Concrete rumours :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Eli
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Concrete rumours :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Eli
I think that at least the real news is that the brand new motorsport facility is already operational (at least I believe it is).
Mikkelsen interview at raliforum.net
To fulfill his first season with Hyundai, Andreas Mikkelsen seeks in Portugal to re-enter the road of the title fight. Read below the small but rich interview that the Norwegian gave to the Rally Forum News and know their expectations and opinions.
Rally Forum News - With 5 tests performed as evaluations your time so far?
Andreas Mikkelsen - My season so far has a bit of a challenge, we are championship quarters, which is not a hand, however, we are a little far behind in terms of the score. To be honest I expected a bit more, but I think that in Monte Carlo we had a bit of bad luck having a technical problem. In Sweden it was not bad, we were in third but good was my home rally and hoped to fight for the victory. In Mexico, well in Mexico all of us pilots in Hyundai felt some difficulties but I think my performance was good. In Corsica I had immense difficulty as the behavior of the car on asphalt, very different from what I was used to, so it was a very difficult rally for us. Finally in Argentina I think it was a step in the right direction It started very well and we lead the rally until we have a hole. We struggled to regain time and positions and almost managed to get past Seb. For all this I feel that we are going in the right direction now.
Rally Forum News - First time in Portugal like Hyundai, do you think it will be a disadvantage for you or at this stage already know the car enough to be at the level of your opponents?
Andreas Mikkelsen - Right ... my teammates have been in the car for 5 or 6 years and of course it's not quite the same as being there 6 months ago, but I feel like I'm okay. We did a very good test before we went to Portugal and the car was really very good which made me very comfortable, alias as comfortable as I had not felt for a long time with the car. So I believe that we will be able to fight for the front places and really fight our opponents, especially our direct opponents, and I think this will be the most important in Portugal.
Rally Forum News - Taking into account your starting position and the current scenario of the Championship how will you approach the event? What are your expectations for the final result?
Andreas Mikkelsen - My position on the road is not fantastic, but at least it's better than my opponents for the title. My approach will be to walk as fast as possible, if I want to fight for the title I have to score more points than my opponents, so this means I have to do the best I can, print the strongest pace I can and try to win the rally. As I said if I want to fight for the championship I need points, many points. So walking fast is the approach and winning the rally is my goal.
Rally Forum News - With so many countries waiting to be able to put their rally in the WRC, how do you position Rally Portugal at this moment?
Andreas Mikkelsen - I think the Rally of Portugal is a fantastic rally. It is a rally with immense history, in the time of groups B is simply incredible. I think rallies are a very popular sport in Portugal and so I think it is definitely one of the rallies we should keep on the calendar. The images that are achieved with so many spectators are really spectacular, especially in the whole area of Fafe, I think it gives some beautiful images of our sport, so I think it is a good idea to keep this rally in the championship. It has a fantastic atmosphere, definitely one of my favorite rallies in the championship.
Rali Fórum Noticias - You want to leave a message to Portuguese fans ...
Andreas Mikkelsen - I feel that I have many followers in Portugal, who support me during approving. I've always had good times every time I went running or testing for Portugal. They are very passionate, there are always many people in the special and who show great interest. I look forward to returning to Portugal and trying to be fast, spectacular and the good show rum. I hope that many people will appear, it will be a good show and I hope to see a lot of people in the specials.
http://www.raliforum.net/wrc_wrc.php?not_id=204
You can now understand everything on my PLANETEMARCUS website with new service/evolution to translate in ur language entirely content - Scroll menu option include Chinese, English, Finnish, German, Italian, Japenese, Portuguese, Russian, Spannish ► http://bit.ly/1OpYMHk
have you considered changing the name of the website ? its one of the best rally websites out there but the name sucks...Quote:
Originally Posted by jbmarcus21
Many name of website include the word "rally" and finally we do not know any more who is who. planetemarcus is an original idea at the start in 2003 dedicated to Marcus Grönholm driver. Everything was created in this way with the news of the WRC which followed afterward... To change the name now would not be very logical and more things were so far made which will be made in the future ;) ... but we will see ...Quote:
Originally Posted by N.O.T
i did not mean to change it to something generic which would include wrc or rally... but planet marcus sounds like a fanboy website rather than a very informative one like yours.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbmarcus21
just a suggestion you are paying the bills so you could name it whatever you want.
