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

After SS11: M. Hirvonen - "Hopefully we can get some time to Jarri and keep him under pressure.'
After SS12: M. Hirvonen - "Good afternoon. I find rhythm. I will put pressure to Latvala."
+ 2.8 seconds for these 2 stages, quite a pressure.

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Originally Posted by SlowSon

Hirvonen is not a driver anymore. Just a servant.

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Yeah right.
He's a highly paid employee whose job it is to drive and pile up points..
Who pays you?

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Originally Posted by SlowSon

Hirvonen is not a driver anymore. Just a servant.

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Hirvonen's move to Citroen only makes sense if Loeb retires.

There is a kind of settling-in period which happens any time a driver joins a new team - and this happens in just about every form of motorsport. Both the driver and the team need to get to know one another; how they think, how they work, how they set the car up. The end result is that it takes some time before a driver is fully competitive. While Loeb chases his ninth title, 2012 is Hirvonen's settling-in period.

The beauty of all this is that when Loeb ultimately does decide to retire, Hirvonen is fully accustomed to the team, and can lead it. This means that Citroen will have a strong lead driver, and they won't need to shop around for something impossible to buy: a replacement for Loeb. Rather, Hirvonen will be Loeb's replacement, and the team will only need to find someone to fill Hirvonen's role as number two and the process starts over. I'm betting they'll take Thierry Neuville, though I wouldn't rule out them making a play for Ostberg or Mikkelsen. In that respect, I think Citroen have failed dismally - they don't have a wide range of drivers who compete in customer teams to call upon.

Like M.Grönholm said on Finnish paper: Citroen will quit when Loeb retires, so Mikko will never be no.1 in any team

Also what happened to the stories of Citroen transforming into a Peugeot WRC team with the 208?

I think SOMEONE will want Mikko considering his results this year - he is perfect no. 2 for Loeb, which gives him the best chance (along with Ogier) at being at the top when Loeb retires. I'm not so interested in Loeb vs. Ogier - someday the guy will show his age and slow down, so it's never really an even match up in their primes - but Hirvonen vs. Ogier would be an interesting fight in future for sure.

He seems the only guy who should be able to challenge Ogier consistently. Someone will recognize that and get him in a car, and my best guess is they will speak French.

Useless no 1 tommeke

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Originally Posted by COD

Like M.Grönholm said on Finnish paper: Citroen will quit when Loeb retires, so Mikko will never be no.1 in any team

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Poor Gronholm... the brutal beatings he received by Loeb forced him to early retirement like a kitten and lost his mind... he even crashed out of sheer terror when Loeb came to the USA to claim his rallycross crown...

LOL

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Originally Posted by N.O.T

Poor Gronholm... the brutal beatings he received by Loeb forced him to early retirement like a kitten and lost his mind... he even crashed out of sheer terror when Loeb came to the USA to claim his rallycross crown...

LOL

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Well, unlike "the real man" Hirvonen, he has 2 WDC.

Gronholm was a far better driver than Hirvonen and in the history of the sport he also is higher than him so far...

But that doesn't mean he can spout idiotic things (of course IF those are his words and not another star trek story from the Finnish media like the latvala contract which is most likely either false of a pay drive)

I don't know if he really said that, but makes sense as Citroen were on top with Loeb ever since, and neither they or he announced anything after this year what is gonna be... we shall wait and see...

Gronholm and Ogier have been Loebs biggest rivals so far in Loebs career IMO. I dont think Citroen will quit when loeb retires(I dont think he will retire at the end of the year) Only when Citroen fail to win their first manufacturer championship after Loeb leads, I think the funding will dissapear miraculously. A bit like what hapenned with Peugeot when Audi tore them a new a**ehole in LeMans.

Shhhh, we are not supposed to talk about Le Mans here :D

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Originally Posted by stefanvv

Shhhh, we are not supposed to talk about Le Mans here :D

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:burnout:

:D

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Originally Posted by COD

Like M.Grönholm said on Finnish paper: Citroen will quit when Loeb retires, so Mikko will never be no.1 in any team

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I don't think Citroen would be that stupid. Backing out when Loeb retires would be a serious blow to their credibility.

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Originally Posted by stefanvv

Shhhh, we are not supposed to talk about Le Mans here

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You learned the lesson well :up:

Out of despair, the only way is going Le Mans discussion when it hurts in the WRC :)

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Originally Posted by Karukera

You learned the lesson well :up:

Out of despair, the only way is going Le Mans discussion when it hurts in the WRC :)

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Hurts? No, I don't see VW entered yet, so it doesn't. On the other hand looks like Le Mans subject hurts very much :D but that's not my problem

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Originally Posted by stefanvv

Hurts? No, I don't see VW entered yet, so it doesn't.

