Great article. I always wondered what is Tommi's plan about Meeke. At the beginning of the year it appeared there is one, but now he's back on his usual. Oh man.... how I wish it would work out.Quote:
Originally Posted by T16
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Great article. I always wondered what is Tommi's plan about Meeke. At the beginning of the year it appeared there is one, but now he's back on his usual. Oh man.... how I wish it would work out.Quote:
Originally Posted by T16
I speak the truth. What part of that post do you disagree with?Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
Yet you started the post with "maybe".Quote:
Originally Posted by wrc2017
Maybe I'm giving you a chance to digest. All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
Meeke could finish in front of Neuville and Ogier, more Driver points for Tänak. The difference between Tänak and Neuville/Ogier could be a bit larger when Meeke could do his job.Quote:
Originally Posted by wrc2017
Cheers mate.Quote:
Originally Posted by T16
LOL, you made my day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
Little amuses the simple.
No apologies for standing up for one of our countrymen, especially when the keyboard warriors take a epileptic fit in front of the keyboard... It just seems like the press random keys and hope that it makes sense.
https://www.facebook.com/50175021322...5034946562372/
Hyundai announce electric project
Obviously we dunno how much is speculation...Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
This part is clearly aimed at potential Hyundai offer:
For Hyundai it's true since neither Mikkelsen nor Loeb have been able to be consistently fast with the car. (Breen only did 1 rally so far)Quote:
"“He knows exactly how to drive the car in every condition. When you jump to the new car you need to learn it again, you don’t do it immediately, it always takes time to learn new car how to go fast – now you just concentrate to doing your work yourself.
“If I am looking at the bigger picture for him, staying with us is the biggest way to guarantee success.”
But imo it shouldn't really apply to Fiesta as it's not likely to have changed much since he drove it.
Made in cooperation with Croatian Rimac automobili. They recently announced of a joint electric project, didn't expect the car to be made already.Quote:
Originally Posted by deephouse
I hope Hyundai release the drivers in excess. They actually have all “best of the others” crews under “radar”. So i see no future to M-Sport, for example, pick a rally winner driver. If they race in Hyundai all year... ok, but like that,...
I don't think Mikkelsen or Breen, neither of which have contracts for next season, would be difficult to convince to go to MSport if given a "normal" salary and full season of rallies.
Anyway will be interesting to see what MSport does if Tanak doesn't join them. Worst case is they stay like this year, or even let Evans go somewhere else and drive with Suninen and Greensmith.
M Sport will definitely need a contender better than Evans. If this was a season of a preparation for such a signing, they are runni g out of options. I doubt that either Mikkelsen or Latvala would be a huge upgrade compared to current lineup. Suninen showed some progress this season but he is still having too many blackouts even for a 2nd driver. Greensmith definitely needs more time but I doubt that he will learn fast with teammates like these.
That's not a rally car, for sure. Future WRC cars will be hybrids, not full electrics. According to rumours it must be their racing car for the new ETCR series (starting in late 2020), which will use a common spec electric powertrain (developed by Seat).Quote:
Originally Posted by deephouse
Interesting; Rimac also assisted Seat on the Cupra ETCR development.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pršljen
Problem is you are kind of contradicting yourself here. Saying they need someone better than Evans and then saying that two of the best available ones are not good enough. Yes they are probably not a huge upgrade but still an upgrade.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pršljen
Only the top 3 are a huge upgrade, but 2 of them are not available and now rumors say the 3rd one isn't either.
That’s a fair statement, the reality is those top 3 will mop up the majority of the wins in a season, so the others are fighting over a few wins in a given season. Evans can count himself unlucky not to have one to his name, Sordo has one, but it would be no surprise if that was it by the end.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
https://www.is.fi/ralli/art-2000006198937.html
Timo Jouhki on Latvala/Meeke:
Latvala's situation looks a little bit brighter now after Finland, but we don't know how it's going to end up. He had such a terrible start for the season so there is a lot of work to do. Personally I would be surprised if Meeke keeps his seat (for 2020).
On Katsuta:
Katsuta's programme is a separate one from the actual TGR line-up (i.e. he'll be driving a fourth Yaris, not one of the three).
On Latvala's rumored partial programme for 2020:
If he can't continue with Toyota, then it's a possibility. But at TGR it's full season or nothing.
He thinks it would be crazy for Tanak to leave, while I kind of agree can you image that Tanak gets 1-2 punctures that weren't clearly his fault in Germany and suddenly looses WDC lead again? That's why I am not so sure he has re-signed for Toyota just yet.
Anyway too bad they didn't ask Jouhki if he is trying to get Suninen into that 3rd Toyota.
Given that he manages both drivers, surely he wouldn't give a useful answer anyway. That would mean he's screwing one of his drivers with the other..Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
If Jouhki is saying there's a lot of work to do, then it looks very bleak for Jari. He knows it.
