Not only is he far too good for the lower tiers, his driving style wouldn't fit in with the cleaner R5s, and it would be a disgrace for his objectively monumental career to fizzle out in WRC2.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
Printable View
Not only is he far too good for the lower tiers, his driving style wouldn't fit in with the cleaner R5s, and it would be a disgrace for his objectively monumental career to fizzle out in WRC2.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
Then I don't see any other option than sharing a drive with Rovanpera\Meeke or throw him out of the team and he is not their problem anymore.
Sordo and Loeb 'sharing' again causes the same problems as has been mentioned. Neither will want to do Sweden, Finland and GB, and Loeb also wont want to do Germany if he hasn't wanted to do it the last two years when it's been run in august.
So instantly that means either Mikkelsen is brought into the rotation, and Andreas/Loeb/Sordo rotate between two seats. Or they give Breen a partial programme of Sweden, Finland, GB, Germany + maybe another event or two, and 4 drivers rotate between two seats.
Mikkelsen won't want to do a partial season but I don't think he has any other options for leverage. Throughout the season Adamo has never seemed too keen on him either, and doesnt have total trust. Rotating drivers works because Mikkelsen, Sordo, Loeb benefit from road position, but it would also be nice for the championship if Hyundai had two fulltime drivers who they actually could commit to.
Well there is Paddon and Ostberg ho could jump in also. Why not having 7 man team...
What is the deal with Rovanperä joining Toyota, I though he was going to the army, no? Or will he be joining mid season? That would leave half a year for Latvala to prove himself. Or is Kalle only going to do the basic training in army? Maybe one of the finns here can shed a little light on this.
He thinks he is ready for WRC machinery and Makinen thinks that too. And Skoda leaving it's the perfect timing to snatch him before anyone else get him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kradovech
The military service won't be an issue. He'll be out in six months and basically can participate in all the rallies he wants in the meantime. It's quite common for Finnish athletes to join the army and still compete in their respective sports.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kradovech
https://www.is.fi/ralli/art-2000006267458.html
...aaaaaand here we go again with Tommi, part 572364. Now he says he wasn't actually talking about any driver selections in the Autosport story published earlier today and that JML and Meeke are actually "even" when it comes to staying at TGR for 2020. Mäkinen goes on to say that "there are also other drivers on the market" and "we will carefully think what we're going to do (regarding the drivers)".
Tommi is great at creating confusion that's for sure. Just like D. Evans is great at creating stores based on rumors.
You just have to listen to Makinen's quotes, and forget about the text/ speculation/ rumours around them (whether that's D.Evans or a Finnish/ Estonian reporter giving us their view).
I think Makinen just rambles on and what he says initially is him speaking his mind, but then for the following week after that he's in damage control mode as he realises what he's said could impact his current drivers form/mentality for the rest of the season.
I know he struggles with English but he does speak too openly at times, and he has done repeatedly about Latvala and his deficiencies for a while. I like how he's open and honest, but from a teams POV I do think he should maybe have someone on hand who's more media savvy to at least help control his mouth a little or give him a few pointers. Whenever I see a Tommi interview or he's on WRC+ I'm waiting for a few telling quotes as he simply can't help himself :D
To say Tanak, Meeke and Kalle is the "dream" for next year - even if said in a jokey way - is potentially really detrimental to his own teams chances for the last two events. I mean how is Jari (who is already in a bad place) going to react to that?
He isn't baby and can do his job properly, does he? Probably it's no secret for him Makinen's attitude for him either, not for the last few days anyway. On the other hand Makinen's "honesty" is spicing the wrc circus, it could be well playing with the media.Quote:
Originally Posted by er88
Ofcourse he can do his overall job properly, which is building and managing a team to compete for both titles.Quote:
Originally Posted by stefanvv
But he clearly gets himself in difficulty by running his mouth, as he's come out twice now since the weekend trying to deny/ play down actual quotes he's made to the press (first the Estonian media/ and 2nd to David Evans).
As I was saying, it's good for us and silly season, but perhaps not the best for Jari to hear (who is one of the most fragile drivers mentally the wrc has ever seen). Tommi needs him for the last two events at least.
Tänak-Meeke-Rovanpera looks rather risky when it comes to manu points though and imo it's not very good idea to put Rovanpera under pressure to score manu points in first year either.
I agree, Toyota should put him in a 4th car for 10 or so rounds (and let Katsuta do 3/4 events including Japan). They can afford to do it, and the Japanese would get to keep Latvala in the team for another year and let Kalle develop without pressure.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
So many of you think that Kalle is only new driver joining Toyota ?
Not unless it's stated as a fact by Mäkinen that someone is indeed leaving the team
Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk
I had been saying for last 4 months or so that I think Evans will go to Toyota. Just guessing thought.
i HOPE the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Lots of drivers are free of contracts, and most of them would be happy with a seat in the yaris i presume.