;)Quote:
Originally Posted by N.O.T
Turkey Rally 2018 include 17 stages : full road program with timetable revealed today ► http://bit.ly/2GnE2BV
According to sportmotores.com (quoting autohebdosport, the spanish leading motor magazine) Rovanpera may replace Latvala at Toyota next year. http://sportmotores.com/portal/!site...20055&id=51628
Very interesting. But I thought Rovanperä had a two year deal with Skoda?
even Makinen is not that stupid.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rally Power
lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Rally Power
Deals can always be broken. The news sounds like a silly season start, but it can make some sense: aren’t all WRC teams interested in getting Rovanpera? MSport was, then Skoda, why can’t Toyota be the next one?Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
I dont think so. Kalle is overhyped, there are drivers with bigger potential (of course, Kalle has really good backing, which is also important).Quote:
Originally Posted by Rally Power
Tell me about these drivers with bigger potential? I think Kalle has proven his pace many times but no he is not going to be joining Toyota next year unless they really want to invest for the future.Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
beating some garbage dogs in latvia is not a proof of pace... he is getting beaten like a dog without an owner in wrc2 so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by Essaj
I guess it started as a fanboy indeed! Few years later it is one of the most respected website and everybody know Planetmarcus! Well done JB and keep the good work, always great to have your updates.Quote:
Originally Posted by N.O.T
There are drivers with bigger potential, only they can`t afford to be on this level. Even more drivers, who can go flatout and through miracles finish ahead of the rest, only to crash on the other one. It`s about experience. Toyota has those two Japanese, one of whom WON Sweden in front of factory- Škoda driven by a local guy, reigning champion. Although they also lack experience...and like history has showed us, when one has finally mastered WRC2, he could still be hopeless in WRC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Essaj
Firstly i would go for Tidemand, if anyone from WRC2.
-...- Of course there is If'ss and but's, heck who knows maybe I would be next Loeb if I had started rallying.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarmop
I asked about who Pluto consideres to have "bigger potential" than Kalle preferably from the drivers who actually drive in some level of rallying and not just one who was quick age 7 on a co-kart but couldn't compete because they ran out of money.
and for you Tarmop Katsuta aint currently one, he drove perfectly in Sweden but his speed hasn't been there in any other snow rally before that, maybe a fact that he was using Pirelli's instead of Michelins might have had something to do with it?
Lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rally Power
Having a famous daddy with all the contacts and unlimited money helps only up to a certain point. To get the factory teams interested, he will have to show a lot more than he has so far.
If he turns out to be impressive the next few years, he might get an occasional wrc drive and after that perhaps even a full contract. But thats not going to happen anyday soon.
Skoda is a factory team, he also drove tests for Toyota in 2016. But yeah rich daddy and his deep pockets :DQuote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
It is true that Rovanperä is "open card", no one knows final outcome.
But it´s also fact that he is fast, is there rally (outside his Italy tarmac rallies) where he hasn´t setted fastest SS times ? (in R5 class, not overall)
Latvala also had huge potential and started in WRC 17y old and is very fast, but probably never World Champion.
Kalle has only driven 0,5 years in WRC, so we have to wait. I think he will drive R5 next year and WRC2020, but possible private one.
True. That win in Australia doesn't count at all. How can you win if you don't have opponents. And nearly lost it that too. He is too young to get full drive and trust from that big team. This could only makes sense if Wilson hire him. Hyundai clearly didn't see his big potential..Quote:
Originally Posted by N.O.T
Sorry but You named one guy who is more than 10 years older than Rovanperä, another who is 8 years older than Rovanperä and who keeps crashing or being badly beaten virtually everywhere except one event and some unnamed miracle drivers. Don't You have something more convincing?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarmop
Like it was said, what impressive has Rovanperä showed so far...i mean something that should put him in the WRC, especially to replace quite a solid points-scorer.
He is young, he will learn, maybe he is another miracle, lets see how that Argentina crash affected him first...
well you cannot find anyone at the age of rovanpera with his budget and promotion... for example Ogier Gronholm and Loeb came in the sport later than the age of that asian kid and we see the results.... the fact that none other 17 year old is well known because of youtube videos does not mean they are non existent.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
No, You said this:Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarmop
What have these unnamed drivers shown? What makes them having more potential than Rovanperä? Sorry but You contradict Yourself.Quote:
There are drivers with bigger potential, only they can`t afford to be on this level. Even more drivers, who can go flatout and through miracles finish ahead of the rest, only to crash on the other one. It`s about experience.
where was Ogier when Latvalas daddy was pumping money on him to do events around the world when he was 17 ??? did you know of Ogier when he was 17 ? Of Loeb ? Of Grohnolm ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
You can find those unnamed drivers from your homeland for instance. I`m comparing his results compared to others in national events. He has been beaten fair and square by hobby-drivers in equal machinery, atleast one has been an Academy driver, almost won the title and then didn`t find the resources.
for sure Rovanpera has potential.
