actually better than last year:Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
2021
11 WRC, now 12 Rally1
8 Rally2, now 10
4 Rally3, now 5
number on NAT cars is dropped, fact is that 10y old Mitsu/Subaru doesn't belong to WRC anymore.
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actually better than last year:Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
2021
11 WRC, now 12 Rally1
8 Rally2, now 10
4 Rally3, now 5
number on NAT cars is dropped, fact is that 10y old Mitsu/Subaru doesn't belong to WRC anymore.
Little surprised nobody sorted out a WRC2 Teams entry given the new bonus rule. Although the most likely candidates just aren't at the races anyway.
No big interest for Toksport considering the cost of sending cars in Safari and they are quite sure of winning the title with their two teams even if the first team has not started well (+ they could still found, if really needed, an agreement with Kovalainen and the other Skoda Japanese guy for Rally Japan who will probably be the only Rally2 guys in Japan). It’s better to focus on the Open and Junior championships where there is still competition (and also maybe the integration of the new Skoda car).Quote:
Originally Posted by WRCStan
Sainteloc could have tried to convince one local guy as Johnson is going there. But with Camilli leaving the team, they have no more hope to win it and will probably not make other event as a team (only using Johnson). And other teams seem to have abandoned the team championship (no 2nd driver with Cais in Portugal and Sardinia for Yacco, same for M-Sport with Huttunen in Sardinia).
The only remaining competitor for Toksport is Hyundai ... with Zaldivar as the second driver (eventually, if they still have an hope to win, they could make a tactical move in Rally New Zealand as Paddon is supposed to do it with Hyundai Rally2, even by taking a guy with another brand car as nothing forbids it)
To be noticed in RC2, the move from Kajto is interesting. I thought he would be too short for championship contention but with a bit of luck in his two first rallies and if he doesn’t mess up in Safari, he will be in contention with Mikkelsen, Suninen and Rossel. But Safari is always a risk as it is tougher than standard rallies.
For the rest of the list, the number of locals is really reduced compared with last year, even Rai and Tundo are missing. The only positive is that the international entries are not absolutely awful for an extra-European round (WRC + Kajto, Gill, Prokop, Dominguez, Johnston).
After Hyundais success in Italy, we could be heading for the most open round of the series this year with more than eight drivers in with a chance of outright Safari victory.
All four Toyota drivers can realistically win. Katsuta must fancy his chances after a strong performance in 2021. The two lead Hyundais start every event with huge expectations. Oliver Solberg had a fraught event last year and may be the only one looking light.
Ford have arguably their biggest chance of the year. With the exception of Breen, the other three all have Safari history and could press for a major result.
Can't wait :)
Well I haven’t been on here for many many many years :eek:
I don’t like people moaning about length of events. Any rally in the world isn’t quite as long as it was in the past. Sanremo doesn’t go to Tuscany, GB doesn’t go around GB, Monte Carlo doesn’t have starting points across Europe, the Circuit of Ireland isn’t much of a circuit of Ireland, Rally New Zealand doesn’t go around the whole of the North Island. And you know what? There are many historic events that do exactly this, so get over it :p
I will enjoy every single km of the Safari this time… :rotate:
Meanwhile in Le Mans, Ogier is doing not that good, he has done so far 98 laps with a best lap of 3:35.582 and his team mate Charles Milesi (last year lucky winner in LMP2 class) has done a best of 3:33.761 => Ogier was complaining already that there is no fair comparison with his team mate since he is not that tall as him so have much less weight to carry. But that does not explain a difference of 1.8 seconds in lap time. Tyre management and the skills passing the slower GT cars have to be taken in amount too. The current top runners in LMP2 class with the same Oreca Gibson have done their best laps in the 3:31 bracket. I do not consider Ogier as a worthy WEC driver for the official Toyota squad. Either he goes back full time to WRC or follow the footsteps of LoebQuote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
I haven't been blown away by his performance, but he's massively disadvantaged due to lack of seat time; however there is the possibility that he's just not suited to it. It's an obvious statement, but it's a very different discipline. At the moment you wouldn't be putting him in a LMH Toyota.
Toyota appear to have cleverly improvised a Safari PET in Sardinia!!!!!
https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2022/wrc...ng-for-toyota/
Welcome back J4MIE!Quote:
Originally Posted by J4MIE
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