If you have been to China it is VW that dominates their markets. Its rumored NZ 2018 in Tauranga is a tentative go.
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Stages are shortened from 313 km to 250 km (similar like ERC-distance):
http://www.rallye-magazin.de/wm/nach...leme-in-china/
Sums up everything wrong with the WRC, and modern motorsport.
NZ has the best gravel roads in the world - and should be in the WRC! So, it is the other side of the world, and a small population. So what? Will they drop Finland because it's only about 5million population?
Yet, they're desperate to go to China, the other side of the world - for what now seems like 250km of stages (156 miles). You couldn't make it up...
Selling cars and making money is what the WRC needs to do. And China is that market.
If you think about it, in Australia VW sells but no one gives a crap about Rally... Citroen/Skoda sell in small numbers... Fiesta's are hair dressers cars too the i20 and Polo...
Guys here buy a Golf R or better. Polo GTI yes.
i20 not.
NZ has a big grey import market but the car companies support the rally series in NZ. Check the NZ series and you'll see car companies sponsor the events and have heard they want the WRC back too!
So China is a key market and if M-Sport want to see cars there, rally wise; they will.
We'll be able to move freely in China, easy. As they did doing the media guide. No problems at all.