Please Mikko, something different this time!! (an open letter)

Competition level of IRC (now ERC) has been reasonably higher than that of WRC2 (SWRC) partly because of stupid rules of WRC2 where for example 2013 champion and vice-champion almost never competed against each other. They were of completely different driving level and still "battling" some strange indirect chess game.

IRC/ERC is a proven talent finding series. SWRC/WRC2 has so far failed in that point of view.

I'm another who rates Hanninen. He needs a proper full programme to show what be can do. Similar to what I've been saying about Meeke for years. These 'one off' events are of no use. Another driver who hasn't done a full WRC season in a WRCar.

I just jumped back to year 2006 and read the posts from the beginning of the archive. I noticed that I've been yapping this same scheise about Latvala from 2007 !!! I could have just copy and paste my previous post. :mark:

Back in the 80's and 90's, the good old days, team bosses catched new drivers from lower classes or British championship. Today is an exception because last years there have been none extra seats. Who can remember a driver roulette what we had before this season started?? I surely can't. If WRc promotion has failed misarable, WRC2 has been a total disaster which is a shame because promoted right, it could be a great formula. IMO the steps to WRC should be from ERC to WRC2, not other way around. The rules should be fair and logical and it should have media coverage. I was very glad to see that the coverage MotorsTV send, they have WRC2 coverage included. :up:

What comes to Lappi, he suffers from the teams strategy. I know by a fact he wishes to drive the World Championship Rallies, even in WRC 2, to get to know them for future. What is he driving now? ERC? A month a go or so he was driving in China some rally. WTF? Last year he should have driven WRC2 but the team chose otherwise. I agree RS that learning to drive s more important than learning to drive in rallyes, just ask Novokov :) But driving in WRC2 could have been a good practise too.

I think this subject needs an own thread don't you think or is there one already? This one is for praising Mikko.

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

What comes to Lappi, he suffers from the teams strategy. I know by a fact he wishes to drive the World Championship Rallies, even in WRC 2, to get to know them for future. What is he driving now? ERC? A month a go or so he was driving in China some rally. WTF? Last year he should have driven WRC2 but the team chose otherwise.

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Lappi still has a lot to prove. He probably shouldn't have been in APRC last year, I agree... but he didn't win that either.

Of course it is good to have some experience of WRC events, but again I think it is more important that he learns how to drive in a competitive championship. Look at Breen for example, he spent 2012 winning sWRC then he switched to ERC where it turned out he wasn't up to scratch yet, even though last year was weaker than the last few years of IRC.

I agree with Andy, you can't make too much of a judgement on Hanninen when he has done only two events in a modern World Rally Car. After IRC (which he never won) Neuville needed some time to acclimatise to WRC, but now he is probably the most exciting talent after Ogier, even if there is still some work to do...

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I think this subject needs an own thread don't you think or is there one already? This one is for praising Mikko.

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Hehe, I don't see much of that :laugh:

There is a silverlining, Mikko has not totally lost his speed. At this point his career is going downhill faster than ever ;)

I still it doesn't matter where you learn, as long as you learn to drive in different conditions, IMHO APRC was a good place to learn for Lappi. If you look at what for example Mäkinen did before he became a WRC regular, he did a lot of different events in Europe. As long as ypu learn to compete in dfferent roads and conditions, it will benefit you for the future. Patience with Lappi, he is still a very young driver. ERC now and then if he is good enough, more WRC events

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

There is a silverlining, Mikko has not totally lost his speed. At this point his career is going downhill faster than ever ;)

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+1

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Originally Posted by COD

I still it doesn't matter where you learn, as long as you learn to drive in different conditions, IMHO APRC was a good place to learn for Lappi. If you look at what for example Mäkinen did before he became a WRC regular, he did a lot of different events in Europe. As long as ypu learn to compete in dfferent roads and conditions, it will benefit you for the future. Patience with Lappi, he is still a very young driver. ERC now and then if he is good enough, more WRC events

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But some point he has to make a decision and propably take a risk. By that I mean leave a salaryseat and make an investment. That is something Hänninen did way too late. I personally won't believe there will be more manufacturers in WRC in the future. And the same guys fill the seats so unless Lappi is superior, he has to gamble. But like you said, he is still very young.

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

I personally won't believe there will be more manufacturers in WRC in the future. And the same guys fill the seats so unless Lappi is superior, he has to gamble. But like you said, he is still very young.

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Skoda can be a good route to VW in the future, if Latvala and Mikelssen don't keep their jobs in the longer term.

Let's see how he does in ERC this year, I believe Skoda will give him the necessary programme to get the job done. After that Fabia R5 is coming...

Skoda knows very well why they have sent Esapekka out of WRC2 to starts in APRC and some ERC events...