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Do you really think Neubauer deserves this victory? He has been competing for years and couldn't beat almost 60-year-old Baumschlager when they were driving cars of the same class. So he bought a better car and can win now. Can you even call it SPORT?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ucci
Video Rebenland Rallye 2016 - 12 Min.:
https://vimeo.com/159681583
http://www.ir7.at/reb16v.jpg
36 seconds advantage after 170 km of stages with World Rally Car against R5 does not sound too impressive, i have to admit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarek Z
The second WRC way down on place 3. Hats off to Baumschlager.
I would not be suprised if at the end of the season, he is again champion with all the reliability.
its exactly the same when 420 bhp 911 competing against r5 at dry asphalt.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarek Z
And yes thats not fair.
Of course it´s not fair, but it also wasn´t fair in previous years when Baumschlager with his Fabia R5/S2000 was competing only against 2WD-cars.
In 2016 it´s not fair in 2WD-class too, where multiple 2WD-champion Böhm has to compete with an Adam R2 against R3-cars.
In 2014, when Neubauer first used his old Fiesta S2000, he regularly was leading rallies in front of Baumschlager, but always lost his nerves when he felt Baumschlager´s pressure too much, he had some misfortune too.
I also think that Baumschlager is the fastest driver and wouldn´t be surprised if in the end he leads the championship again, but he still has the biggest budget and his team regularly competes on an international level, the only one in Austria after Stohl´s retiring.
Baumschlager also was thinking about changing to a WRC car too, but as everyone knows he is strongly linked with Skoda and also is sponsored by Skoda Austria.
He is an old man and nobody grows faster in his age especially when You have things like night stages. If young drivers can't beat him it is a clear indication that his budget wasn't the main factor why he kept winning.
You can see the things the other way, when a restricted 911 can’t match an N+Evo it has nothing to do with the driving, it's just a clear sign of how hugely that car was undermine by regs.Quote:
Originally Posted by dimviii
Honestly I think this rally Gt discussion has been a bit out of focus with so many “balls” comments about the driving and straight line speed remarks.
Let’s be fair, any guy that drives a rally car flat out, from a 2wd Gr.N to a WRC, has to be brave, so it’s a bit redundant to praise Porsche drivers for their abilities. For sure, 911’s aren’t easy and demands a different driving technique from fwd, 4wd and even more balanced rwd cars, but a top driver has to adapt to any car or road.
On the tech side we could largely argue about different figures and specifications but in a plain and simple way we can just say they’re matched; 911’s are superior on fast stages but they can’t cope with R5’s on more twisted roads.
At Canarias Rally we had Kajto, ERC champ, with a top R5 and Cruz, Canarias champ, with a top 911. If we analyze the first leg times we can see Cruz was able to get very close to Kajto, but he didn't reach the lead. 2nd leg times and Cruz overall win are deceptive, as we know Kajto had tyre problems (and Luky ease up a bit).
So, in one of their most favorable rallyes unrestricted 911’s weren’t superior or inferior to R5’s, they were matched. As it was already seen during ’14 spanish championship won by Vallejo’s 911 in a close battle with Fuster’s Fiesta R5 (5 wins for Vallejo, 4 for Fuster).
It’s clear that the need to restrict 911’s didn’t come from their alleged superiority; it came from the understandable will to get a more diversified field on CERA’s. Because 911’s are equally fast but largely less expensive than R5’s, RFEA only option was to undermine them through the regs.
Ironically, the problem of 911’s in modern rally it’s their low price!
In Estonia use GAZ trucks in rallies. They are not made for rally as 911, but quite a fun to watch.
Dennis Kuipers with his Ford Fiesta WRC was simply the best at the Zuiderzee Rally but what an impressive performance of 18yo Jim van den Heuvel who was going full attack with his red Lancer EVO X. The biggest surprise was from Brian Madsen with his lovely Peugeot 306 Maxi, such a beautifull sound and very fast on the evening stages.
Full results: http://rallytiming.nl/index.php?r=1601&p=684
Enjoy my video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwR7YFgvTDU
http://i67.tinypic.com/20pjx1.jpg