Mads Østberg says he is talking to several teams , his plan was to develop the C3 R5 this season and then back to WRC in 2020, maybe some plans of mixed R5 and WRC next year, as i understand.
Is it Citröen, with 3 cars in 2020?
Toyota with new R5 and some WRC?
Hyundai, with develop the R5 and the 3 gravelrallies noone want to do?
Ford?
Lets say Tänak stays in Toyota, Meeke 2.driver, Katsuta and Rovanpäre share the 3rd car, or those 2 in a juniorteam and Østberg in the 3rd maincar? Or Mikkelsen? Or Evans? Or Latvala?:)
Hyundai, they need a decent development driver, both to the R5 but definately the WRC. Weird Loeb can't get the I20 decent, maybe they need a new car with a different philosophy? Its "built" to Neuville, but thats clearly don't work, neighter to him or the others.
Is it arrogant engineers in Hyundai, like in Subaru, or is Neuville really bad to develop cars? Tip to Adamo: use Loeb and Sordo as much you can, Neuville will never be WDC as it is now.
Sent fra min SM-G950F via Tapatalk
I think there has been strong rumors about Citroen continuing with two cars in 2020. Toyota already has Hänninen for the R5 development (that was even confirmed by Mäkinen himself) and according to Grönholm Hyundai no longer has any development plans for their R5.Quote:
Originally Posted by skarderud
Another thing that has been confirmed by Mäkinen is that Katsuta won't be driving any of the three "main-TGR" cars.
Where did you see that Gronholm quote? Link? Certainly isn't right.
He said it in one of the Rally Finland shows on Finnish TV. The actual topic they were discussing about was Huttunen. I can try to find the exact quote later, the shows are hopefully still online on YLE's (Finnish National broadcasting company) streaming service Areena.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oops!
http://urheiluuutiset.com/gronholm-e...a-synkkyyteen/
In here Grönholm says that the Hyundai R5 is like 100 kg more heavy than Skoda and that Hyundai doesn't develop or test the car and it's not a winner car.
I think Ostberg will bring some budget and run a 3rd C3, "appearing" as a Citroen manufacturer driver. Hope that's the case anyway, because it would be nice to see a 3rd C3 on at least 6-8events. If the season is going well, they could then use Ostberg more often if they have a chance for the manufacturers title.
Wierd, Mr. Loeb himself has had an outing with the R5 i20, there was a news about some big development test for tarmac...
Maybe Gronholm was describing the situation up until now?
There's the "guest driver" factor. After this year with no WRC Manufacturer nominated starts means he can use Citroen's guest driver testing quota next year. Same that they've been doing with Camilli and Toyota doing with Hänninen and Hyundai with Huttunen.Quote:
Originally Posted by er88
Loeb drove the R5 on gravel, and tested also one day on gravel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarmop
Yes, but...
Quote:
Originally Posted by dimviii
It is a great injustice that Ostberg did not get a drive WRC this year and humiliating that he is considered to someone who should bringing budget. No one has been as fast with C3 R5 than him (also being reliable). His pace has been very close to Rovanpera Jr in many rallies and without numerous technical issues + participating to more rallies he would had been very close to WRC2 Pro title. I truly hope he gets WRC seat back for 2020.
What comes to Taka, pretty sure he will be doing a lot of rallies with WRC. Besides the manufacturing points, does it matter if it is official TGR car or private, main difference being the different sponsor stickers?
I would imagine Toyota's sponsors are only paying for three top level drivers and either the team doesn't want to give them the extra exposure for free or they don't want to pay more or they don't want to be associated with a slower driver. But technically it's no difference, the car comes from the same workshop and is serviced by the same mechanics.Quote:
Originally Posted by Japé
Not true. Lukyanuk was also fast in ERC. Bonato in Monte and Corse in WRC. Pepe Lopez in Spain. Yohan Rossel in France.Quote:
Originally Posted by Japé
Fontes in Portugal
I agree, maybe things have changed since then. While there's obviously some attractive pricing going on, the sudden mass take up of the I20 in the UK has surely got to indicate that there is some progress/promise there? If the thing was as poor as it seemed to be previously, I can't see how Tom Cave could have done so well with it in GB, given he was up against the Polo and new Fabia.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
He is just proving to HM that they made a mistake with picking Huttunen.
Well, both Huttunen and Cave were third in the RC2 class in their home rallies this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by deephouse
He was so damn slow in Sweden that Hyundai must have known by then it was mistake, right?Quote:
Originally Posted by deephouse
In a norwegian rallypodcast. Ostberg said that in the begning of the season. He was just thinking doing one season in R5. But how the situation is now, He will most likely do one more.Quote:
Originally Posted by Japé
Hyundai team boss Andrea Adamo says he is taking a "big picture" view of whether to keep Craig Breen for the 2020 #WRC season https://t.co/Pdzp7zTLCI
without paywallQuote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/...elsen/4556372/
edit: content is actually available from autosport.com also, if to mess a bit with developer tools or read source code :)