[WRC] News & rumours (part III)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pantealex

MotorsportMonday´s Prokop story says that new 2015 WRC-cars are only WRC use
There will NOT be RRC-version of those new ones.

---

could be a problem for teams that aim to make some spot race in wrc and erc using one car...

Hyundai confirmed that D.Sordo will remain with the team for 2015 and 2016.

Dani Sordo confirmed to be the second driver for Hyundai in 2015 and 2016! Hyundai Motorsport ‏@HyundaiWRC Exciting news! We’re happy to announce @DaniSordo as one of the #HyundaiWRC drivers for 2015 and 2016!
I'm a little bit dissapointed as I really hope to see Juho in the second car.

A little bit surprised to be honest, i thought it would be Paddon.

Maybe Paddon, Tanak etz didn´t have cv enough? Just my thought even if I´d love to see HP in a third car.

Well, i think they will keep Hanninen aswell for specialist rally's like Sweden, Poland and Finland and offcorse to develop the new car. For sure there will be a third car and Paddon is one pole-position for that seat. Only the news will come a bit later. There's no rush for bringing on that news i suppose. Maybe all the details are not fixed.
Anyway, think they will go even further with a fourth car on some events, wouldn't suprise me..
What suprises me is a full-season ahead for Sordo in 2016. He's very quick on tarmac, one of the best but on the loose gravel/snow he had his chances but looking back there was not one rally he was impressive. That was the reason Citroën thanked him after 2013, he had showing nothing special and not a guy for the future. So in his negotiation with Hyundai Sordo had done a very good job but i only believe we will see him shining on tarmac.

Think Paddon will get the third car, with Hänninen as mentioned at Sweden, Poland, Finnland, and maybe Bouffier at Monte.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116608

Colin Clark's point of view on Robert Kubica - interview for sport.pl

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Colin Clark

Of course, you can be disappointed a little bit, but we should remember, that Robert has a lot to overcome. It is his first season in WRC-class car, so don't forget, that fastest cars in the world are driven here. Kubica competes with a problem, we had never seen before. Generally speaking - you have a driver on a highest level, who tries to win a rally having huge confinement. If we look from this point of view, what he did so far is incredible. Robert fights drivers, who are 100% healthful and we see results of it. What he did so far is a big achievement.

Last time, in Spain, on a gravel section, his car has slipped from the road and it was hard for him to get it back on the way. All of it happened, because he's driving with one hand only. In such situations time of reaction is most important, and how fast can you get back on the road. The way he is driving can't allow him to do it. I am not sure if we should call it "errors" - error happens when you do something wrong. He just can't react fast enough to get back on the route. If he'll can overcome this in future, he'll be a real threat for his rivals.

I am very impressed with his diligence. Robert studies onboards and other videos at nights, works very hard with the team, for he could do his best on every rally. I say, he still thinks, that WRC is a big challenge for him and still can achieve a lot here.

I think, we should not expect wins in the next season. It is really hard challenge. Remember we're talking about WRC - we have many fantastic drivers here, best cars and teams. Everyone wants to beat Volkswagen, but at this moment it is hard task. If Robert will handle one or two problems, that disturbs him, a podium will come next year. If you finish on a podium, there's always a chance for win. I think, in next two or three years, he'll be fighting for victories.

In my opinion Robert can have a problem with getting a factory seat, it looks like most of them are occupied. But I don't have any doubts about him staying in WRC.

---

Source (in Polish)

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=31134

Some more detail on the Prodrive Golf. Confirms what I think someone suggested here that it is for the Chinese Rally Championship

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jd_89

Colin Clark's point of view on Robert Kubica - interview for sport.pl



Source (in Polish)

---

None of us can drive like Kubica with two hands! He's doing very well in my opinion.

I hope kubica stays in wrc

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Doon

None of us can drive like Kubica with two hands! He's doing very well in my opinion.

