I see what you mean but you simply can't separate the two notions mental and driving skills. They are interdependent.
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I see what you mean but you simply can't separate the two notions mental and driving skills. They are interdependent.
Latvala's inability to go up the final rung of the ladder could be mental, driving style or any combination of things.
As I see it though, his biggest problem is living in Seb-land his whole career, but he's still achieved a lot. He also has a far more flamboyant driving style, which is probably less suited to today's cars.
I give him all sorts of credit for being so open, so self-analytical and for trying to do something different. Whether it works or not, he's won plenty enough to be proud of, so what's he got to lose by focusing on something new?
Which Latvala have you been watching? In my opinion/view on the stages, over the last couple of years, Latvala's driving style became much cleaner, often less sideways than Ogier.
Interesting, it might be something drilled in to my memory from a few years ago and I know it's cleaner than his first year with the VW, but I always seem to notice Latvala a lot more sideways than Ogier.
But that may be just because I look for it - I will have to look with a fresh pair of eyes next time :)
It's not too much about sideways...I get what you mean and I think I've been too much synthetic. I agree with Karukera, we can't separate mental and driving skills, but we can put one of them ahead of the other, we can say that one is more important and the other will come afterwards....Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
I'll make you an example to explain me better: in what Latvala has improved more since his early years? In controlling his mind? No, I think the bigger improvement, amongst others, is his drive on asphalt. He was very far from top guys at the beginning and now he is very very close to a specialist and master like Ogier, sometimes even faster.
He put him under pressure in a lot of asphalt rallys and made him make mistakes like he did not do even on gravel (Germany and France 2014 are very good examples).
Now, how did he accomplished this? With his mental trainer? Doing Yoga? :D Nope! He himself said that he worked hard, looking on Loeb onboards, training himself and so on... That's what I meant. The mental improvement has followed his work on driving and not the contrary!
Now, what I want to say is this: Latvala is a very very emotional guy. I really like him for this, and for everything dodge33cymru said, I am a great fan of him, and I falled in love with rally thanks to him after playing wrc4 with my pc and asking myself who was that guy always second behing Loeb.
But I think he should not fight his emotional side, he should not try to calm himself down. That is his nature and he should try to take advantage from there.
An emotional guy is the worse when something goes wrong but is the best when everything goes well! That's why I said he should work on his driving much more than on his head.
If he makes that further step forward, that means to improve his feeling with the car, to have it under control, to be fast and more safe than he is, he could really achieve his goals. But all this is not something a psycologist can teach you, it's about driving, just like he did with his tarmac skills.
Hope now is more clear.
I think the mental side of what is meant here is exactly what Colin Clark speaks about - pressure. Pressure can be Your worst enemy forcing You to do mistakes, including ones against Your nature. So no matter how emotional he is, he must learn how to handle pressure and probably think little more before reacting emotionally.
As for driving I agree he has improved a lot, but in Monte he seem to lost something about this improvement sometimes, perhaps many times. May be this also had negative effect over his mental state...
I'm not sure if the whole thing is being slightly over-analysed. Split second snap decisions during an intense moment.
What pressure is Latvala under now that he hasn't already been under for the last 3 years in a dominant winning car?
VW already have a sure-fire title winner in Ogier. For the last 3 years his points tally alone has been enough to guarantee VW the manufacturers title. I know that's an overly simplistic way of looking at things, but it's quite striking.
The only pressure is simply what Latvala is putting on himself. It even seems like he has a long-term deal with VW. So he's not even fighting for a drive next year. He's not consistent enough to rattle Ogier at all so he's the perfect team-mate in that set-up.
Or am I missing something? Was this going to be the year that Latvala, a guy who already had significantly more experience, was going to get better than Ogier?
In another era he and Hirvonen would have been multiple world champions but they came up against a brick wall.
For me that's his main problem. Just needs to drive, stop second guessing himself and worst of all, announcing plans about how he's is going to drive this season - (take it easy first half, attack 2nd half of season, or whatever he said). He drove himself off the road thinking about all this nonsense.Quote:
Originally Posted by dodge33cymru
Just drive, don't think so much J-M.
Motorsport News
@MNRally
Also included; Meeke won't appear on every Citroen round Citroen do, and @Craig_Breen has talked up the French marque after his Monte recce.
I can't be bothered buying the digital issue of the magazine for one story. What's the news? How many rounds will Meeke do?
And all the talk of a 'mind manager' who has transformed him into a serial rally winner & WRC Title contender......or maybe not.Quote:
Originally Posted by noel157
Citroen haven't put a number on anyone's programme it seems. I think there were some rumours Meeke had five rounds sorted but was expected to do more.Quote:
Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1
Matton quote in MN: "The idea is to give approximately an equal amount [of competition] to the three drivers. I want to keep full flexibility and I don't want to talk about who will drive on which rallies or which rallies we will compete on - just in case we make a change in our plans.
"What the drivers will do will be linked to our test programme as well. Kris will not do all of the rallies which we will do as a team."
It says China is the only long-haul event believed to be under consideration.
I'd also add don't forget Al Qassimi who is clearly having some kind of programme too this year. Possibly a case of just waiting for the entry lists to come out each event. Or maybe they will just announce their plans two rallies at a time?
I think its important to remember, when judging Latvala, is that in a non-french-Seb-era, he would be a winner. He would in fact be a clear winner of the 2015 WRC if Ogier didn't enter. So he is no slouch, its just that the Loeb and the Ogier are so perfect, and have introduced a new way of doing things You can't really compete with unless You learn it. And driving 110% at times to follow a driver that only needs to push 95% is a big difference.
Latvala is off course an emotional guy, but in my opinion not more than Ogier. Remember 2014, and the big dispute in regards to starting positions. It clearly hampered his performances, and he was so demotivated he threatened to stop rallying. His management (V&V management at the time) was really frustrated on what to do.
But even being emotional, and sometimes a little too cocky like going of in Sweden in 2014, and at the end of 2015 giving away a victory to Mikkelsen because a laps of strategy management, when You have the right driving technique/strategy as a base, these things dont get such large effects as they do for Latvala.
I am off course surprised of how WRC teams and drivers dont see how large a difference to driving technique Ogier and Loeb are from "the others", and are able to work more closely with the drivers to change their ways, after Olav Bodilsen opened mye eyes to it, and that it isn't Latvalas psyche that keep him from being world champion, but his technique. And this can be adjusted.
Letting your theory apart, I agree on what you said. That's a big part of what I meant to say.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lundefaret
He has won many events and been fast almost everywhere. That speaks strongly against you theory. It his head, and that alone that prevents him from ever being a championQuote:
Originally Posted by Lundefaret
When Lundefaret speaks of technique he is not nessessarily talking how to make a driver faster but how to make them safer, do you consider JML to be a safe driver?Quote:
Originally Posted by COD
No, it really doesn't speak strongly against it.Quote:
Originally Posted by COD
This says a lot about the level of risk he needs to take to keep up with Ogier, and this again will affect his psyche.
Take Finland: This is one of the most prestigious rallies to win, and if You are a Finn, this is the one You want on Your resume. For Finns this means that 300.000 + spectators are expecting You to do great things, and cary the flag for them. Finnish drivers have won in Finland, but they have also lost big time (crashed out).
Latvala has had a very strong duel against Ogier for two consecutive years, duels (I was present in 14 with was great) that he one on the last stage. It was close.
I am not saying that Latvala has the strongest psyche known to the athletic world, I am just saying that the rallies he stumbles, is often technical events, or events with grip changes where You have to be very precise to get the victory. And its the uncertainty around not knowing how to drive these rallies safely, and having an opponent that clearly does, that takes its toll.
Latvala is an extremely good rally driver, and he has adjusted a lot the last few years, also in driving technique, but not enough to challenge Ogier for the championship.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nornbugger
You are right.
Rally is about the ratio between speed and risk (risk in the meaning of the risk of loosing time because of a missed apex, having a puncture, having a small accident, or even crashing out).
Rally Monte Carlo is all about this, and its a "Nose End First" rally to the extreme, and very difficult to win if You have a different speed vs risk ratio than Ogier.
JML can come to stage end saying that the stage went okay with no problems and saying that he can push more (and mean in), and on the inboard You can see four or five places where he lost small amounts of time because of not optimal accelerations, or missed apexes etc, and two or three places he nearly went off (where probably most other rally drivers in the world would have gone of, he has incredible car control), so he has laid the bar where he is used to drive with just an incredible level of risk, but some how being able to get to the finish of most stages.
In Latvalas early days he was the driver that could take 30 seconds of almost anybody when he left his brain at home and let the horns grow out of his helmet, but then the risk/speed ratio was even more extreme than now.
It was probably an exception, but Latvala also had a fantastic win last year at Portugal, and the rally had many types of SS’s (from fast to twisted routes, hard to soft surfaces) .Quote:
Originally Posted by Lundefaret
You all pointed important reasons for Latvala’s inconsistency, but there’s another one that’s always used to explain Ogier domination: VW team moves around the French! (as previously Citroen moved around Loeb).
There’s no way Latvala (or any other guy) can be champion in VW alongside Ogier. Latvala knows it, and that’s a huge mental pressure on him. Ogier comment on that brilliant Latvala win was “today the best driver didn’t win…”.
If after Portugal the Finn managed to start a winning series and become a real threat to the ‘numero uno’, things would get pretty ugly inside VW’s and certainly not to the Champ side.
I was hoping to see Latvala’s moving to Toyota and become their undisputed leader, but sadly it seems he’s happy to stay as second driver at VW.
http://nwt.se/sport/motorsport/2016/...alet-chockhojs
I didn't see this coming. If true, Sweden faces losing the snowy round of WRC to either Japan or Canada unless they find a lot more money. What's tradition got to do with anything anyway?
Portugal did had many type of SSs but Lundefaret was referring to changes of grip in the same stage, sometimes in only one corner and on those situation, Latvala has indeed a gap from Ogier. That's why Latvala never shined in Monte for example. When on the contrary he can build a rythm and can predict the grip he can be faster, except very loose gravel rallys like Mexico where Ogier is simply a master. As already said I think he should concentrate on build a solid base of speed also in those situation in order to be more sure of himself and not let his mind fuck him up. (sorry for the language but I don't know how to say it in a more polite way :) )Quote:
Originally Posted by Rally Power
Canada or Japan to take over as Winter WRC Round as Sweden might get dropped due to funds
https://translate.googleusercontent....obovROADb_K_Pw
Japan and Canada offering $40million + to host Winter rally
Any source? I hope it's not the man who told you Kubica was going to drive a DS3 WRC from PH Sport this year, or the man who said Fiat is returning in WRC...Quote:
Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1
Original
http://nwt.se/sport/motorsport/2016/...s?refresh=true
Google translated
https://translate.google.com/transla...rue&edit-text=
they'll probably take Japan since Toyota are returning to the sport..allthough it would make more sense to go to Canada since you have Mexico soon after..
That's 40 million Swedish kronor - drop the zero to get estimated amount in €/$.Quote:
Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/122619 has anybody seen this???
Since we know there is no difference between 13 and 14 rounds for FIA and WRC promoter I bet they will drop out Sweden and put into the calendar both Canada (with money) and Japan (with money). More rounds in WRC calendar means more money for promoter. :D Who gives a f*ck what the teams say? Money rules. At least that is how I understand the whole situation with 2016 calendar. China candidate event was tragical event, 13 rounds was enough but money gave everybody from FIA and promoter answer to their doubts :D
http://www.rallye-magazin.de/wm/nach...n-unter-druck/ more about sweden,japan & canada...
When does RBMH contract end?
It was 10 years from 2013, wasn't it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Franky
I know how money count and I agree with the purpose to open the WRC's doors to other countries and people. But leaving Scandinavia, one of the regions where rally is a serious stuff, with so many drivers, teams, sponsors and fans seems to me like a sacrilege. It's like not playing football in Italy or hockey in Finland. I really hope Sweden and the promoter will find a way to extend the contract.
That's stupid... Rally Sweden should be one of the "safest" in the calendar...
https://t.co/LHajaZMmYE
Seems Prokop is saying WRC would better off without VW, is that true that he is really saying that??
Apologies I thought indeed it was 40million!
Proud to announce the formation of the Paddon Rally Foundation. Details and information will be released in the second half of the year as we work towards helping New Zealand club and national competitors from 2017 onwards. I have been very lucky to have had a lot of people help me and this is our way to start giving back to our sport - a sport that I and everyone else involved in HPRG are incredibly passionate about. The aim of the foundation will be to help encourage new competitors into rallying, encourage club competitors to make that next step and of course try and help the next NZ champion and international driver and/or co-driver. Stay tuned for more details later in the year, in the meantime do what you can this year to add to your CV before we open up applications in the future. Happy rallying!
https://www.facebook.com/haydenpaddo...318867/?type=3
https://www.facebook.com/haydenpaddonwrc
Hirvonen gets WRC testing role with Toyota
http://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/h...toyota-670281/
Studded tyres are still not allowed in Canada right? So that means they would have to change the law to have an WRC event there...
Anyone got a video link to a snow rally in Japan? Couldn't find anything
Since how many years do we hear this reguarly before and after Rally Sweden? Countless...Quote:
Originally Posted by focus206
I see this as an hint for Sponsors, government etc. to open budgets for the organiser.
Ok, but I don't take it too serious and I'm quite sure in the end we will be in Sweden for the coming years as it was in the past.