How do you see the future of rally?

In term of coverages, don't watch WRC much anymore because the TV coverage sucks. I do watch the Power Stage though since its live. I know people don't like WRC to be F1, but live coverage is important. Instead of 3 separate days review, it should be 3 live coverages, just pick the last stage for each day and cover it live, then one highlight after the rally. Either that or cover live the qualifying and powerstage. But I think the idea of youtube.com/wrc and free onboard videos are excellent. FOM prohibit that stuff for F1.

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Originally Posted by focus206

Well, if the great rallies around the world are like the ones in Jordan or Mexico, then I'm really happy we have almost every rally of the WRC in Europe...

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What in your opinion was wrong with the rallies in Jordan. I can't comment on Mexico as I haven't been there, but can highly recommend Jordan after 2 trips there. Very friendly people, no trees to block your vision, free access to stages, easy to get around. My only complaint was that is was stinking hot in 2008.

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Originally Posted by Camelopard

What in your opinion was wrong with the rallies in Jordan. I can't comment on Mexico as I haven't been there, but can highly recommend Jordan after 2 trips there. Very friendly people, no trees to block your vision, free access to stages, easy to get around. My only complaint was that is was stinking hot in 2008.

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Well, I guess they are personal opinions, but I really don't like Rally Jordan (and neither Rally Mexico). Maybe because they are gravel dusty rallies (and we have already a good number of them on the WRC calendar) in semi-desertic places... also I don't like the stages: before the usual gravel dusty stages, in Mexico this year we had a SSS on the underground (I think inside a mine) but it was very short and first crews completed it in less than one minute, so hardly a "news"...
Instead, I wasn't expecting so much from Rally Alsace this year, but I found it a nice rally. With this I don't want to say we need more asphalt and less gravel on the WRC, we have enough asphalt already in my opinion, but we should search more particular and great gravel rallies than the one in Mexico and Jordan... this is my opinion, I don't know if most of the fans like or not these 2 rallies.

Well two of the only three Tarmac rounds look and seem to be the same.

Yawn.

Bring back hard gravel, stone and rock rallies like Cyprus, yes Cyprus won't be back but still.

What else is a great Tarnac rally? Ireland.. Anything else outside of the WRC?

Happy to see MC back.

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Originally Posted by Barreis

Happy to see MC back.

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Me too, I also like Corsica:-)
Im not too keen on germany, and its a bit silly how close it is to alsace!

I hope FIA will take the real power back from the manufacturers soon.

I feel that the 2011 WRCar too soon in its lifespan was as fast as its predesessor. It is, even if it is simpler than the 2.0 version, the car is in its first year close to being as fast as the fastest rallycar ever.

Next time around FIA cant give in, and need to make its decisions based on their own conclusions, after heering all parties, and for the good of; first the drivers and the fans, and then manufacurers.
If that means the manufacturers leaves rally, so be it. Many tuning firms are there to take over.

The costfactor of todays WRC is about to kill the sport. Very few seats are available, and fewer drivers earns money on their 'job', talent are wasted because of lack of sponsors.

This is what F1 has become, but that is the tech pinnacle of motorsport. Rally is more of man mastering the car in changing conditions, but the tech does not have to be top notch, more importantly more or less equal btw brands, so that the brand is less important than the driver.

I know that many here are mostly interested in the technology, to me it is mostly about the drivers skills, not the engineer.

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Originally Posted by Sulland

I hope FIA will take the real power back from the manufacturers soon.

I feel that the 2011 WRCar too soon in its lifespan was as fast as its predesessor. It is, even if it is simpler than the 2.0 version, the car is in its first year close to being as fast as the fastest rallycar ever.

Next time around FIA cant give in, and need to make its decisions based on their own conclusions, after heering all parties, and for the good of; first the drivers and the fans, and then manufacurers.
If that means the manufacturers leaves rally, so be it. Many tuning firms are there to take over.

The costfactor of todays WRC is about to kill the sport. Very few seats are available, and fewer drivers earns money on their 'job', talent are wasted because of lack of sponsors.

This is what F1 has become, but that is the tech pinnacle of motorsport. Rally is more of man mastering the car in changing conditions, but the tech does not have to be top notch, more importantly more or less equal btw brands, so that the brand is less important than the driver.

I know that many here are mostly interested in the technology, to me it is mostly about the drivers skills, not the engineer.

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Over the weekend, I watched both Rally GB (God, how I hate to use that dreadful name) and the Abu Dhabi GP. Both, for the most part, left me utterly cold. Maybe the video game-esque spectacle of a modern F1 race around a soulless circuit appeals to some, but not me. All I could think of watching the rally was how great the old RAC used to be. And in both cases I in no way found the speeds being attained impressive in themselves.

Many forum members seem to know, (if I read the other threads) who and what teams do next year.
If you see what happens economically in many companies, we will see more bad news in the rally sport before next season I think.

I have seen dozens of wrc rallies, all in Europe and can say that from spectator point of view most rallies and the way they run are ok. So called compact rallies are really good think but too often they end too early. It seems that they could run third loop every day in most rallies as normally they finish mid afternoon. It is maybe great when you go for the first time as you have lots of time to visit some tourist atractions but if you go few times there is not much to do after stages. I spectated kind of endurance rally- Monte Carlo, great idea but very expensive, exhausting and not so exciting when there is no snow. Also logistic is a big thing.
We need to go few years back and bring Corsica, add to the calendar new rallies (there is huge demand in eastern Europe), bring back evening highlights on Eurosport and extend daily loops.