That's a tough call but Wales is every so often very crucial because the conditions are usually very tricky and it's easy to throw the rally and therefore curcial points away.Quote:
Originally Posted by pantealex
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That's a tough call but Wales is every so often very crucial because the conditions are usually very tricky and it's easy to throw the rally and therefore curcial points away.Quote:
Originally Posted by pantealex
Wow! Awesome! Good news. But i'm sad to see that Skoda is not coming back in ERC.Quote:
Originally Posted by COD
Škoda in ERC would kill the championship
And boredom will kill ERC... :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
Skoda must have something going on that hasn´t been announced yet. That´s my only explanation. Let´s wait and see.
Skoda would not kill the ERC, Skoda would not have one a domain as they have in WRC2 are complacently compliant competitions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
In the ERC the local pilots have an importance what neither happens nor does not exist in the WRC2.
I smell a green light for the WRC car (2019-2020) but it's just my feeling in the moment...Quote:
Originally Posted by Rallyper
I have the same feelinf and it's time to have another oficial team on WRCQuote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
Don't WRC regulations change again for 2020? so that would make it the earliest.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
They could easily get Polo WRC 17 and change it to Fabia beast
A car developed in 2016 is obsolete in 2019-2020 no matter how good it would be in 2017.Quote:
Originally Posted by ESTR
Yes but they could develop further and just continue what VW start.. Just my thoughts.. It doesn't matter, I think that they will no come in top league for at least for a while. They said it a couple of times already. It's too expensive for them and no point if they keep wining titles in WRC2 year after year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
But keep in mind that VW is entering the R5 category. From a financial point of view there's no point to pour money into two competing development teams (who are competing with each other) in the same corporation.Quote:
Originally Posted by ESTR
VW will not enter in WRC2 with factory backing team. Maybe just couple of events but not the championship - This is for customers only.Quote:
Originally Posted by Franky
Also Kopecky went back on his threat to walk. Must be an incentive for that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
No one in the financial department cares about that.Quote:
Originally Posted by ESTR
I am not aware they said something like that. Škoda is in perfect financial situation, it has a lot of money now. They have record braking numbers every successing month and the trend is still growing. In my opinion if they ever want to do WRC than it's now when they have more than enough money to spend and nothing else to prove in the second league.Quote:
Originally Posted by ESTR
Just to support the claim - for first 3/4 of 2017 they had operational profit 1,2 billion Euro (+28%) and the average profit from one car 10% which was second highest in the whole VAG behind Porsche (ahead of Audi).
Besides that their direct rivals on the market are nearly all in WRC...
Hope you're right Mirek. Again there were quotes earlier this year about Jouhki wanting to place Kalle somewhere where he could run a WRC for testing/experience. He can't do that at Skoda, but like you say maybe they like the look of the manufacturer long term. Plus Skoda do like to market their WRC success and heritage it seems.
Seems like a perfect time. Probably too good to be true but I'd love to see it.
Kalle Rovanperä has multiple years contract says Jouhki.
Although contracts may be broken, i can't imagine he would sign up for that long without the prospect of a World Rally Car on the horizon.Quote:
Originally Posted by pantealex
Fabia4 road car should be due around 2020
He is 17 and has a lot to learn, multiple years can mean just 2...
On the contrary, different teams with different opportunities, which would suit more drivers...who bring more money. Otherwise we wouldn`t have this project, because of the financial department.Quote:
Originally Posted by Franky
Didn't Pontus drive the WRC Fiesta when he was under contract with Skoda?
Skoda totally deserves to be on the major series and we all hope for it since VW pull out; if they manage to do it from 2019 it’ll be great for the WRC and for Rovanpera, besides being Jouhki’s most amazing deal ever. Fingers crossed!
I only hope it gets the backing VW gave the Polo. My memory of Skoda in the WRC are all short clips of an Octavia crashing or catching fire on the day-end recaps.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
Would be very surprised if it happens for 2019.. S2000 and R5 I think tested for much longer and they would want to coincide it with new road car.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rally Power
So does anyone know for sure which Skoda drivers will do what? I wonder if Kalle is looking at the WRC2 title to prove his ability, so that he can get into a WRC drive? Although I imagine that he will have to perform extremely well to have a chance against Pontus and Jan - if they are given enough events to be competitive across the championship that is!
Sir, they jumped from super simple carburettor-equipped 1300ccm Favorit gr.A into WRC in only 5 years. If You consider the conditions in which Octavia WRC was born (with help from Dave Richards and Prodrive) than the Octavia can't be seen as a fail (at least for me it was not). What was true fail was Fabia WRC in 2004-2005 due to completely messed-up team management.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gregor-y
Anyway the reborn team from 2009 is completely different and moreover today there is way more money than that time. The company is roughly three times larger, it has cca 2000+ R&D staff and is overall on a completely different level in all aspects. Plus I think that the results of Fabia S2000 and R5 speak for themselves.
For Your information - Polo WRC was based on Fabia S2000 not vice versa.
My memories are vivid of that time because it's when I started following rallies.
I loved watching them take over the IRC and the R5s are great. The 1300cc cars have their own special history but the first decade of the 20th century was not kind. If they've got the money it'll be great. I think it was a mistake branding the WRC car as a Polo in the first place given Skoda's history. VW is too fickle as their pull-out illustrated.
"It comes with a price tag of $240,000 for the arrive and drive aspect of it and then you need to get yourself over there and accommodation and all of that. The whole package is worth around $320,000 to do the championship which is a lot of money but there is a lot involved in it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rallying/n...ectid=11954363
Pontus Tidemand stays with Skoda in WRC2. http://www.pontustidemand.se/sv/tide...es-with-skoda/
This is Skoda, we'll probably find out when the entry lists come out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Munkvy
Rovanperä does Mexico, Argentina, Finland, Wales and Spain. Also MC and TDC on a private car. Nordgren and Rovanperä will split the APRC season. Tidemand hints slightly he has other plans for the end part of the season.Quote:
Originally Posted by Munkvy
No Australia for Kalle? He did well there this year :)
No. Last time he drove a Fiesta WRC was 2014 and he joined Skoda 2015.Quote:
Originally Posted by SubaruNorway
I am not so sure about that, what was there to compare to? And he did have to Rally2...Quote:
Originally Posted by electroliquid
I meant that partly as a joke, as he win WRC2 ;) Win is win, you know...Quote:
Originally Posted by Munkvy
This year there will be probably more WRC2 competitiors with the same thought, i think also in Mexico and Argentina.
Now there's no more mandatory events so hopefully it means there will be more competition in every event. Now half of everyone's season was fixed to the mandatory events so it was quite easy to pick events with not much opposition.
https://www.rallye-magazin.de/wrc/ar...e-wrc-zurueck/ Some rumours about Škoda and WRC