What was this agreement? how did Prodrive fail it? will you please enlighten me :) ?Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
Printable View
What was this agreement? how did Prodrive fail it? will you please enlighten me :) ?Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
I think BMW never wanted to be the title sponsor of Mini WRC involvement. The agreement I believe was BMW will develop/provide only the engine for 2012, but Prodrive has to fulfill all the sponsorship part for the WRC campain.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frostmourne
But isn't the engine the weakest part of the Mini?
Plan from BMW was to develop the engine and pay development of the car. All running of the team and additional costs were on side of Prodrive. But maybe Richards hoped that BMW will not kill the project if he will not find another sponsor and he will dig more money from BMW. But it was a mistake, BMW didnt wanted to pay more than was planned...Quote:
Originally Posted by stefanvv
It might be, at the beginning of 2012 the project just stopped, probably because Prodrive didn't find the necessary sponsorship.Quote:
Originally Posted by Franky
Who wanted to? BMW? I never really felt their heart was in it, and anyway, the only 'talk' was from Mini UK, who kept mentioning the 60's Rallying success. Did anybody truly expect a fully funded effort like VW?Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
It was down to Prodrive to find sponsorship - and they were unable to do this. Though as DR said earlier this year on TheRallyShow, FTA TV is the issue. Sponsors aren't interested unless there is FTA TV, poor quality highlights on MotorsTV isn't good enough.
According to some of Prodrive's old press releases they will have a relationship with BMW to develop MINI WRC cars until 2018. If they can't make Monte Carol I can't see how they could survive until then. I always thought that BMW would want to make a decent fist of the WRC as they said they wanted to develop its brands in a way that just being in F1 could not allow them to do when they left in 2009. Also, I believed incorrectly that MINI and Prodrive would want to make a British champion in a "British" car with Meeke (something like Colin in 1995).
I think Mini does favor the X-Raid operation as the WRC program is not mentioned on the minimotorsport.com website at all and the Dakar Countryman has JCW stickers that it did not use to have, that made me think Mini was giving more money to that program.
Monte Carlo and Sweden are the two most unique events on the calendar. Prodrive would probably be better off skipping those rallies entirely and entering the season in Mexico, which is the first of six gravel rounds in a row. Any development they do then is going to be of immediate benefit, whereas testing on snow in preparation for Monte Carlo and Sweden is only going to be of any use for those events, where the surfaces only come up once a year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
The good thing about Monte is when the comnditions are "unique" they are leveler, so how fast the car is doesn't matter, just like last year. Sweden ok, but I thing they might prefer that before Mexico, because it's much cheaper ;)
If I were at Prodrive, and I only had the budget to do, say, eight rallies this year, I would not pick Monte Carlo as one of those eight and gamble on the possibility of inclement conditions. I'd probably stay away from Monte Carlo entirely until I had the budget to do at least ten rallies.