[WRC] News & rumours (part III)

For sure if Malcolm wants results he needs money to pay for good and experienced driver. Let's say Evans is on the way out. Who is available on the market to jump in and fight for podiums? For now only Meeke and Ostberg haven't got any contracts for 2016, maybe Sordo as well. I would count Kubica. Someone mentioned Lappi, Tidemand and Breen before, but aren't they similar cases as Evans and Tanak? They need at least 2 years to gain events experience before fighting for results. On the other hand we have experienced drivers but I doubt Wilson will take under consideration Atkinson, Hanninen or Bouffier .

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121549 Marcus Gronholm tested the Polo R WRC 2017 last week on Tarmac.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC

Tanak sounds concerned for his 2016 seat... http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/octob...1--12-12-.html

---

yeah i just read it, doesnt sound good at all :( ...He has the speed to take it to the VW's but he just needs the experience but how can you get it if you are sacked and then taken back again and you start from scratch again?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by b3637853

For sure if Malcolm wants results he needs money to pay for good and experienced driver. Let's say Evans is on the way out. Who is available on the market to jump in and fight for podiums? For now only Meeke and Ostberg haven't got any contracts for 2016, maybe Sordo as well. I would count Kubica. Someone mentioned Lappi, Tidemand and Breen before, but aren't they similar cases as Evans and Tanak? They need at least 2 years to gain events experience before fighting for results. On the other hand we have experienced drivers but I doubt Wilson will take under consideration Atkinson, Hanninen or Bouffier .

---

Neuville. Potential for someone to come on the market...

Tidemand is more consistent than Lappi... dunno if he'll be another Østberg and be consistent but hit a peak somewhere. I hope not! I have little faith in Lappi, too inconsistent and crashes way too often. Breen has hit his roof, I am sure. Quentin Gilbert is probably too inexperienced to join now but he is looking good speed wise (maybe needs more gravel experience though).

Bergkvist is also too inexperienced to do anything in 4wd car next season. Sure he is showing good pace in Valais but I doubt he'd do any top level manuf. driving before 2017 or -18.

Kubica is for me a serious option for a manufacturer in 2016. He is still growing and getting better. Just a bit heavy on the car rebuild budget maybe but hopefully that is changing (and he is crashing less these days).

A good driver with lots of experience with wrc and 4wd is Eyvind Brynhildsen.
Just a couple og outings in a wrc-car, but plenty in a fiesta rrc and evo9. 48 starts in wrc2 i think.
He was remarkable faster than Anders grøndal and frank Tore Larsen in this years National championship in Norway.

He will to a wrc2 campain next season in an R5.

He will do Wales in an fabia R5, so there we can see his standard.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by itix

Kubica is for me a serious option for a manufacturer in 2016. He is still growing and getting better. Just a bit heavy on the car rebuild budget maybe but hopefully that is changing (and he is crashing less these days).

---

Kubica has scored 8 points this season.
That is less than or on par with Khalid Al Qassimi, Juho Hanninen (who has had one rally) and Yuriy Protasov.
And you expect a team manager to rationally believe that Kubica is deserving of a Manufacturer seat.

Just sit down and think about it.
I'm not saying Kubica is slow, i'm just saying think about it.

The last two rallies he has mostly been unlucky! I agree with you that points wise it doesn't look and I understand that a boss with fact sheets in his hands wouldn't sign kubica but if you look at what he has actually done, disregarding the middle of the season where he was also slow.

He has won stages on snow, tarmac, gravel, mixed condition etc etc this year. If you go by stage victories he has probably beaten a lot of the WRC field this year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eli

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121549 Marcus Gronholm tested the Polo R WRC 2017 last week on Tarmac.

---

"Big wing" ? Was it really a new one ? I can't see the difference with the wing they used today, anyone knows what is the new size for 2017 vs actual size ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by itix

The last two rallies he has mostly been unlucky! I agree with you that points wise it doesn't look and I understand that a boss with fact sheets in his hands wouldn't sign kubica but if you look at what he has actually done, disregarding the middle of the season where he was also slow.
.

---

He has been unlucky for several years...