Sordo's new contract for 7 events in 2020 must confirm Hyundai will be there whatever happens this year. Good news.
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Sordo's new contract for 7 events in 2020 must confirm Hyundai will be there whatever happens this year. Good news.
Driver contracts have NEVER stopped a manufacturer from leaving. Paying out contracts is peanuts compared to the cost of actually competing...Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Right, as long as the team is given the green light from the manufacturer, they must ensure they can continue working, and that includes contracts with drivers on the following season. Meanwhile, the manufacturer can pull the plug whenever they want. But I would still assume Hyundai has given them strong green light to start planning 2020.Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyfiend
Yes, it just means they haven't decided to leave yet. Doesn't mean they can't change their mind in 2 months after Australia.
I think we can use the old saying here: a WRC team is committed to WRC till it pulls the plug.
I think that leaving now right before three new events comes to WRC is a stupid idea. Especially since they hve grown their bussiness a lot. Look how Hyundai have become one of the biggest concerns of automotive industry in the world. And I'm sure competing in WRC plays a huge role in it. It's understandable that they need results with so any vice champion titles already, But they will achieve it, if not this year then in coming. It would be stupid to stop now when they are closer and closer each year with experience and that. And if they would stop and then come back they need to start all over again from the beginning. Look Citroen and ''their'' experience and sitting out. It doesn't pay off at all. Except Ogier ill now turn toSuper Saiyan and will beat them all haha a little joke aside
Merci Jeannot
https://www.diariomotor.com/competic...merci-jeannot/
and companion video to that renault r5 turbo - tour de corse - 8 minutes 2019
https://youtu.be/t6KJDY71ils
Latvala announced today that his wedding is canceled and he would like the gossip to end in order to concentrate to the end of the season
https://www.rallit.fi/jari-matti-lat...isen-vaikeita/
Poor boy. Hope him the best.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
https://www.is.fi/ralli/art-2000006269210.html
Timo Jouhki saying it's basically "Toyota or nothing" for Latvala. It can be read that Wilson doesn't want Latvala back at M-Sport, though it's always possible to get a Fiesta WRC with proper backing. Sounds like Jouhki doesn't want do that (to fund JML's driving) anymore (my interpretation).
Another thing that Jouhki says is that Rovanperä's next year deal is announced between Catalunya and Australia.
They also talk about Latvala becoming Toyota's test driver. I don't see that happening, because they have Hänninen who can use the guest driver quota.
A true rally legend and one of my heroes from when I started driving my first hot-hatchback, a Renault 11 Turbo.Quote:
Originally Posted by dimviii
Watching him compete on tarmac in a fwd hatch against the Integrales, Cosworths & BMW M3's was amazing.
It'd be very unfortunate and borderline disgraceful for Latvala's career to end off so abruptly and unceremoniously :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
I don´t think he is funding Latvala since many many years. He had brought home his investments on JML, ROI, since late 00´I strongly believe. He would collect his share also if Latvala goes to Ford. He won´t be for free.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
+1. More than the risk of a short term pull-out, failing this year manus title may be decisive for Hyundai long term WRC commitment; they can always run the current car and drivers one season more but avoid to start the 2022 car development, having in mind a future series switch. Let's hope not.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Two points:Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
- Wilson "doesn't want" Latvala (thought it's not clear to me if Joukhi says that or the authors of the article claim that)
- He says the place held by Mikkelsen "can go to just about anyone", yet at start he says Toyota or nothing? So just about anyone but not Latvala?
I have nothing against him because he seems a nice guy but some might say he has been quite lucky to have had such a long and unbroken career in WRC already.Quote:
Originally Posted by steve.mandzij
Personally think he probably has a year or two left in him but choosing when one’s career in motorsport ends is a bit of a luxury.
Not sure what the facts/ numbers are in terms of numbers of full seasons by every driver currently in the wrc (and the likes of Breen/ Paddon/ Ostberg), but Jari has without a doubt had more full seasons than anyone.
The problem is we are in an era where the driver pool needs/deserves an extra manufacturer. Kalle, Paddon, Ostberg, Breen arguably all deserve seats in the top class, but you could say so do drivers like Latvala who are still well ahead of the next tier down like Tidemand/ Greensmith etc.
Not WRC, but the Mull rally have some decent coverage on their Facebook page. They have another couple of stages to go this evening.
Mainly stage end and service park interviews with Colin Clarke and David Evans, but it’s worth a watch.
It's a good thing in the end that JML's trophy turd is gone. Rumor has it the b!tch was toxic as all hell and JML was having a tough time. People who knew, knew! It will take time, but one can say she has caused him a lot of stress... And she issues a statement to the media while he was rallying in GB. What a selfish lil piece of ....
Mikkelsen has split with Even Management
https://www.evenmanagement.no/news/d...ven-management
EDIT: Could this mean Mikkelsen would go to M-Sport (Erik Veiby is against paying for driving)
It probably means some polarized solution: either Mikkelsen is now fckd up or he has some better options available.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
I think it probably means that Andreas has paid off the investment Veiby made in him and reckons he can avoid paying commission in the future...Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
I wouldn't want to be managed by someone who has his own son in pursuit of his own professional career, as I'd be worried he would take all the best options....
