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Toyota have had a start to their new campaign very few believed in until Latvala came in, and started his testing.
I am afraid Hänninen need to start showing some top times in Mexico, or Lappi will be number 2, or Mikkelsen will get a call, via Even Management.
But two special rallies have gone good, lets se how the Yaris likes Mexican gravel, and especially Italian asphalt before we conclude on overall general speed.
but so far congratulations are in order!
Is there a new rally this year? :oQuote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
maybe he mean Corsician asphalt
Told ya! However Mikkelsen will soon be at Citroen. And as you say Lappi 2nd driver.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rallyper
A bit of detail on Latvala's development of the Yaris. Everyone said it was noticeable how so quickly when he got in the car it started to look like a decent bit of kit. Testing like a madman before Christmas really paid off. Clearly he has some good car development nous too. Really happy for everyone involved.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report...a-win-possible
Very interesting indeed. Judging by what Latvala says in that interview, the SS17 of Meeke and the set-up changes to Paddon's car through the weekend, getting the diff setting suited to the car, the roads and the driving style seems to be key to success this season.Quote:
Originally Posted by Simmi
Supercharged Toyota Yaris GRMN hot hatch confirmed:
http://cdn2.evo.co.uk/sites/evo/file...?itok=-MoDR2Yn
http://www.evo.co.uk/toyota/yaris/18...eva-show-debut
Hi All, hope everyone is doing well! I must say Tommi is doing a great job, and so much so that it motivates to post again on the forum :)
New Yaris with rear spoiler attached in the sides according to the rule.
https://www.facebook.com/TOYOTAGAZOO...c_ref=NEWSFEED
Excellent videoQuote:
Originally Posted by AL14
Yep, and it's great to notice that TMG is giving a positive contribution to TGR and Makinen's team. After the F1 disaster and Le Mans still unachieved win, I feared they would be the weakest link on Toy's rally venture. Gladly, they’re not.
Seems like the "secret" partner for aerodynamic development is Mercedes F1 team @ Brackley.Quote:
Originally Posted by AL14
TMG is NOT building new engine for Yaris, ILMOR is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rally Power
Should be in use at Rally Portugal
Are they really allowed to make a completely new engine? Doesn`t the rules say You have to use the same homologated engine for 3 seasons? I`m not sure though..
Hope they get both cars to the finish line in Mexico, to gather data!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but i think new teams have 3 jokers?Quote:
Originally Posted by AMSS
I don't know everything but I know a lot of small things and in my opinion pantealex is giving you wrong info.
An engine is homologated by specs, not who/where it is produced?
I dont know who is going to produce the engines, or if it is Ilmor (BTW, are they still owned by Mercedes-Benz?), but I have heard from a reliable source that the engine will no longer be produced by Toyota TMG, but by another source (and have no reason to doubt Pantealex), and it is supposed to be introduced before Rally Portugal.
Yes it`s by specs and at least it has been very limited what you can change mechanically(I don`t know how it is with these new cars) so it would seem a bit strange to transfer something TMG designed to another company when they are quit limited in what they can change. I read Mercedes has a completely unique combustion chamber design in their F1 engines so maybe this is what TMR is after.. If Ilmor is part of Mercedes that is
Mercedes bought the engine division of Ilmor in 2005 and stopped using the Ilmor name.
The rest of the Ilmor company continued as an independent engineering company who also produce racing engines, see www.ilmor.com
So what is now called Ilmor has nothing to do with Mercedes.
Citroen’s engine manager Patrice Davesne explain the 2017 engine regulations.
https://issuu.com/hi-techmedia/docs/...e_october_2016 (pages 44-45)
Regarding the evolutions which will be permitted in the future.
“We can make changes, but some parts of the engine are frozen by the regulations for three years. For example, bore is not allowed to change, the distance between cylinder and the distance between camshafts can’t change. But we have three jokers per year and, for example, we can change in the same year pistons, connecting rods and oil sump. Each year there are three jokers and we can use them as we want – it can be development, increase our power or durability, it’s as we want.”
In the beginning of the article he says that the bore has change from 82 mm, which had been used from the beginning of Citroen’s time in WRC, to 84 mm which is the max bore allowed by FIA.
Not strange to me. It's good to have reputable "colleague" involved. Just in case.Quote:
Originally Posted by AMSS
That's quite a surprise! TMG's engine seems to be competitive; any special reason to change for Ilmor?Quote:
Originally Posted by pantealex
If I am not mistaken it won´t be new engine. It will be same TMG engine just produced by someone else. (probably because of production capacity, flexibility etc.)
And Ilmor just stopped their cooperation with Renault F1.
I guess they got tired of playing tennis and wanted in with the big league.