Things only look better after Finland because Meeke was the unlucky one of the two drivers who retired because of that rock - when in fact Jaris impact seemed just as hard/even harder. If that went the other way, you'd have the opposite sort of stories we've seen coming from the Finnish/ Estonian press.
And Latvala would have had to do that silly mistake in Laukaa stage as well...Quote:
Originally Posted by er88
Actually Jouhki finishes the story by saying that Latvala has "quite good support from Japan and it helps in a situation like this".
e. Somehow it sounds like Tommi would like to oust both JML and Meeke, but the Japanese might come to rescue and save Latvala.
Latvala being liked by the Japanese Toyota people is a well known fact.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
While I agree Latvala's impact looked even harder and he was just more lucky, imo the main reason it's looking very bad for Meeke is what happened on Sunday.
Completely unnecessary crash on unimportant stage when there was no pressure due to a massive cut.
I wouldn't say their future contracts are decided on the Rally Finland incidents alone.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
True, and none of the parties involved no longer hide that in public.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Well off course not, but for Meeke it follows a pattern of similar incidents (Portugal, Corsica SS5, Portugal 2018, Argentina 2017).Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Yeah, Japan could well save Jari. However the reality is he doesn't deserve to stay at Toyota over Meeke (as things stand right now), based purely on performance factors. That's just an objective view despite how much I like Jari and want him to remain in the WRC. It's his 3rd year in the car, Makinen was going to bin him last season before his resurgence/Lappi leaving, and he is still currently (just) behind Meeke in the championship let's not forget.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
Despite what the Finnish press say, I don't believe anymore that they have chosen between Latvala and Meeke at this stage. There were rumours a month or two ago that Jari was gone, but those were probably easy rumours based off of his form and not accurate at all. Tommi probably knows one has to go at least, but after the next few rallies things could change massively in Latvala's favour or Meeke's - if a string of solid finishes helps get Toyota back ahead of Hyundai.
Imo the only way definitive decisions have been made at this stage is if both are out regardless - otherwise I reckon Meeke and Latvala will be left in the dark and given the next 3/4 rallies to try and win a deal for next season, while Toyota keep their options open. By then both could have driven/crashed their way out of a possible 2020 contract, or one could have saved their Toyota career with good results. 4th place in the drivers championship is still possible for both drivers (more so Latvala due to his form on these upcoming rallies last year, while as Mknight mentioned, Meeke has a horrible record in Germany and has never been to Turkey. Then you have GB with possible poor road position...).
Clearly both championship battles are where most of the interest will be, but with so many drivers out of contract for next year it'll also be really interesting to see who performs and who doesn't in the last 5 rallies. There will be some big winners and losers.
It's always difficult to weight last few (one?) rally vs last 1/2 year, year, 2 years...
Some people (and managers) seem to weight the last 1-2 rallies a lot, while others (like Wilson and seemingly also Tommi) are more about the long-term. Obviously there is no perfect answer on what is better.
Meeke is the one with the biggest doubt.
He has again shown he cant be trusted to deliver good points for the team and even the odd win looks beyond him now.
Finland could have been the final straw.
i read yesterday from finnish media that Latvalas salary is as much as Tänaks
sounds quite crazy for me if it is true.
You must see the whole picture. Then you´ll understand.Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
Next year is another year, though...
Actually can be true.. Latvala made the contract based on his experiences and value and etc.. Ott made his contract in mid 2017, when he was not yet that valuable and fast.. I bet from next year he will be the most paid man in WRC. Rumours are even around 5-7mil per year..Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
I understand this when he made the contract in 2016 coming from VW, at that time he was considered maybe the second best besides Ogier.
But didnt they renew the contract for this year?
They did renew it, but I assume, he wanted same or more money :D
I think (couldn't find any news to confirm it though by quick search) the deal Latvala made with TGR in December 2016 was for 2+1 years. Most likely the terms of that option year have already been defined in that original contract. If it was indeed like that (2+1), then it wouldn't be that big a surprise if Tänak (who made a 2-year deal for 2018/2019) and JML had similar salaries.Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
Hold on, is Meeke not ahead of Latvala (and Lappi) on the standings, and has only 7 months in the car. Latvala is in his 3rd year. Tommi just said yesterday, about Tanak, you need time the car to become 'connected' to your car. Joukki can't say, this or that, about Latvala over Meeke, about an incident that was small, and almost identical, and one driver was more lucky than the other. Its manager talk. Still think Meeke has more upside available than Latvala at Toyota, just needs to tidy up the loose ends. He hasn't destroyed cars like Lappi, Neuville or Evans, it's just small stuff, than can, maybe, be contributed to seat time.
Can you describe Meeke as team-player?Quote:
Originally Posted by wrc2017
You should not concentrate on the fact that Latavala was more Lucky than Meeke. To hit that stone, they both ignored Mäkinens instructions to "manage the pace and do not try to match Tänaks pace". They both failed.
The difference comes from next episode. Latvala backed-off, took it to "confortable level" and lost some speed. But this was exactly what team expected. Conclusions made, job well done. Meeke meanwhile.. did another stupid mistake.