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You're childishly picking up satisfaction in another sport to cure your WRC frustration.

I have no special if not distant interest in Le Mans except for my general culture, so no harm done.

As for VW, i can't wait to see the multi dozens of millions of that fabulous treasure chest budget in action on the stages against Loeb/Hirvonen :up: .

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Originally Posted by Karukera

You're childishly picking up satisfaction in another sport to cure your WRC frustration.

I have no special if not distant interest in Le Mans except for my general culture, so no harm done.

As for VW, i can't wait to see the multi dozens of millions of that fabulous treasure chest budget in action on the stages against Loeb/Hirvonen :up: .

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Oh My Dear God. You didn't understood the irony there didn't you? Anyway I used Le Mans for an example of how good Germans are to punish some French arrogance and put some people into place. Anyway N2 I really don't care if Loeb gets 8-9-10 titles, he got them - good for him, surely the current situation is not good for the sport - that is my point.

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Originally Posted by N.O.T

Gronholm was a far better driver than Hirvonen and in the history of the sport he also is higher than him so far...

But that doesn't mean he can spout idiotic things (of course IF those are his words and not another star trek story from the Finnish media like the latvala contract which is most likely either false of a pay drive)

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But you spout idiotic things here every day.

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Originally Posted by stefanvv

that is my point.

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There you come out of the woods. You basically pile up to the nationality bashing crowd.

Silly and complete waste of time.

For the record, PSA have been winning (at least) a title since 2000, it's mostly a one nation effort (decently funded) against an Anglo-US coalition.
But they barely advertise their wins when they should in what is also an industrial confrontation.
I neither see Loeb having an exagerated inflated head when he should after 8 titles in a row.
With the contribution of Hirvonen, Citroën are way ahead in both championships and on a streak of 5 wins including four 1-2 but they're still playing it low profile.

So i don't see your point but hey, nationality bashing has spoken.

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Originally Posted by Karukera

Dunno, i'm not into cliché.

On a factual side, it certainly is a PSA thing to kick a Fordie's arse on a regular basis.

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I'm sorry I wasn't totally clear in response the above :D

BTW as huge PSA fan, do you know which other 8000 of the above they are going to kick out :laugh: (if not done already)

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Originally Posted by Karukera

I neither see Loeb having an exagerated inflated head when he should after 8 titles in a row.

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I didn't saw him either, I wasn't referring to him (in fact he and I have something in common - we like jokes). That is another puzzle for you to solve :D

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Originally Posted by stefanvv

Oh My Dear God. You didn't understood the irony there didn't you? Anyway I used Le Mans for an example of how good Germans are to punish some French arrogance and put some people into place. Anyway N2 I really don't care if Loeb gets 8-9-10 titles, he got them - good for him, surely the current situation is not good for the sport - that is my point.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Karukera

There you come out of the woods. You basically pile up to the nationality bashing crowd.

Silly and complete waste of time.

For the record, PSA have been winning (at least) a title since 2000, it's mostly a one nation effort (decently funded) against an Anglo-US coalition.
But they barely advertise their wins when they should in what is also an industrial confrontation.
I neither see Loeb having an exagerated inflated head when he should after 8 titles in a row.
With the contribution of Hirvonen, Citroën are way ahead in both championships and on a streak of 5 wins including four 1-2 but they're still playing it low profile.

So i don't see your point but hey, nationality bashing has spoken.

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I dont see any nationality bashing in this post?

For the rest of your post, I saw in a top gear magazine the other day advertising how Citroen won the manufacturers title last year, and how they won 9 events out of 13 and how they did it. To Mr joe average it looks very impressive until I tell Joe average that Citroen only have one other team to beat, and an off pace team at that!

personally i think every driver is fantastic in the wrc .

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Originally Posted by christy but

personally i think every driver is fantastic in the wrc .

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Most of us couldn't do a reflection they do (up)

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Originally Posted by tfp

For the rest of your post, I saw in a top gear magazine the other day advertising how Citroen won the manufacturers title last year, and how they won 9 events out of 13 and how they did it. To Mr joe average it looks very impressive until I tell Joe average that Citroen only have one other team to beat, and an off pace team at that!

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I thought they beat around a hundred drivers every rally.

I think that when Loeb retires is ready Neville!!!. Maybe Hirvonen Neville!

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Originally Posted by stefanvv

Oh My Dear God. You didn't understood the irony there didn't you? Anyway I used Le Mans for an example of how good Germans are to punish some French arrogance and put some people into place.

