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Ford will get more publicity from their sponsoring of the Champions League than winning the WRC. Simple....
Manufacturers are in it to sell more cars, anything that helps them achieve that is deemed worthwhile. I haven't seen a Ford WRC advert for years.
I want nothing more than a strong, competitive WRC with more Manufacturers, drivers, coverage, etc..but it's a long way from being there.
If I was the Motorsport boss of a car company, I wouldn't be looking at the WRC at the moment.
Reasoned answers as always Mr Dunnell. I would imagine that Prodrive expected something more in the way of sponsors, whether they expected too much is a different matter. I don't think it would be unreasonable for them to have believed that they could snare a largish main sponsor, not to the scale of Red Bull but still a main sponsor. At a guess I would say that they were aware that they could build a quick car, and therefore would expect sponsors to latch on (I know that I expected it to happen). Without knowing the budget that they set, or the charges they levied at potential sponsors, it's difficult to say either way.
It's true that there isn't a lot of mainstream stuff about the WRC, but then I can't remember seeing a lot of Subaru adverts when they were winning everything, so I'm not sure if that's a recent thing or the way it's been since the early 90s. What I do know is that MINI, Michelin and Citroen regularly ran newspaper adverts boasting of success in the WRC last season.
+1 I agree. About some sponsors there were some pretty wild rumors on here awhile ago about what kind of company Prodrive was trying to attract. Can anyone remember how long the Countryman Chassis has for homologation? Something like until 2018? Are we to assume that someone will be using these cars for something for awhile yet?
So BMW in their efforts to do serious research are being overtalked by a lobby to get into PD´s Mini project? And from the lobby´s word take decisions? That wouldn´t have been a serious evaluation.
Back to the 70´s means for example what happend just after - Audi started rallying with 4wd. Before they were nothing, I repeat nothing. Without rallying Audi would probably still be nothing...
But that is completely different, what Audi did was revolutionary. They changed automotive culture altogether. The Mini WRC is a completely different kettle of fish.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rallyper
Also back in the stone age of the seventies marketing and economy was completely different... if you try to play by the rules of 40 years back in the modern era you are doomed... especially when we talk about huge companies like automotive manufacturers.
Fair point, but with Ford's estimated spend on the Champion's League being valued at €100 million over the next 3 years, their WRC spend is but a drop in the ocean.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
Ford probably spend on activating one match what they spend on a whole season of WRC....
yes but the publicity they got was probably the same as they would get from the involvement in the WRC for 10 years...Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyfiend
you cannot compete with mainstream ladyboy sports like Football and F1 when everyone and their mothers are watching it... WRC will never be like that.
And the people involved must understand that and act accordingly...in that way both the sport and the manufacturers will benefit.
The WRC should leave the FIA and form its own governing body...you cannot have a company that makes billions from one sport to govern another one...it is inevitable they will ignore the little brother...i would do it, you would do it, everyone would do it....you will allways feed the cow that produces the most milk.
The sad thing is though, the FIA does not make billions from F1.Quote:
Originally Posted by N.O.T
They sold it for 100 years for circa $300 million a few years back, and all that money is now held by the FIA Foundation - a chartable trust over which President todt has no control.
They would be paid a nominal fee to provide sporting services for FOM. That's it.
that's why the WRC is probably run the way it is without the freedom of a proper promoter. They're scared of what they did for F1.
you believe the above things you said ??Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyfiend