So dissapointed on M-sport. They had a great start of the season, now seems they are just recycling old parts and all cars fail at some point.
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So dissapointed on M-sport. They had a great start of the season, now seems they are just recycling old parts and all cars fail at some point.
Well I can see why Breen is struggling here, his pace was okay until he hit that rock in stage 7(?) and once he lost that 10 seconds, he's trying so hard to catch that time back, he just needs to reset and start fresh for tomorrow. Besides imho the fact that he needs to lead the team for the first time in his career amounts a lot of pressure, and the overall line-up at M-Sport can't help. He needs someone to challenge him, to make him strive for better results, and atm only Loeb is there but he's on a pensioner's slot so...I honestly hope M-Sport will manage to sign a top driver for next season whilst their car is still (relatively) competitive.
Looks like almost everyone was wide on Rovanpera's corner (Rovanpera, Neuville, Evans and Tanak):
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-a-d8iDDAoo?app=desktop
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B5HAxbGc3_U?app=desktop
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/exlq27He9-g?app=desktop
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yTlJ8hoq3J8?app=desktop
Most interesting is Tanak since he definitely had time to see Rovanpera on Allive.
Finishing is everything for M-Sport, there's no title fight for anybody. If his team mates can't finish that's not his problem so that's why I don't agree with the team-leader label.
If you lose 10s you don't get it back at this level at these speeds, only others can lose it too. He's 0.3s/km behind a 0-fucks Tanak and then 3 infallible Toyotas driven by two former winners and the champion in waiting. Craig is hardly struggling whilst being under the biggest pressure to bring it home. If he finishes on +0.3s/k it'll be his second best result of the season after Sardinia so at these speeds I wouldn't be surprised if he's asked to curb his enthusiasm tbh. Still another day tomorrow, long way to go and all that.
Does this equal "biggest pressure to bring it home":
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/m-spo...n-to-the-wind/
Breen is doing ok here, before the hit it was pretty much exactly same as last year in a Hyundai. Not a championship or even rally-winning speed though. (*wink to Breen WDC predictions)
So if it rains that might give the edge to Kalle again.