2023 WRC News & Rumours

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Originally Posted by seb_sh

Sadly indeed, at the moment it looks like we will have fewer cars than last year, but depends how many customers MSport gets.

If we are doing a bit of analysis of the teams I would say Toyota looks good they lose Lappi but Ogier is doing more rounds than last year and Evans looked finally better in Japan. On the other hand Hyundai ticked some interesting boxes:
- knowledge of both Yaris and Puma
- two drivers good on tarmac and slow gravel
- two drivers good on fast gravel
- only Neuville is clear title favourite

Of course losing Tanak is a big blow but the lineup has some logic. For the manufacturers title it's similar to how they won in 2019, for the drivers title they are going all in on Neuville but if he gets a good year he can be in the fight.

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Neuville in champ.fight no way.

Personally I don’t see a competition for Toyota.

I’m afraid Breen and Lappi will struggle quite a lot with the Hyundai

Sadly, if Tänak retires, Rovanpera will probably run over everyone next season. Maybe if Evans can get the season started strong he will find the motivation, but if not, mentaly it will affect him too much if Rovanpera will dominate him from the very start.
Only contender i see is Tänak if by some miracle he goes to Ford and they can fix the reliabilty, because we know the speed is there, despite what everyone here keeps saying. If 48 year old Loeb can show top times then Tänak in his prime can do the same. But it stays a BIG IF in my opinion since my gut says it will be a no Tänak season...

Neuville i dont think will get close to Rovanpera mainly because of his lack of pace on fast gravel and snow, that will already give a huge edge to Rovanpera atleast on 3 rallies.

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Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC

Dirtfish podcast moots that Katsuta will be given 2023 full season in the official TGR Team (3rd car') and be nominated points scorer in events Ogier doesnt do.

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Dirtfish were spot-on.

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Originally Posted by EstWRC

After all these announcements yesterday and today, for some reason I have a feeling that he will be at home

I have no sources and etc. just my pure feeling

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He talked of a new challenge so that points to continuing in some way rather than retiring. Although it could be more time running Red Grey.

https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2022/wrc...Z5POQ9Oo9DAfN8


“It is now clear that our line-up is what we will go with for the season,” said Latvala, referencing Friday morning’s announcement. “But, of course we have been considering that - on [seven] events where we have a fourth car available - we would consider a renting option."

So Katsuta will have 7 events in the main team.

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Originally Posted by spyros

Neuville in champ.fight no way.

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If he has a mathematical chance in the last couple of rounds i would call that in the fight. Didn't say he has a good chance to win. Depends how it goes, if Rovanpera repeats this year then no one is in the fight. If it's something like 2018 I can see him there. He won 2, almost 3 rallies this year and has repeatedly challenged for the title in the past. If you say no way to him you have to say no way to almost all drivers. Maybe you are a fan of someone and you are biased but otherwise it's a bit foolish to write Neuville off in a team built around himself in a car built around himself.

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Originally Posted by meh

My takeaways so far.

So far, the sad one - If previously Toyota was always with 4 cars and Hyundai sometimes with 4 cars, then we kind of lost 2 cars - now both are with 3 cars.

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We never had four Hyundai Rally1s in one rally. M-Sport varied from two to five.

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Originally Posted by AnttiL

We never had four Hyundai Rally1s in one rally. M-Sport varied from two to five.

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And even it Toyota’s case, still in half(?) of the events they’ll be running 4 cars just instead of having Lappi as a 4/5th driver they have Katsuta sharing that seat with Ogier.

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Originally Posted by AnttiL

We never had four Hyundai Rally1s in one rally. M-Sport varied from two to five.

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I mixed seasons in my head I guess, last season there was Loubet as extra car.