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Pfff, get a grip. The german brands have most often entered Le Mans a the sole competitor or with poor competition. The only thing that matters is how a car brand does in the two proper World Championships - Formula 1 and WRC. And here the French brands are kicking every other nationality car brands. I don't have to remind you of how many titles Renault have as both a constructor and an engine supplier in F1, do I? ... and I am sure you can count the WRC wins and titles that PSA has won with either Peugeot or Citroën - + the first one in 1973 by Alpine Renault.

French car brands always wins becaue their motorsport engennering is superiour to anyting else... that's for sure more than can be said of the German car brands ... or do you want me to list the succes (*cough* *cough* or lack of it) from Mercedes in F1?

So what you call French arrogance is just your lack of words why German brands suck at motorsport competition and winning titles that matters.

Deal with it!

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Originally Posted by MikeD

Pfff, get a grip. The german brands have most often entered Le Mans a the sole competitor or with poor competition. The only thing that matters is how a car brand does in the two proper World Championships - Formula 1 and WRC. And here the French brands are kicking every other nationality car brands. I don't have to remind you of how many titles Renault have as both a constructor and an engine supplier in F1, do I? ... and I am sure you can count the WRC wins and titles that PSA has won with either Peugeot or Citroën - + the first one in 1973 by Alpine Renault.

French car brands always wins becaue their motorsport engennering is superiour to anyting else... that's for sure more than can be said of the German car brands ... or do you want me to list the succes (*cough* *cough* or lack of it) from Mercedes in F1?

So what you call French arrogance is just your lack of words why German brands suck at motorsport competition and winning titles that matters.

Deal with it!

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:D I'm dealing with it just fine, don't worry. Oooo I know the French are good in what are they doing, also know how good the Germans are to make road cars ;) , but that is another story.

But as you raised the F1 as subject, this is the score table for engine manufacturers - List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, and here for constrictors - List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't see Frenchman as big record breakers, they are even behind Ford here - LOL

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Originally Posted by stefanvv

But as you raised the F1 as subject, this is the score table for engine manufacturers - List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, and here for constrictors - List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't see Frenchman as big record breakers, they are even behind Ford here - LOL

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Yes, the French are big record breakers if you compare it with how few years the have entered F1 - first Matra and the Ligier and then Renault. Ford is american so that doesn't really help you German "fight".

PS: There is something wrong in that Wiki-table you are linking to. Mercedes have never won an F1 Constructors championship. When they won i 1954 & 1955 it was only a drivers championship. The same goes for Alfa Romeo.

Whatever... I don't know how all this is related to Hirvonen though...

Urgh !!! Mikko very very slow on that first leg of RAC Wales Rally UK today friday(5th overall...for now) :s
But I'm confident though he will gain positions tomorrow and sunday(certainly helped by some others in front) ;)

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Originally Posted by Tom206wrc

Urgh !!! Mikko very very slow on that first leg of RAC Wales Rally UK today friday(5th overall...for now) :s
But I'm confident though he will gain positions tomorrow and sunday(certainly helped by some others in front) ;)

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Mikko after 9 rallies shows that Citroen isn t a supercar(even in asphalt)
Same performance as at Ford.

After last 2 Rallies (Germany & GB), what do you think of Hirvonen as Citroen N1 next year if Loeb goes? It might turn out Ford will have faster drivers next year.

Mikko, I hope you realize that should you be the first driver of Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, cruising won't be enough !!!! They expect wins !! From you, from gravel. And most of all, from NORF !!!!! So I hope yopu enjoy the rest of this season, then think really hard how to change your attitude and deliver next year ! Because the pace right..... that's not going to be enough.

Mikko will proove to all Loeb haters how much good was Loeb.
Remember plenty of times that Loeb won ''cause'' every team mate wasn t allowed.
Lets see the only real last years Loebs contenter how fast,and how many wins will gain at 2013 now as No1 at same team with same car.

If any of these Loeb haters want a bet feel free.

yeah, you have a point. But Mikko is also quite slow.

GO MIKKO !!!! Sardigna is the best chance for you to win in 2012(excluding Portugal) !!! :bounce: :bounce:

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Originally Posted by Tom206wrc

GO MIKKO !!!! Sardigna is the best chance for you to win in 2012(excluding Portugal) !!! :bounce: :bounce:

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Oh yeah I forgot about Portugal! Damn, this has actually been a really good season for Mikko, and here he is still winless because of a technicality. I hope he makes the finish line in Sardinia. When has the second best driver in a season not won a single rally!?