Some rumours that Mikkelsen drives a Hyundai in spain?
Anyone else thinks so?
Who's out then, breen?
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Some rumours that Mikkelsen drives a Hyundai in spain?
Anyone else thinks so?
Who's out then, breen?
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Not breen, paddon of course.Quote:
Originally Posted by skarderud
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Well well
https://motorsport.hyundai.com/driver-line-up-adjusted/
Mikkelsen in for the last 3 rallies.
Probably in Paddon's car for Spain and in Sordo's place for GB and Australia.
Hyundai should use drivers to develop i20 R5.
Ideal opportunity to put Paddon in the R5 for Spain, he knows the car and the rally well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
Same thoughts from me too. And if Hyundai drop Sordo for 2 events, so maybe it's over for Dani in HyundaiQuote:
Originally Posted by macebig
There is talk of four car teams for 2017, so Sordo could still be in., especially with sales of Kia and Hyundai on the rise in Spain.
http://europe.autonews.com/article/2...ted-by-tourism
BILLIOT Jérémie*@planetemarcus
#WRC Andreas Mikkelsen visits Hyundai HQ today for preparation http://bit.ly/2iZPsnr*
Instagram @HMSGOfficial
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJCZjiOW4AIOVT6.jpg
He is missing his French class...
http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/septe...0--12-12-.html
Nandan says they're considering four car teams for Wales and Australia. Catalunya wasn't considered since the amount of parts needed is greater due to mixed surface.
All sounds quite promising. All these teams seem pretty keen to keep things even, hence why I suggested four cars for GB and then Paddon misses Spain, Sordo misses Australia. Four cars on a long haul might be a bit of a stretch.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Paddon on the situation on his FB page, but not much other than GB and Oz:
https://www.facebook.com/haydenpaddonwrc
Dani Sordo: "At the moment, nobody has told me not to run"
he is rather restrained in his social networks, but yesterday, early in the afternoon, shortly after his team made the signing of Andreas Mikkelsen, Dani Sordo was angry - and rightly so - to see the tweets that one published of the British broadcasters of the official WRC radio, assuming that with the addition of the Norwegian, Hyundai would relegate the bench to Spanish for the last two championship rallies: Wales and Australia (both on land).
MARCA has contacted him to know the slogans transmitted to him by his bosses, and to know whether or not his status as Hyundai driver could influence Mikkelsen's arrival at the Alzenau squad.
Andreas Mikkelsen
Obviously, whenever you get a new partner, especially as a fast driver like him, to some extent is a threat to those who are already on the team. But life is not easy and the job you have to earn every day.
Wales and Australia
15 minutes before they announced it, Alain Penasse [his sports director] called me to tell me the subject. The only thing that is certain is that Paddon is not going to make Catalonia, although I am sorry for him, the truth, because he has had bad luck this year. At the moment, nobody has told me that I will not run the last two rallies, so I felt bad that someone on Twitter started to speculate and I assumed that they were going to come down, when that is not what he said the team. They want to put a fourth car for the last races, at least that's what I've been told. For Wales I see it as feasible; Australia, perhaps, is more expensive and more complicated to carry. We'll see what happens.
2018
Since before Germany we knew that the bosses wanted to make some signing for the next year. In the end, they have chosen Mikkelsen. In a few months we will know what alignment they decide. I do not know if next year I will do the whole World Cup or not, what worries me most is to stay competitive and get some more victory.
Change of equipment
I have not thought about it. I'm not going anywhere else. I have a contract with Hyundai and I want to finish my career here.
Rally of Catalonia
I'm going to leave as in Germany: thinking about victory. Last year I tried with all my might. On Friday we finished the ground stage leaders and thought we could win, but we could do nothing to hold Ogier on asphalt with the Polo. Let's see if this time everything goes well and we are able to finish.
http://www.marca.com/motor/rallies/2...a4a8b45d0.html
Self-quote from 20/8:
Listening to Nandan interview they did sound alarm bells ("we had to do some changes"). Resulting in hiring Mikkelsen and probably some car changes as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Nandan was pretty non-comittal about the possible reg change to 4 cars in 2018.
Sounds like quite a lot to discuss about the implications.
I hope the regs stay with 3 cars for another year.