(or Makinen's will to get rid of TMG...)Quote:
Originally Posted by liposh
Mr.Toyoda didn´t like that engine was illegal in Monte...Quote:
Originally Posted by Rally Power
maybe, just maybe someone in TMG did that on purpose
Changing engine supplier was not Tommi´s decision
RallyingUK *
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT: @Mobil1 returns to WRC with @TGR_WRC @Mobil1TheGrid #WRC #wrcjp @CRASH_NET
Lappi to drive third Toyota in Portugal, no changes to Juho's position in the team. http://www.is.fi/ralli/art-2000005171545.html
Either Toyota wrote a really shitty contract with no exit clauses or he has some personal shit on Tommi. I can't believe he's still in the team.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonJippo
He doesn't ever learn either...
Cheer up. Finally you know, when Lappi will start.
We're FOUR RALLIES into the season and he's STILL in the team! Imagine that! No but seriously, you really must feel for both Hänninen and Lefebvre. The season has barely started (with all events being more or less "special" events if you like) and all kinds of forum experts and social media idiots are already wondering why they're STILL in WRC! I don't think it's ever been this bad before. And that Mikkelsen fanboy Colin Clark with his own personal agenda... jesus christ. Someone please just give that Norwegian a customer version of 2017-spec Fiesta already so we'd no longer have to listen to Colin Clark's weeping after each rally.Quote:
Originally Posted by itix
How come it's so hard to understand that these guys have been hired to drive a full (or almost full as in case of Lefebvre's) season and even if the other one seems to crash in every rally and the other seems to be just a bit too slow for the big league, it can actually be just as nice to see these guys getting their chances than it would seeing the same old faces motoring around season after season? Just let the guys do their job for God's sake!
And sorry for OT, but I just couldn't help myself.
What plays in favour of Hanninen is that he has been developing the car from the very beginning and his feedbacks when he doesn't hit trees or bridges are valuable in a developing point of view (or at least I guess it since I don'r really know properly how it works this kind of developing stuff).
Also he has a contract, yes contract can be breaken but they are still contracts.
I think the only reason to get rid of him (but still keeping him as a test driver) would be a longtime contract with Mikkelsen but I don't know if Andreas will agree with that.
What really baffles me is that he's known to be a crasher so they should have known to put exit clauses in the contract.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
There are plenty of drivers on the market (granted, there were less when they signed him) and if I was Tommi I'd be so disappointed in Hänninens performance thus far. Crashed all four rallies and some rallies twice when he didn't even have anything to gain from pushing.
Yes he has developed the car, but that in no way excuse his dismal performance, especially given that Toyota only had two cars and he had the manufacturers championship to look after.
It isn't strange that they signed him when they did. What is strange is that he is still there...
Citroen kicked Duval out for 2 rallies mid-season after he crashed in 5 out of 6 first rallies in 2005.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
Also as others pointed out Hanninen crashed in 4 out of 6 rallies with Hyundai in 2014. (one of the crashes didn't cost him whole rally). This year he has crashed in 3 out of 4, now on Corsica even twice on same event. Not exactly impressive. If he now has a contract to drive whole year no matter what then Tommi must have been a bit desperate when signing him (understandable with no VW exit in sight).
Sure he actually doesn't have that much experience in WRC cars. But he won't get much experience (and Toyota much test data) by crashing on friday every other rally. He seems like a really nice guy. Then someone just pls tell him to first drive a bit more safe and then increase the speed.
I agree four rallies is way too soon to pull the ripcord. But for sure Latvala's win in Sweden was the worst-possible thing that could have happened for Juho. Because the goal posts have completely moved since he was signed. And the 'learning year' has become something more. Tommi can be as loyal as he wants but what about Tommi's bosses?
For the record I'd like to see Juho complete the full season. The one thing we've never seen is a full campaign in a WRC car from Hanninen which has often led to conversations about how good he is/could be. I hoped this stability would have helped him this year but it appears perhaps not. Hopefully he can make things right as I believe this will be his final year in the WRC.
The big question for me is - if Toyota come to Mikkelsen mid-season with a two-year contract (2018/2019) but no rallies for this season. Does he sign that deal? Or does he play poker again that maybe Citroen break a contract, or that Ogier creates more ripples and moves on, leaving space at M-Sport?
Security can only get you so far but when you are competing with guys who have done the stages at least for a few years, then you are already disadvantaged. We all know that experience counts in WRC but for some reason many seem to disregard this important fact.
http://toyotagazooracing.com/release...c/0418-01.html
Official confirmation that Lappi will drive the third Yaris WRC in Portugal.
Nice to FINALLY see a press release. Still just one rally confirmed for the moment though.
Sure, but there are people with natural speed and consistency that prove that you can go semi fast without crashing. Breen is a good example. Both Sebastien too. I can probably think of more examples if I try.Quote:
Originally Posted by Franky
Kubica I could understand because he lacked rally experience in general (compared to Hänninen anyway) but I absolutely can not understand why he pushes so much when he clearly don't have the skills.
It can't be all notes errors or lack of preparation, especially given the semi decent times he set when he's not crashing.