is not existing anymore. Now it is ERC. And yes, with drivers like Lappi and Kajto it is usually more interesting than WRC...Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowSon
A RALLY? What else will be left if WRC is not going to be a rally anymore?And for Your information IRC has not been existing for 1,5 years already...Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowSon
I totally agree.also if wrc is not rally but something else,then why follow it??????i love rallies ,wrc will be a different sport so i don't want to follow it.ERC will be the best solution for us in the future.i also believe that eurosport maybe will turn erc to irc again,in order to have a really word championsip,so no problem for us.Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
I worry that the 'lower' series will follow suit. I hope not.
I have a theory, possibly cynical, but anyway; RedBull have had no intention of properly promoting the WRC in its current format. They have a close relationship with the VW group, have they been plotting this for a while? Turning the WRC into WRC-lite, and with a 'shoot out' they will then start promoting properly.
They could have done much more from the word go; they have RedBullTV - a perfect platform for the WRC highlights/ live coverage. And they haven't used it. Preferring to sell rights to TV stations, mostly subscription channels.....
Because they will compete to a REALLY rally championship and not to a farce championsip.also you think that lappi is not a high class driver????????????how many drivers in the wrc you really think are better to lappi this moment.2-3??so...........Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowSon
If this gets through, which it seems it will, this is the last season of the WRC for me. It'll be dead to me after Rally GB. How can they have the nerve to completely change the core format of how a rally works, a format to which the WRC has basically ran for 40 years, and just do it with almost complete indifference. And why is this being done? Seemingly solely to seal all these fantastic TV deals that are suddenly going to be magicked up by WRC Promoter/Red Bull (once someone has actually woken them up), courtesy of an 'event' being set up by a short two day qualifying rally with a spattering of points on offer, followed by a series of equations, and decided over one short single stage shootout... How can the four (well, Citroen have been quiet, so maybe three) manufacturers operating in the 'pinnacle' Championship of the disciple of rallying just decide that, all of a sudden, the Championship should run to a completely different format to virtually ever other rally in the world. How can they just ignore the long history and principals of this discipline, or knowingly p*ss all over them, and go in a new direction, creating a new sport out of the old one. How can the FIA even contemplate this?!
I've only followed the WRC for just over 10 years and attended Rally GB since 2012, so a relative newcomer compared to most of you. I came in towards the end of the last 'boom'. I've stuck with it through the rough years, years of two manufactures battling over short rallies, often dominated by a Sebastian, increasingly having to access footage via the web and niche satellite TV channels. I always imagined, hoped, that one day, the WRC would get back around to a peak like those seen in the late 70s, mid 80s and late 90s/early 2000s. What with VW and Hyundai coming in, the new promoter and talk of Toyota being on the cusp of a return I had been more hopeful for the future of the WRC at the start of 2014, but with this unnecessary re-imagining of the very concept of rallying, all interest has been killed off for me.
Jost Capito seems to infer that us fans should like it or lump it. Well, I for one will be walking away. Many disappointing decisions have been made over the history of the WRC, but this is just one step too far. Here's hoping the ERC picks up some momentum...
Lets first see the changes and then all you little girls can gather and cry... or just follow the ladycup ERC... it will be better for all.
With all due respect to it, the ERC today is a second-rank championship, both in terms of cars and drivers. As such it will always be of limited appeal. I don't see it as the solution for anyone except a relatively few die-hards. Never has it, or the IRC, greatly appealed to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by nafpaktos
Makes perfect sense, unless there is some legal reason (monopolies regulations?) as to why they're not allowed to broadcast the championship over their own platform.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
One thing I haven't seen mentioned: the simpler a format for a sporting event the better, in my view. Here is how 'Autosport' has described part of the planned changes to the WRC:
'The new version of the format will offer points at the end of each day and a performance weighting in the shootout to reward being fastest throughout the rally.
If, for example, the driver in first place heading into the decider has been a tenth of a second per mile faster across the whole event than the driver in second place, then they will take that advantage multiplied by the stage distance into the shootout. So, if the final test was 10 miles, the quicker driver would start with a one-second time advantage.'
Just imagine trying to explain that to the layman on the TV! Ridiculous.
"I think this is a good proposal, it can improve the show and make it more easy to present to television," said Nandan.
Can someone explain me how this nonsense would make it more easy to present to tv? How is it different from Sunday stages now? They drive flat out Power Stage to get bonus points already, and factory drivers are always on it often saving tyres on previous stages. The rest of the drives have nothing to win or loose anyway. Also if there will be odd numbers of crews then what will happen to the last one, who do they compete against?
The shoot out idea is ridiculous, and only really liked by those who have made it up, the performance balancing for it is beyond fascicle! As someone has said how the hell do you explain that to a casual fan!
Bloody unbelievable :(
+1Quote:
Originally Posted by BDunnell
Er, hello - there won't be any casual fans - as already said, the casuals want something simple to watch - not something requiring a calculator. In their rush to gain the casuals - they're losing their main followers. Not clever. Do these people have a brain cell between them?
Nobody follows a motorsport for its rules... most people follow it depending on how attractive/spectacular it is and the people manufacturers involved in it... Lets wait and see IF the changes are implemented and then we can judge the final; product... as i said you can organise a rally anonymous group and cry like little girls all day watching ladycup ERC.
I think that this new format can be described quite simple, I have given it a try my self:
The shootout
(That is not a shootout!!!)