So it does seem some fairly safe assumptions -
Mikkelsen has signed with Hyundai for 2018
Four cars for GB
Sordo:
Does that mean he aims to end at the end of 2018?Quote:
I have a contract with Hyundai and I want to finish my career here.
He is "only" 6 years older than Mikkelsen, 4 years older than Tanak and 4 years younger than Meeke, so it can be a bit early in a way.
He is relatively safe bet to score decent points just like Sainz was at Citroen, but it is also telling that he only has a single rally win from his long career. Guess his future past 2018 will depend on number of seats and point scoring rules for 3rd/4th drivers. (provided he keeps at least same pace as now)
"I want" is different that "i will".
Realistically was Sordo getting a contract extension after 2018 anyway? If you had to bet money you'd have to say no. Maybe he sees the writing on the wall - he certainly will if he gets dropped for Australia.
If teams can run 4 cars, then Sordo is possibly worth keeping for a full campaign; however, if it's the current 3, then I'd think using him for the Tarmac only rounds would be the best solution; Paddon for the other rounds.
Will Mikkelsen be car number 4? Why was Paddon anyway with the "first driver" number of the team, he finished with less points than Neuville?
Neuville got to choose his number first and he picked 5.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Neuville wanted #5 apparently. I think they gave the drivers some choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Second rally geek question from me - I wonder what colour roof vent Andreas will go for? Red? Or maybe yellow like his mirrors at VW.
Maybe blue as nobody's using it now?
Or red, white and blue!
Paddon will be in Australia with Hyundai. 100% and we're using his resources during the rally and it's confirmed.
No offense but with you saying this I expect Paddon to be replaced in Australia.Quote:
Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1
Paddon needs to keep it on the road. He also had an off in NZ in an AP4 car. I'm sure it was a hard decision for Nandan to skip Spain for Hayden. If he does not do well in Aus or Wales he might be sharing the 3rd car if they do not go to 4. Sucks for the guy as he's had a bit of bad luck mixed swith his bad year.
For long term perspective the slow development on Tarmac is more troubling imo.
This needs sorting; instead of going back to NZ to drive gravel events, he should be doing European Tarmac events as much as he can.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
I recently listened an Absolute Rally podcast from a few months ago, and his perfect calendar was all gravel....
He's lucky there's only 2 full tarmac events. There has to be more in future.
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Hayden is expected back home for sponsor commitments, i suspect, and considering the long break before RACC, why not indulge in a few home (gravel) events ?Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
what i do find a bit odd, is why he isn't in i20 R5 for RACC to keep tarmac fit ?
Paddon is doing a dirt event this weekend I think. I see Hawkeswood in a single seater offroader on FB.
https://nzmotorracing.co.nz/2017/06/...off-road-race/
R5 - Spain - still costs a fair bit to run an R5 - tyres, mechanics, spares, service van- logistics, hotels, flights, food, mechanic transport etc.
Yeah have to assume Hyundai just weren't willing to swallow that cost of a works-run R5. And getting Andreas up to speed and potentially impacting that title fight is a bigger priority. I get that.
It is a shame as they've granted Hayden a couple of tarmac events this year in the R5. Partly to help gel with Seb but they were still giving him those opportunities on his weaker surface. Not sure whether he'll return to Rally Legend again this year. I did wonder whether he'd approach that as another opportunity to learn tarmac last year but he opted for complete hoonage which the fans loved.
My interpretation of this article:
http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/septe...0--12-12-.htmlhttp://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/septe...0--12-12-.html
... is that Hyundai will run 4 cars after Spain only if they have chances for title.
Otherwise, Paddon and/or Sordo may not do GB and/or Australia, of course assuming they want to get Mikkelsen up to speed for 2018.
Already posted. See page 10 http://www.motorsportforums.com/show...dai-WRT/page10
Sorry, my bad. Fixed as a comment now.Quote:
Originally Posted by racerx1979
They have to enter the cars for GB before Catalunya happens so that isn't possible unfortunately. Unless they entered four and pulled a car - which I doubt. I see this more as ensuring equal treatment of the drivers. Seemed obvious at the start really, drop Paddon for Spain, Sordo for Aus and run them both in Wales. Then no driver is given any favouritism ahead of 2018.Quote:
Originally Posted by jparker