How do you see the future of rally?

I see the future of rally as being in India, because manufacturer teams want events that are worth their money, especially the flyaway events. With over a billion people in India, the popularity of motorsport in the country, and the emerging middle class economy, I think an event in India fits the profile of what the manufacturers want. This will encourage more manufacturers and sponsors to stay in the sport. Similarly, I think it has the potential to be very popular with fans and drivers, so to my mind, an event in India makes more sense than the proposed rallies in Brazil and South Africa. In fact, I see the potential for an event so varied and extreme that it could become an instant hit for all involved.

There are some bold dreamers here... I like it. I also agree that applying all of the nice suggestions right now is complete nonsense and nobody would agree to do that.

But in the long term, that doesn't seem so impossible. This year we already see some start of some changes in the rallies. Monte, Mexico, Portugal, Argentina were made endurance events and that definitely brought some charm. 5 days Monte was challenging for the drivers and teams 'cause of the various conditions each they. In Portugal there was actually a night stage in which we saw some surprise - The King made mistake, which happens as often as rain the desert. So I vote up for more variety. If continues this way, WRC will definitely attract more interest.

I also like the suggestion for more technical exposure, I don't know how achievable is this though as some developments of the cars remains secret for some time.

More events is also nice, but that is impossible at the moment, as this is the most expensive part, but grouping nearby Rallies ano after another in short period of time will make the logistics cost less. Events we never saw before, that would be really nice too, especially with unique surfaces which no other event has. I don't see why not as some of these countries are huge markets and will be appealing for manufacturers.

I don't know about Rally 2 though. With so few top level teams removing it will make the events much less appealing and teams will throw their money for nothing. But there is something here might be added - points for stage victories.

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Originally Posted by stefanvv

I don't know about Rally 2 though. With so few top level teams removing it will make the events much less appealing and teams will throw their money for nothing. But there is something here might be added - points for stage victories.

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And/Or do what ERC does and award extra points for each leg.

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Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys

1) Encourage the participation of more manufacturers by introducing a new championship: the World Championship for Manufacturers. All drivers who are elegible to score points will score them for their manufacturer, regardless of which team they are driving for (so Latvala and Tanak would both score points for Ford). The current World Championship for Manufacturers, where drivers score points for each team, would be renamed the World Championship for Teams.

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In top 10, 3 citroen and 7 Ford, that would be unfair. Two best only.

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Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys

2) Expand the calendar to twenty-four rallies, with sixteen events in a season.

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16 rallies are too much for the manufacturers and even for drivers. 12 – 14 would be ideal. I listened an interview of Carlos Sainz (iRally | The free independent Rally App for the iPhone, iPad and Android, no sound anymore) and he said when the calendar was expanded it was enough for him. Also Marcus has said that he was fed up (not only with the Peugeot 307) being on the road all the time. Most of them have a family and children and want to spend more time with the children.

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Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys

3) Encourage rallies to adopt a longer format - up to 600km, if not longer. Also explore the possibility of different formats: sprint (two days, 200km), standard (three days, 400km) and endurance (four-five days, 600km).

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As somebody already told, for a rally with 600 km of stages, two days of recce is not enough.

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Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys

4) Introduce a new rule: 30% of a rally (roughly one day) should be run on stages that have never been used by that rally before (alternatively, run on stages that have not been used in the past five years).

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I recall that this rule is already in use. I’m not sure if it is and if it is, I don’t know how much of the stages have to be unused.

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Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys

5) Stages should not be used more than once in a rally. If they are to be re-used, then they should be run in reverse on the second pass through. This should be still be kept to a minimum, though.

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Even in a rally addicted country as Finland there was some problems to get enough of marshals for some stages of NORF few year back. Most of the marshals are volunteers, the only salary they get is free rally sausage and the verbal feedback from some spectators.

Drivers should choose 10 favorite events before every season (just like in 90's).

"How do you see the future of rally?"

Bleak

It is dying and will die a slow and unassuming death drowned in the sound(?) of electric motors/fuel cells in a sterilised safety concious environment.

Not a criticism, just sign of the times.

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Originally Posted by OldF

Even in a rally addicted country as Finland there was some problems to get enough of marshals for some stages of NORF few year back. Most of the marshals are volunteers, the only salary they get is free rally sausage and the verbal feedback from some spectators.

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Is that payment or punishment?

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Originally Posted by janvanvurpa

Is that payment or punishment?

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If you like meat, then it's a punishment.

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Originally Posted by Barreis

Drivers should choose 10 favorite events before every season (just like in 90's).

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A bit like PWRC? Not a bad idea, but there are pros and cons. If you were portugese(I'm just using this as an example, I dont know your nationality) and Citroen decided against Portugal in favour of Germany( for example...) would you still be as willing to attend Portugal? It would mean it would be an almost certain win for Ford, and with no fighting up front apart from within team mates.

On the up side, it would be attractive to smaller teams like M sport and Prodrive and new manufacturers, because they could opt to skip Australia and Mexico, and the long haul expensive events. And new manufacturers and teams is exactly what we need right now!

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Originally Posted by stoukerman

"How do you see the future of rally?"

Bleak

It is dying and will die a slow and unassuming death drowned in the sound(?) of electric motors/fuel cells in a sterilised safety concious environment.

Not a criticism, just sign of the times.

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Please, lets hope not. If this does happen we can say we have lived in the glory days of MotorSport and not Electric Motor Sport ;)

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Originally Posted by OldF

In top 10, 3 citroen and 7 Ford, that would be unfair. Two best only.

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The idea is to encourage manufacturers to make their cars available to privateer teams. Right now, there are, as you say, three Citroens and seven Fords in the top ten. But if all cars score points on behalf of their manufacturer, it would be in Citroen's interests to support privateer teams so that they can score more points.

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Originally Posted by OldF

Even in a rally addicted country as Finland there was some problems to get enough of marshals for some stages of NORF few year back. Most of the marshals are volunteers, the only salary they get is free rally sausage and the verbal feedback from some spectators.

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It wouldn't be that difficult to reverse a stage - all you'd have to do is swap the split timing and signage around.