Explanation: If the driver in first place heading into the final stage shootout (that is not a shootout!!!) has been a tenth of a second per kilometer faster across the whole event than the driver in second place, then they will take that advantage multiplied by the stage distance into The SHOOTOUT (that is absolutely not a shootout!!!) so now in THE SUPER SHOOTOUT (that is in no f#%& way a shootout) they will start with a one second advantage in THE Super Grand Last Stage Magic SHOOTOUT (that has no F#$% way ever been a f&%$ shootout!!!!!!)
From the FIA (that is really not the FIA), and the Promotor (wich really dont promote): Could this possibly be made any simpler??? Okay, that is if You want to make something really difficult, then this is quite simple, no??? (First man wins is for chickens!) This is German engineering, so piss off! And comeback, and watch the show! But if You say that the shootout is a shootout, because it is not a f#%& shootout, an never has been a f$%& shootout, and never will be a f#&% shootout, we may have to kill you.
But joke aside, I think we have to see this in action before we judge it too hard. If this is what RedBull needs to really promotoe the sport, then they should be given a chance. But I do think, that a format where You split each rally in two, one endurance part, and one TV-stage, would be a lot simpler to understand;)
Yes, no one doesn't follow a sport because of the rules, but if the rules become overcomplicated then the whole thing will be harder to understand for the average Joe (the KISS principle). And if you piss off the core fanbase and they stop following your championship, then you won't just need to find more Joes but you need to find the new diehard fans as well. A group of Joes going to a rally with the trunk full of alcohol won't become diehard fans, okey, the probability is very slim. I've seen guys sleeping in snow hugging their Jäger bottles before the start of first stage at 8am. If a Joe attends a rally with a in a good sense mad fan, then there is a chance that the guy will start following the sport and the championship more closely.Quote:
Originally Posted by N.O.T
All of us are waiting to get a clear picture of what is coming but the small pieces of news aren't the most encouraging and it's worth discussing the concerns. Next step would be voicing the opinions to the governing bodies. I guess even you wouldn't be happy if boxing turned into a WWE circus.
If the people in charge want more Joes, then they should start promoting better. The content is there. Went to the WRC.com's Youtube page over a few years and the first video I saw was a "teaser" for this season. Then I searched for an IRC promo from 2010 and one defining promo from the North One era. Decide yourself, which is better. Just note that the North One promo has a different function than the other two.
WRC 2014 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MySOesp5G0E
IRC 2010 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFDQa6tlfPo
WRC 2009 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siqQqI3Vdp4
yep the IRC is the best there by a long shot.
Forget motorsport specifically: I think that's a moot point. Of course rules have a bearing on the success of one sport against another. Why is snooker a bigger sport internationally than pool? Why didn't other forms of football and tennis catch on? Deep down, it's all in the rules.Quote:
Originally Posted by N.O.T
So do I, as an enthusiast, want something simple to watch. I suspect I'm not alone in that. Where's the enjoyment in something complex? Recent F1 qualifying rules spring to mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
One problem with the shoot-out as proposed is that, as mentioned by another poster above, the quickest driver in it may still not end up winning. How is that helpful?
+1Quote:
Originally Posted by wrc1600
IMO the shootout, or could it be called the final duel, would ruin the spirit of rallying what rallying is about, the endurance performance. I would say that in rallying it’s impossible to do a perfect performance every single second without any mistakes compared to circuit racing where the conditions are known and it’s easier to drive the optimum lines on every lap. Why in HE*L should the fastest driver been punished if he / she makes a small mistake in this shootout and loose a comfortable margin.
What about if the difference between second and third is only 0,1 second before this last “shootout stage”? In this shootout format the third one would be at the best third and in the worst case fourth compared to second in the traditional (and the correct one) way.
In the interview by Colin Clark with Jost Capito, (http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/media/podc...114--80--.html) Jost Capito says that a “shootout” can’t be a separate event to a WRC rally but he’s still gives as an example the FAFE rallysprint with 100.000 spectators, which was not a part of Rally Portugal but related to the rally.
If rallying wants more fans imo the only way is to have more of these “Fafe rallysprints” with easy access before a rally and broadcasted on free view channels. This would give for the potential future fans the opportunity to plan the rally weekend for spectating the rally. Also advertising info how to get to the stages and the itinerary of the rally would help the occasional fans how to find “easy access” to the rally.
If WRC want some more media attention, this post by Antony Warmbold (an excellent one) would not for sure help WRC get any more media coverage (http://www.motorsportforums.com/show...l=1#post997229
Just my few cents and humble opinions.
http://www.motorsport4sale.com/nyhet...mitsubishi-r5/Quote:
Originally Posted by Eli
”Hans-Erik Weng på plats bredvid den läckra rallybilen berättade att om allt går som planerat blir det tester i rallyskogen i slutet på juli.”
If everything goes as planned the testing of the car starts at the end of July.
Maybe the best tweet by the promoters so far!! And yet its the format that is to blame for the low fan numbers... Seriously WHO is in charge of this account?
Top footballer @neymarjr being filmed by top motorsport cameramen tonight - WRCTV's Paddy Tyndall in action #wrc pic.twitter.com/nVt4y59ckl
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqXKYAACYAAxIPi.jpg
Instead of Shakedown, why not run a Rallysprint to determine start orders for the real rally that follows.
Associated with this run a championship for the rallysprint.
That way one could utilise the Rallysprint to gain exposure and hopefully gain a proper following for the true rally
welcome to last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mk2 RS2000