VW has Depping as test driver, but I think they can get others who developed the Fabia R5 too (Loix, Baumschlager, etc.) for much less money than keeping either of the three around.
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@AMikkelsenRally: https://twitter.com/AMikkelsenRally/...033627648?s=09
WRC.com finally http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/octob...6--12-12-.html
Did not expect that, stupid decision by the VW management, if the Germans became unreliable this world is going down the drain.
But despite losing the best manufacturer next year is going to be fantastic and on a more equal playing field. And it might push some nobodies like ostberg back into oblivion where they belong.
If Ogier does move to M-Sport/Ford, it would almost equal when Schumacher took on the Ferrari challenge in 1996. Even though the Ogier+Citroën partnership would be the logic one, I somehow don't see that one happening. And no way is he going to the failure-waiting-to-happen finnish nationalistic Toyota crap team. He's not stupid!
So VW can gain from Skoda's R5 knowledge like when they borrowed the Fabia S2000 to develop the Polo WRC and in return VW can share their early work on the Polo WRC '17 if Skoda want to have another go at the big league..
It would be nice.. Skoda can afford it.
What a waste is all that I feel.
For the driver situation, Citroën and Hyundai are already filled as far as I know, surely meaning they would have to release their drivers with paying their salary? That wouldn't be cheap for the teams. I don't think drivers with contracts would resign on mutual consent.