But at current phase he has a long road yet to wrc
Asphalt pace has to improove a lot.
I want to see him to be fast and win and in other rallies,except Finland like gravel/stages.
Argentina was his first ''real'' outing for me and his pace was good,even Tidemand wasnt at full attack due to team orders as he said.
He is infact doing a tarmac event in less than 2 weeks, he did so aswell last year with a piece of shit car also know as Peugeot 206 R5 in Italy.Quote:
Originally Posted by dimviii
And Tidemand's words him saying he wasn't in "full attack" - Do you really believe him? To me it sounded like a bad excuse.
this shit car was the champion car at Italy.From same team too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Essaj
to me it didnt sounded like a bad excuse.Quote:
Originally Posted by Essaj
Tidemand said that officially at day 2 last stage.
At 3rd day they started with the gap at 23,2 sec for Rovanpera.After 1st stage Tidemand took 13,3 sec at 16,4 km ,and the gap went to 9,9 sec with 2 more stages and 39 stage km to the end.
At next stage Rovanpera crashed...
So they have shown nothing close to Rovanperä.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarmop
Sorry but this talking about someone somewhere having more potential is bollocks. Simply the guys come and show something like Rovanperä did (I have never claimed he is the best driver around) or there is no point talking that someone like that exists somewhere. For sure there is a few guys around who can be superfast and they will never get the chance to prove that. Hell I'm sure there is a guy on this earth who could be faster than Loeb and Ogier combined but maybe he doesn't even have a driving licence. So what? How is that even a topic? It's very clear that 99% of those guys will never make it anywhere.
Well Andreucci is one of the only drivers to make T16 to work for them. Many others have struggled and been no where with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by dimviii
You can believe what you want but Argentina is now 3rd rally Kalle and Pontus have driven against each other.Quote:
Originally Posted by dimviii
In the first one, Kalle was debuting with R5 and only Kalle's puncture saved Pontus there. in Mexico Kalle was unlucky at the start with the rock in the compression but they were driving equal pace for the rest of the rally, okay propably both with a safe pace.
Argentina you can make what you want but IMO they were both pushing but Kalle's mistake ruined the fight but like lets say Latvala wouldnt have done, he admitted that it was purely his own mistake (which to me is a good sign)
Pontus is in stage of his career in which he needs to prove his dominance in WRC2 to have a any change to step up to WRC. Losing to Katsuta in Sweden (Pirelli vs Michelin, I know) and struggling against unexperienced 17yo teammate aint what he needs and quickly drops him out of the possible WRC seat.
Currently it seems that if Skoda gives a change for Kopecky to take the title he is the #1 contender for it.
This is all in the hands of the team. If they send Tidemand to all asphalt events against Kopecký he may not win the title but if they send him to distant gravel events he will win the title easily and Kopecký could not do anything about it. In fact in most of the scenarios Tidemand has better chances even if they give Kopecký enough events. He is not in such a situation like in 2015 when he would likely win the title easily if he was given the chance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Essaj
But that is the exact thing you are doing. The best available equipment in every class, behind the wheel since could walk, some RB commercials and we have something the world hasn`t seen, miracle...dare to claim otherwise. Yes, i do give him that he has some good results in lower levels, great pace, not always realized until the end With big money you can do everything, again many examples and unnamed drivers...hopefully easy for everyone to name them...Especially painful topic in top level rallying.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
All in all, the point is, that after a few WRC2 starts people already want to replace Latvala with him, in a team, with a mission to get the manu. title.
he was at SAME team that have made this shit car worked.Quote:
Originally Posted by Essaj
Andreucci wasnt the only one faster from Rovanpera.Plenty Itallians too.At gravel too.
of course you can believe that Rovanperas crash hasnt to do that at stage 1 Tidemand took 13 sec from 23 he had builded at 2 days,and was just an unlucky moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Essaj
You want to replace him with someone about whom nobody ever heard. How is that a better idea? Of course Rovanperä is not yet ready for WRC car but talking about some unnamed guys from the street having better potential than him is laughable. Those guys from the street have way more to prove than Rovanperä.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarmop
Kalle is in Skoda mainly because of money...Quote:
Originally Posted by Essaj