Is that a fact? I thought Novikov was freaking made of money! :SQuote:
Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys
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Is that a fact? I thought Novikov was freaking made of money! :SQuote:
Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys
Hmmm... Two crews in one car? 4 people? Or Evgeny and Therry in one crew? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys
He meant half rounds for Evgeny and half for Thierry...Quote:
Originally Posted by Xsara Fan
Yes Xsara fan. Tolis means: first 1,5 days for Evgeny, and then 1,5 days for Thierry... :D
Not both drivers in the car at the same time. Swapping half way through the event.Quote:
Originally Posted by tolis
Sorry silly i know
Steve
Of course one big joke... Just as unrealistic as Neuville and Novikov in a Prodrive-Mini... :)
Shame, after the positive showing Sordo put in on last years event you'd think some wealthy tourist would put up the cash to get out in a works car.
Rallyrykter.no saying Delecour is confirmed for MC with Prodrive...?
so no Nikkara for Monte?
Chris Atkinson got some good results with Mini last year, any news if Prodrive had any tests or contacts with him? Also what about Craig Been? Everyone says Kris Meeke is good driver, but I think he crashes alot, like Novi and JML!
Craig Breen continues with Saintéloc Racing in ERC. At least I believe I saw that news somewhere...
There were plans in the making.. I guess that program will start in Canarias if it gets made.
Such a shame their marketing people can not raise the budget
That's what he is aiming for, nothing confirmed yet as budget is not in place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
Question guys (I know I ask alot, so please forgive me): is the Mini JCW car competitive enough? Given we have equally skilled drivers , can it compete with Ford Fiesta and Citroen DS3?
Certainly no, because it has lacked budget for development and competitive mileage. But how much really slower - no one can say
I think Mini is 1 year without development more or less...
That's tragic. I don't get how Mini can back the X-Raid effort and not Prodrive. However much Mini wins in Corss Country it will have less viewers than WRC. I suppose we can say now that Meeke is finished in WRC now?
I'm not sure exactly what happened, but it's pretty obvious that Mini either lost faith in Prodrive, or Prodrive did something to upset them enough that they pulled the team's funding. They haven't said anything on the subject, but I'm guessing that they might be willing to support a dedicated manufacturer effort in the future - they just don't want any factory effort to have anything to do with Prodrive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
Unless he finds sponsors and/or another team. Which, if he was smart, he would have done at the start of this year when it became obvious he wasn't going to drive. There are several teams that competed in 2012 with no current plans - like Adapta, Brazil WRT and Monster (who have implied they may well continue in 2013 without Ken Block).Quote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
The X-Raid MINI's are built buy another company similar to Prodrive but not sure how baked they are by MINI/BMW, maybe as much as Prodrive are with development of engine etc BUT I think Dakar/Raid team have better sponsors and will have larger publicity from the event and X-Raid events!
Last year Sven Quandt said that BMW/Mini give them only the engine and that's all.
Sven Quandt is the son of Herbert Quandt.
Herbert Quandt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Quandt family "owns" BMW so I'd think with Sven the situation is entirely different than Prodrive.
Quite a bit different indeed. The Dakar is a strong brand, with regular updates and live reports - just what sponsors want.
The whole Prodrive/BMW/Mini episode has been perfect example of how not to do a Motorsport project - despite all the early promise. The foundations were made of sand. One feels for the employees of Prodrive. I've always felt that 'in house Factory' teams are better than outside prep companies, and this has done nothing to change that.
Prodrive have other projects on their hands. Aston Martin, V8 Supercars etc
BUT some Prodrive staff were given opportunities they couldn't say No to after the fiasco of what was the WRC program/s and moved to VW Motorsport for the WRC ;)
Really, Prodrive should concentrate on the GT, and Aussie V8 series....and forget the WRC for now. The Mini has probably lost a years worth of development. The RRC version might make a nice National series car.
I think the future will not be so bright for Prodrive/Mini in WRC :( .
I mean why all out of sudden Mini/BMW lost interest in WRC? what has happend to make them withdraw? BMW/Mini sales is good I think, so I do not think it is money thing. Something else has happend!
BMW have never really understood Rallying - it doesn't suit their image, and they are not taking on their Premium rivals. They would argue that they made the right decision; winning the DTM in their first season back with Bruno Spengler.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frostmourne
On the other hand AndyRAC, they wanted to promote the Mini Countryman... And except for rallying (WRC or Dakar), there is no other world championship where the car could be where it belongs...
BMW never lost interest. Agreement on the start of Mini project between Prodrive and BMW was very clear. BMW fulfiled this agreement, mistake is on side of Prodrive...Quote:
Originally Posted by Frostmourne
What was this agreement? how did Prodrive fail it? will you please enlighten me :) ?Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
I think BMW never wanted to be the title sponsor of Mini WRC involvement. The agreement I believe was BMW will develop/provide only the engine for 2012, but Prodrive has to fulfill all the sponsorship part for the WRC campain.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frostmourne
But isn't the engine the weakest part of the Mini?
Plan from BMW was to develop the engine and pay development of the car. All running of the team and additional costs were on side of Prodrive. But maybe Richards hoped that BMW will not kill the project if he will not find another sponsor and he will dig more money from BMW. But it was a mistake, BMW didnt wanted to pay more than was planned...Quote:
Originally Posted by stefanvv
It might be, at the beginning of 2012 the project just stopped, probably because Prodrive didn't find the necessary sponsorship.Quote:
Originally Posted by Franky
Who wanted to? BMW? I never really felt their heart was in it, and anyway, the only 'talk' was from Mini UK, who kept mentioning the 60's Rallying success. Did anybody truly expect a fully funded effort like VW?Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
It was down to Prodrive to find sponsorship - and they were unable to do this. Though as DR said earlier this year on TheRallyShow, FTA TV is the issue. Sponsors aren't interested unless there is FTA TV, poor quality highlights on MotorsTV isn't good enough.
According to some of Prodrive's old press releases they will have a relationship with BMW to develop MINI WRC cars until 2018. If they can't make Monte Carol I can't see how they could survive until then. I always thought that BMW would want to make a decent fist of the WRC as they said they wanted to develop its brands in a way that just being in F1 could not allow them to do when they left in 2009. Also, I believed incorrectly that MINI and Prodrive would want to make a British champion in a "British" car with Meeke (something like Colin in 1995).
I think Mini does favor the X-Raid operation as the WRC program is not mentioned on the minimotorsport.com website at all and the Dakar Countryman has JCW stickers that it did not use to have, that made me think Mini was giving more money to that program.
Monte Carlo and Sweden are the two most unique events on the calendar. Prodrive would probably be better off skipping those rallies entirely and entering the season in Mexico, which is the first of six gravel rounds in a row. Any development they do then is going to be of immediate benefit, whereas testing on snow in preparation for Monte Carlo and Sweden is only going to be of any use for those events, where the surfaces only come up once a year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
The good thing about Monte is when the comnditions are "unique" they are leveler, so how fast the car is doesn't matter, just like last year. Sweden ok, but I thing they might prefer that before Mexico, because it's much cheaper ;)
If I were at Prodrive, and I only had the budget to do, say, eight rallies this year, I would not pick Monte Carlo as one of those eight and gamble on the possibility of inclement conditions. I'd probably stay away from Monte Carlo entirely until I had the budget to do at least ten rallies.