[WRC] News & rumours (part III)

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Originally Posted by AndyRAC

I too was in Hafren, but I thought it was to do with the ridiculous tyre regs that the stages were cancelled. The tyres were picked months beforehand - and couldn't be changed; plus there was the 'safety issues'.

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Yes tyres were the reason. But has anything changed to prevent the same thing happening again?

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Originally Posted by Grundo Farb

If it flopped people wouldn't go back, sounds good to me.

The inaccuracies don't actually make any difference to the article, there was a rally in NZ for 38 years, who cares what it was called?

And the year about arrangement was dumb. Trying to retain sponsors and a management organisation for every second year was a stupid idea that any normal person would re-negotiate - which they did. And who isn't to say the year about arrangement would have been honoured by the Australians?

My point (which you have missed) is they are making it into a "show" rather than a Motorsport event. Formula one here we come which I think isn't what the fans want and why they walk for 2 hours to find the best spot to watch in the middle of a field

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The inaccuracies, of which there are several, actually do make a difference to the validity of the article ... which is clearly written with some bias.

The question which the article asks, and then attempts to answer is "what can Australia give us that NZ can't?". The correct answer to that question is - confidence and capability.

Whatever you may think of the year about arrangement, Australia is in the box seat today because it delivered on it's commitments at a time when NZ declared it was incapable of doing so.
In order for NZ to regain a position on the calendar it would need to be able to demonstrate a capacity, venue and resources, to stage multiple events over a committed number of years. Whether it can is yet to be seen.

The real point, which you appear to miss, is that the FIA and promoter's position is completely understandable. In a world in which you are only as good as your last game, NZ's was a 'no show'.

As an aside, Hyundai will surely have a car next year better than current. Thus, Citroen and M-Sport will find it harder to get podiums IMHO. Maybe a driver shuffle up is a good thing?

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

My Highlights of 2014 2015 Hayden Paddon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9mdk9m9Jf4

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Originally Posted by jbmarcus21

My Highlights of 2014 2015 Hayden Paddon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9mdk9m9Jf4

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Good stuff JB!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...medium=twitter

But Capito dismissed the latest wave of rumours that it would be cutting down from three to two Polo R WRCs next season.
"If I had to save money, I would save it somewhere else other than on the third car," said Capito.
"For me, the third car is vital to win the championship and we have contracts with three drivers.
"You can never know what happens the next day, but there is no absolutely no indication that we have to do anything that is reducing our competitiveness."

While VW is unlikely to reduce its team to three cars, the chances of current Skoda driver Esapekka Lappi being installed in a fourth Polo next year also look to have waned.
"There is no chance of any more drivers or cars for us next year, but I think Lappi is ready for a world rally car no matter what that is," said Capito.
"We are following his progress closely and he is definitely one of the next drivers we would take."
He added that Volkswagen would not be running any semi-works cars or selling Polos to private teams in the future.
"We are a factory team," he said. "We are here to win."

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Originally Posted by makinen_fan

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...medium=twitter

But Capito dismissed the latest wave of rumours that it would be cutting down from three to two Polo R WRCs next season.
"If I had to save money, I would save it somewhere else other than on the third car," said Capito.
"For me, the third car is vital to win the championship and we have contracts with three drivers.
"You can never know what happens the next day, but there is no absolutely no indication that we have to do anything that is reducing our competitiveness."

While VW is unlikely to reduce its team to three cars, the chances of current Skoda driver Esapekka Lappi being installed in a fourth Polo next year also look to have waned.
"There is no chance of any more drivers or cars for us next year, but I think Lappi is ready for a world rally car no matter what that is," said Capito.
"We are following his progress closely and he is definitely one of the next drivers we would take."
He added that Volkswagen would not be running any semi-works cars or selling Polos to private teams in the future.
"We are a factory team," he said. "We are here to win."

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So this means definitely no four VW cars next year as it was planned. For me title of this article is bad, better should be: Volkswagen is dropping fourth WRC car amid emissions scandal

One more season in WRC2 won´t kill Lappi :-)

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Originally Posted by PLuto

So this means definitely no four VW cars next year as it was planned. For me title of this article is bad, better should be: Volkswagen is dropping fourth WRC car amid emissions scandal

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Did they plan that then? For Lappi full time?

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Originally Posted by makinen_fan

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...medium=twitter

But Capito dismissed the latest wave of rumours that it would be cutting down from three to two Polo R WRCs next season.
"If I had to save money, I would save it somewhere else other than on the third car," said Capito.
"For me, the third car is vital to win the championship and we have contracts with three drivers.
"You can never know what happens the next day, but there is no absolutely no indication that we have to do anything that is reducing our competitiveness."

While VW is unlikely to reduce its team to three cars, the chances of current Skoda driver Esapekka Lappi being installed in a fourth Polo next year also look to have waned.
"There is no chance of any more drivers or cars for us next year, but I think Lappi is ready for a world rally car no matter what that is," said Capito.
"We are following his progress closely and he is definitely one of the next drivers we would take."
He added that Volkswagen would not be running any semi-works cars or selling Polos to private teams in the future.
"We are a factory team," he said. "We are here to win."

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No Polo for a private team, that's a shame... it's like with the Touareg at Dakar Rally ! :rolleyes: