link too https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...er-within-weekQuote:
Originally Posted by T16
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link too https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...er-within-weekQuote:
Originally Posted by T16
how wrong was i and this was just two days ago!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
updated now
Hyundai
#1 Tänak
#11 Neuville
#19 Loeb
#6 Sordo
#42 Breen (maybe 4th car on some rounds but mostly R5 development)
Toyota
#9 Ogier
#33 Evans
# Rovanpera
#17 Katsuta (not doing a full season)
M-sport
#4 Lappi
#3 Suninen
#44 Greensmith
and knocking on door
# 89 Mikkelsen
# Ostberg
#10 Latvala
#5 Meeke
Too many drivers, not enough teams to go around....such a shame.
No surprise at all at Citroen news. It was a perfect storm, or perfect opportunity, to quit with their uphappy car/driver/financial situation.
The big money invested by Hyundai and Toyota have made it impossible to compete with too.
I now wonder what M-Sport will do if Ford wont commit any further than 'technical assistance'. But at least they will have their pick of the remaining drivers.
Good time to some one invest in private teams like Munchi’s?
Wasn't there a rumor saying Ford will be back full time in 2022? I know it's not 2020, but didn't someone say that a while ago?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
So neuville and tanak vs ogier and evans.
For the drivers title i'll put my money on ogier, but for the constructors i'm not really sure. :p
Ogier is also in a new learning position...depends on how well the i20 will do on events it hasn`t performed for some reason.
Do you also assume he will split with EVEN Management?Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
I dont think that Toyota is more reliable next year. There are some very basic errors made in preventive maintenance that year- what lead to think there is something wrong in team management not with so much with the car.
i just dont see any other place for himQuote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
So far Mäkinen have been against team-orders, I wonder, what happens with those principles when Ogier lands in Toyota
Ogier and Evans would be a dream for Toyota and absolutely the best they could make of this situation. Just days ago Hyundai was looking unbeatable. Now it looks like there will be a real battle royale coming up next season. A loss of a manufacturer would be a major loss for the series however.
I think Lappi to Hyundai will be a possibility if Citroen leaves as well. He could cover the spots Sordo and Loeb leave open (Finland, Sweden, Turkey, GB) amazingly. I would certainly choose Lappi over Breen and Mikkelsen, particularly for these rallies. Next season will have less tarmac than ever and many new gravel events such as Japan, Kenya, NZ. I would even go as far to say that I would expect Lappi to produce better results than Sordo and Loeb in many rallies.
japan is tarmac
Oh, some things have changed then, but the point still stands. Lots and lots of gravel events, many of them fast and few tarmac events.Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
Lappi??Quote:
Originally Posted by ggg377
Japan.. Gravel?
You OK?
If Citroen leaves Lappi will be a free agent. Adamo has stated he's still in talks with Breen and Mikkelsen. As you know Breen was brought in this season to do rallies, which Sordo and Loeb flat out refused to do. With Tänak and Neuville manning cars #1 and #2 and Sordo and Loeb refusing to do fast gravel rallies, that still leaves a car #3 to be manned in some rallies, which is a problem that Adamo has acknowledged already. I'm sure Japan was a gravel rally last time I checked, but apparently that has changed indeed. My bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by wrc2017
It's funny if you rewind the clock 12 months ago, Citroen were on the back of a win in Spain with Loeb at the helm....and now 12 months later we are saying goodbye to them for the final time for the foreseeable future...
They designed a turd on wheels.
They lived in denial.
They have only themselves to blame.
Ogier won 3 rallies with it. Behind competition? Probably. A turd? Likely not.Quote:
Originally Posted by wrc2017
It's a turd.. with some glitter on it.
Are we really sure that Citroen is leaving?
To me, its looking that someone wake up in the morning put some own rumours in the article and then whole world just copy his words.
If Citroen leaves I am 100% sure their PR release will talk about focusing on hybrid/electric (WEC).
Wonder what the guys saying how FIA is ruining the "perfect" WRC with hybrid rules (that are still 2 years away) will say.
The "perfect" wrc will be down to 2 teams..
Wonder why Citroen went creating and testing all that new aero on the C3 if they werent sure they were staying ?
If it did work its a real shame we wont see it next year.
Why did VW build a new car?
Everything changes so fast...a few weeks/months ago, Renault was supposed to merge with FCA...and finally PSA is the 'winner'...I guess this decision was taken (IF it's real) during the last couple of days.
Maybe there could be an Abu Dhabi or Qatar PH Sport Citroen private team next year with some pay drivers in at least the third car?
Its not perfect but its much better than it was during 2003-2016. This has nothing to do with regulations but simply with the fact that Citroen does not have the cash to compete at Hyundai and Toyota's level.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Judging from the Autosport article the final say may have come from the CEO of Citroen. Budar was also confident they would continue.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
a) Regulations are there to try to limit costs (current cars are much more expensive than previous ones)Quote:
Originally Posted by Francis44
b) Regulations affect the marketing value of the series (current marketing value is not high enough for Ford to join properly and probably not high enough for Citroen to stay or put more money in)
Ford is laying off thousands of workers and closing factories. Really can`t see them doing anything bigger than they are at the moment.
Even if citroen do pull out I would be surprised if there wasnt a team running c3s next season, with cheap cars (comparatively) and wealthy drivers unemployed something will happen. Also think the biggest winner is m-sport, lots of proven drivers desperate for a seat! £££££
Cheap cars?! Cheaper to buy a championship-winning car or rent it with service...
Raikkonen-Bottas-Kovalainen?Quote:
Originally Posted by ggg377
Like I said, cheaper comparatively, I'm sure a deal could be struck to buy or rent the c3s
Not sure about cheap, but it is possible I would think.Quote:
Originally Posted by go mads
Hopefully Citroen would make it viable for some one with sufficient funds to do it.....
Now if only they had the money.Quote:
Originally Posted by go mads
i wonder whats Neuville thinking, he was vocal about Toyota being the fastest car, now one of his rivals came into his team but the other one is moving to Toyota :D