He wouldn't be making a change if he was currently happy with how things are/ are looking. Will be interesting to see what happens with Andreas next year
.. That sounds like a great business plan from EVEN happy to get your money back.. then release the driver?? More like Andreas was offered a few rallys from Hyundai for peanuts, but would rather drive full season for Msport, and pay a few quid. EVEN wouldn't like that.. as money is flowing wrong way.Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyfiend
Tidemand also left EVEN Management last year...
I hope Mikkelsen has better luck getting events in 2020.
Tidemand had to, he was going nowhere with Even. At least he's had 4 events this year, it's his own fault he's performed horribly.
Different reasons are possible, but quite surely a common denominator would be that Even wasn't able to secure a deal he would want.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Could be that Even doesn't want to bring any sponsorship money. Wants too high commision for themselves, or simply can't negotiate with some specific managers.
Citroen happy with test of new aero...
https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/octo...9--12-12-.html
also on autosport now with little bit longer text https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...dical-aero-yetQuote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
“It’s also the first time that we use on Tarmac the new front geometry introduced in Finland. We also worked on the dampers side. Everything combined, we solved the understeering issue, which was our main issue on the last Tarmac rounds. We clearly improved the balance of the car and the drivers’ feeling confirms it.
“But nothing replaces the race itself. What we don’t know yet is if it will be enough or not in terms of performance. But we will keep working flat out till the rally to be as competitive as possible.”
THIS....i remember they were also quite pleased after Germany tests, and even after shakedown....but later on the stages things turned out totally different.
Extremely weird that D. Evans writes about C3 performance on tarmac and mentions Meeke "almost winning" Corsica as the only indicator of how good it was ignoring that Meeke won in Spain and Mikkelsen was 2nd in Germany. Both of these is something I'd certainly rate higher than Meeke leading a rally by 16s with half stages to go.
This kind of thing happens in just about every article by him. Starting to feel he does these kind of small "mistakes" on purpose.
He seems to have a bad memory. In a recent podcast he says "Tänak was leading in Sweden...I think he was leading in Sweden?" then Edd Straw, an F1 guy, probably looks up the result and says "he won in Sweden". Same for Colin Clark, who rarely remembers in which rally a certain incident happened. But it's normal at their age. ;) It's also difficult to listen to the latest Gravel Notes podcast with these two guys together trying to remember which of the Solans brothers won JWRC this year and who two years ago...Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Interesting things from Kitchen table with Adamo, not many of them....filled with a lot of "pub talk" in between:
- It was Alain Penasse who pointed out Breen for him before Finland. Quite surprising to me, thought that Breen's starts in Italy got him interested.
- He said he either thrusts a driver or not, nothing in between (in an interview this should have been followed with questions on who he trusts atm, Mikkelsen? Breen? Loeb on tarmac?)
(Note that this talk was done before Rally GB! Wonder how things changed now)
- likes how FIA works with him ( this year ), reacting to Toyota rear wing story. From the context you could read it as not being happy with the "mistake" (he calls it) that FIA did in 2017 in the first place
- agrees the need to follow "the times" with hybrid/electric, but then talks a lot about how hybrid should be used to drive electric on the road sections so comes out a bit confusing
https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc-2/news/20...4--51-51-.html
Seems already better than WRC 2 ProQuote:
In a nutshell, WRC 2 is for manufacturer-backed teams and FIA-sanctioned independent teams.
To qualify, you need a manufacturer name in the title of the team (Škoda Motorsport, for example) or you must have significant experience and ability as well as the necessary finances to tackle a full season for the governing body to sign you off for WRC 2.
For WRC 2 crews, a full season means seven of the eight European rounds and one of two designated rallies outside Europe. Titles will be awarded for drivers, co-drivers and teams.
The aim of the WRC 2 changes is to ensure the leading crews meet regularly through the season. Too often in the past, by accident or design, the second tier’s finest talents have avoided each other and scooped big points, even when restarting after a retirement.
Quote:
WRC 3 is designed for privateers, with only a drivers’ title on offer and far less stringent regulations about where and when you have to compete.
(Belongs more to WRC+ topic) Just a hypothetical question: how much more interest could potential manufacturers show when WRC+/ALLLive could have separate program to cover only WRC 2 (as a fan I mean here WRC 2 Pro and WRC 2 by current naming policy)?Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
At the moment WRC2 (Pro) don't have enough coverage, but there are also really interesting battles.
I repeat the same as always - they don't have enough onboard camera kits to fully cover WRC2 in All Live, and often the schedule is too tight to extend the live broadcast.Quote:
Originally Posted by meh
As for a longer daily recap or even half-day recaps, they should definitely do it.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/i...eo-reports-say
Yes I know it's not WRC news, but she did have some impact on their WRC campaign....should be interesting to see what happens next...
just yesterday i had mentioned Cowan for his amazing job with ralliart.
Today just opened my twitter and read that he passed.
RIP.
https://twitter.com/TolmanMsport/sta...11201219481600
RIP Andrew Cowan - what a career in rallying before success with Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe.
https://www.ewrc-results.com/profile...-andrew-cowan/
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EHFyZ9ZX...jpg&name=small