---

This is the WRC.. it is not for us... it is for people who can deliver spectacular driving who Kubica does very well but his crashes shows he cannot control his limits on a proper motorsport.

This is something I don't understand. In 2008 in F1 Kubica was mega consistent and didn't throw away results, now in WRC he's constantly off the road.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruce D

This is something I don't understand. In 2008 in F1 Kubica was mega consistent and didn't throw away results, now in WRC he's constantly off the road.

---

WRC doesn't go in circles

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruce D

This is something I don't understand. In 2008 in F1 Kubica was mega consistent and didn't throw away results, now in WRC he's constantly off the road.

---

In F1 you have a 5 km track, which you know like the back of your hand. Also there is huge safety margin on most circuits.
WRC on another hand, you have 300-400 km of special stages which are driven 2 times before the rally. Go figure.

There’s no doubting his ability, you don’t get to F1 without having it – Alonso & Hamilton both ‘feared’ him. But he can’t drive consistently on a WRC event without chucking it off the road. I think it’s making & listening to pace-notes – the ‘classic’ racing driver problem who tries Rallying. He also seems to still be in ‘racing driver’ mode – braking late into corners, and leaving himself no margin if conditions are slippy, or have changed since the recce.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruce D

This is something I don't understand. In 2008 in F1 Kubica was mega consistent and didn't throw away results, now in WRC he's constantly off the road.

---

So... You don't understand that somebody who was great in one thing 6 (!) years ago isn't so great in something completely different now?

In the recent Polish interview that someone posted here, Robert admitted that he is still a racing driver and it shows from his inability to rely 100% on pacenotes. He is definitely quick given his short experience, but whether he can really improve on his consistency is another thing. I dont mind him being in the sport as long as he pays for it and doesn't take a seat from more promising drivers

Personally, I definitely hope he stays, but I feel he would probably benefit from some consistency; he's never had the same set of circumstances as the previous year. Same co-driver, rallies and, crucially, car, might be invaluable in learning how to be consistent in an actual event.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jack4688`

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=31134

Some more detail on the Prodrive Golf. Confirms what I think someone suggested here that it is for the Chinese Rally Championship

---

There has been a VW Golf in the Chinese Rally Championship for at least the last two years.

I said this. I also said that Atkinson was the one driving the car. No one believed me.

HELLO.

Ogier not happy, understandably but would make things a lot more interesting:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116624

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by noel157

Ogier not happy, understandably but would make things a lot more interesting:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116624

---

Qualifying would be the most fair solution, but what we will get now is still better than letting the slowest drivers sweep.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1

There has been a VW Golf in the Chinese Rally Championship for at least the last two years.

I said this. I also said that Atkinson was the one driving the car. No one believed me.

HELLO.

---

That usually happens when 99% of your other posts are lies...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by noel157

Ogier not happy, understandably but would make things a lot more interesting:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116624

---

I think it's just unfair. Artificial excitement is not the right solution. The best driver should always win, but now you'll have the championship leader practically unable to win a gravel round.

Just look at the common rally: 300km in total, with 120km on Friday, 120km on Saturday and 60km on Sunday. So the best driver has the worst road position for 240km out of 300km.

That's a bad idea. Not as much as it was the 10% last stage proposal, but bad none the less!

How can this be bad idea?! They should put weight bar in every car that won in last three rallies. Or maybe every rally must be won by VW driver?!

So, you just want the best driver/car to be penalized for being better than the rest? That's a competition and the best should win, not the mediocre one.

Yes it's unfair. But it's boring that in whole season only one rally has been won by other manufacturer then VW. Also don't want to see VW team boss so happy, horrible guy. :D

It's better than giving the championship leader a head start at the beginning of each rally. Someone has to start the field off on each rally so why give the championship leader the best position? He's already got more points than the rest...

Ogier can complain all he likes.

