Group N was still a thing back then, as well as private WRC cars.Quote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
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Group N was still a thing back then, as well as private WRC cars.Quote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
Pontus debut performance and the speed he showed at Rally Sweden 2013 in a WRC car was far more impressive than a mediocre outing at Rally Sweden 2019 - 6 years of difference
I think for Pontus it is a confidence issue adapting to the new WRC spec car... but IMHO there is a long list of drivers above him in the peaking order who deserve a manufacturer seat more
Fast drivers yes, in WRC2. Not even WRC2 champions. So unwritten chapters. Might as well end up in confidence issues them as well...Quote:
Originally Posted by leighton323
Agree PT has that "problem" together with all other factors well described here on this topic.
What about WRC2 campaign + WRC Fiesta at non Gus events?
One should hope for PT together with Adrien Formeaux in Fiesta Evo in MSort WRC2. Just my speculation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
We´d know next week.
Interesting comment at the end.Quote:
The Swede said his decision to step back to WRC 2 was driven by the WRC’s environmentally-friendly hybrid future, which will begin in 2022.
“If you look at the rally sport now, there are very exciting things coming in 2022, and it is important to stay in the sport and perform well. Going back and driving an R5 car offers the opportunity to drive more and to challenge for wins. That’s why we choose R5 in 2020,” he explained.
Tidemand, who will be co-driven by Patrik Barth, admitted 2019 was a tough year.
“We have been competing in WRC 2 for four-and-a-half seasons and felt that in 2019 it was time to take a step up and try WRC.
“So we did four rallies together with M-Sport Ford, but it was not easy to get into today's cars and be able to push them to the max with their advanced aerodynamics. It takes a lot more time behind the wheel of those cars,” he said.
https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc-2/news/20...8--51-51-.html
I can understand that. It's not very natural when the grip is growing with the speed you drive but in the same time it depends also on the angle between the airflow and the wings, i.e. if you turn and how you turn at high speeds.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Thats right.
As he also jumped into a WRCar for a few events, people should give Gus Greensmith some understanding. And credit for his teammate-matching pace at times.
The latest cars are nothing like his R5 and not even the previous-gen WRCars. The step-up is huge and Gus handled it pretty impressively.
Wasn´t that understandable at the time last year? At least to me. However most of you guys thought Tidemand should be comparable to top five guys from the beginning.
And now you understand it all? Is it because of GG not doing well either?
Didn't Greensmith do more testing before his first outing?
I am pleased to see Pontus back but I’m not sure I buy his reasoning about why he struggled. Wasn’t Lappi pretty quick straight away when he stepped up, even winning after a few events? Ok, I expect he had a lot more testing but the difference was night and day.
In theory Lappi could have tested a lot in Jyväskylä since Toyota had unlimited testing on a vast area of roads, but I've understood he didn't do that much of testing during the early season he was off the car.Quote:
Originally Posted by RS
And then we have Suninen who won his fifth stage in a WRC car, and was close to finishing the rally at 4th, and close to finishing the next rally at 2nd. Most likely he had only one limited day of testing for each event.
I expected Tidemand to do well since he was so equal with these guys in 2016.
As for Greensmith, he may have also done some extra testing in Greystoke, but other than that usually test days are pretty publicly covered. He had one test already in late 2018 or something, and posted a video of it.
Imo, speed from the first meters with a new car, says a lot about the talent level of that driver...
I think some can drive an R5 too much, for too long, and it makes it harder to adapt to a current WRC. They are such a different beast needing a very different driving-style.
Gus explained this in the Absolute Rally podcast last year, saying it's actually easier to drive WRC but you just need to have a lot of confidence to use the power and aero.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
I think that this is individual. Someone can adapt fast, someone needs more time, someone can't adapt ever. It's like that with everything not only with driving WRC.
Exactly, Lappi didn’t have this problem but Sunninen did. I would say that Sunninen showed speed straight away, but he was a bit ragged in those couple of events, it paid off tho as he ended up with a drive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sal the 2nd
This.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sal the 2nd
If you can't afford to bin it, you can't have the confidence to go fast.
Like I also tried to explain one year ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
Btw. Suninen was instantly fast, yes, but has he progressed much after that?
Pontus has spent the last 5 years in R5 cars. Dont most top driver's step-up to to WRC sooner if they have the chance/budget ?
Adapting must be easier if your driving-style hasnt become really ingrained in one kind of car.
If you can't afford to bin it, then should you be driving? I think we can all understand why he'd want to try, on the other hand last year Pontus probably damaged his reputation somewhat.Quote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
https://twitter.com/PontusTidemand/s...45366027653122
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E0EyLwYX...jpg&name=smallQuote:
Words can’t even describe how much I’ve missed being behind the wheel of a rally car... So it makes me extra happy to finally be able to say that I will have news to share with you really soon! Stayed tuned and keep an eye on my social media channels!
Is the image of the Fiesta a coincidence or chosen on purpose?
I thought that maybe Tidemand's return to WRC in Sweden would wake up some spark in him again, but it seems it will be just another bad rally. He is currently only 8th in WRC2, over 2 minutes behind Solberg after 10 stages...
https://www.ewrc-results.com/image/9...?entry=4264114
It appears to be Tidemand's 3rd event with the co-driver. A 1 hour event the last weekend and a 48 minute event over a year ago early Feb 2024)
Tidemand did 4 hours 20 minutes competitive driving in Swedish events in 2024.