The FIA have snuck it through in a FAx Vote of the World Motor Sport Council rather than wait until next meeting. Clever.

http://www.fia.com/news/fia-world-rally-championship-0

My solution: all WRC2 first, then WRC with order decided after qualifying like last year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smsgrafica

My solution: all WRC2 first, then WRC with order decided after qualifying like last year.

---

Won't happen, too much chance of having stages being cancelled for WRC-crews. ;) For gravel rallies I liked the system with QS and reversed order, wondering why it has to be changed...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tommeke_B

Won't happen, too much chance of having stages being cancelled for WRC-crews. ;)

---

How many stages were cancelled because of WRC2? I don't think it would be such a big problem...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tommeke_B

For gravel rallies I liked the system with QS and reversed order, wondering why it has to be changed...

---

Ogier won too easily, that's the reason they changed it.

Yeah, qualifying stage was great, such a pity it got canned in the ongoing quest for taking away any incentive for development.

Still, it's much better than the shootout, but that makes me wonder if they were pulling an Ecclestone/Moseley stunt of suggesting something ridiculous in order to make the thing they actually want seem like a 'compromise' instead of the unsporting decision it actually is.

Also seems a bit daft that 3 of the last 5 events are tarmac-based, so the disadvantage of running first is minimised, if not reversed.

QS could have been televised, just like in Formula 1.

If they want to make it more appealing for the TV, the rally should be divided on 3 days:

Day 1 (Friday): Qualifying, starting with Championship order, with top 5 getting 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point

Day 2 (Saturday): Part 1 of the rally, with 150km on 2 SS each run twice (SS1 and SS4 live on TV) and daily winner

Day 3 (Sunday): Part 2 of the rally, with 150km on 2 SS each run twice (SS1 and SS4 live on TV) and daily winner (reversed order starting list, taken from Day 1 results)

Overall winner is the driver who has better combined time.

Full points for every classification, so you can get max 80 points per event.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smsgrafica

My solution: all WRC2 first, then WRC with order decided after qualifying like last year.

---

And penalize the feeder series guys? It would be fairer if the championship order is used on leg 1 and for the rest of the legs rally overall standings would serve as the basis for starting order.

In rallying you can't give everyone the same conditions, not on gravel nor tarmac.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smsgrafica

QS could have been televised, just like in Formula 1.

If they want to make it more appealing for the TV, the rally should be divided on 3 days:

Day 1 (Friday): Qualifying, starting with Championship order, with top 5 getting 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point

Day 2 (Saturday): Part 1 of the rally, with 150km on 2 SS each run twice (SS1 and SS4 live on TV) and daily winner

Day 3 (Sunday): Part 2 of the rally, with 150km on 2 SS each run twice (SS1 and SS4 live on TV) and daily winner (reversed order starting list, taken from Day 1 results)

Overall winner is the driver who has better combined time.

Full points for every classification, so you can get max 80 points per event.

---

Scrap that idea. That's three sprint events and the point system will be a nightmare for the random observer.

A gimmick - nearly all Motorsport series have them; not that it makes it right. The organisers/ promoters arent confident enough in their product to let the best driver keep winning - meaning people lose interest. This is a World Series, not the local club/ national series; really, it has no place in the WRC. Another example of 'dumbing down'.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smsgrafica

How many stages were cancelled because of WRC2? I don't think it would be such a big problem...

---

The first I can think of is the 60km long stage in Sardinia, cancelled after the crash of Al-Rahji. Also letting WRC2 cars start first could cause huge traffic problems, as all spectators would leave the stage at the very same moment (after last WRC car) to go to the next stage, while they now stay for at least some WRC2-drivers. This issue could be bigger than you may think, especially for events like Finland and Germany, with lots of spectators.

Qualifying for WRC2/3 too? So same boat as ERC for those guys?

In this hypothetical situation that's never going to happen, I mean.

We're more likely to see WRC become a 1 hour cone slalom before the current promoters would bring back qualifying.