2023 WRC News & Rumours

Correct me if Im wrong, but it looks theres no amount of marketing that could be put into WRC that would result in more manufacturers, sponsors or fans simply because Rallying is an european sport where the athletes are all grown up adults - due to the natural dangers of the sport - so theres no childish drama and futile gossip on social media around the sport. Its not an american circus, its just a grown up sport not played on a "stadium" (or something like this). Its basically not possible to "grow" a sport like this in modern society.

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Originally Posted by lmmjvss

Correct me if Im wrong, but it looks theres no amount of marketing that could be put into WRC that would result in more manufacturers, sponsors or fans simply because Rallying is an european sport where the athletes are all grown up adults - due to the natural dangers of the sport - so theres no childish drama and futile gossip on social media around the sport. Its not an american circus, its just a grown up sport not played on a "stadium" (or something like this). Its basically not possible to "grow" a sport like this in modern society.

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However manufacturers need to sell fancy sporty cars without hallmark being an old mans car...
Rallying is the ultimate recognition it isn´t.

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Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC

I dont think it's a joke... He's clearly worried Hyundai aren't gonna stick around...

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BIt stupid to make public statements like that then, isn't? So that makes Thierry a joke.

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Originally Posted by Myrvold

While I understand that if a manufacturer ends up 6th out of 6 time and again, they will pull out.

I don't get why 4 is the ideal number if they could get 5...

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It gets harder to promote every team enough with more than four. One hour of footage split between

3 teams = 20 min each
4 teams = 15 min each
5 teams = 12 min each
6 teams = 10 min each

But if there is less than three it doesn’t make enough competition.

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Originally Posted by Rallyper

However manufacturers need to sell fancy sporty cars without hallmark being an old mans car...
Rallying is the ultimate recognition it isn´t.

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But one of the issues is emissions targets for manufacturers, so if you have a sporty version of a model every other model you sell has to be reduced to compensate. It will reach a point where its just too difficult to do/justify, hence Ford have ditched a new RS (I’m sure there are other examples too).

Basically every large volume EV has a sports model.
VW - Cupra Eborn, Enyaq RS, ID 4 GTX
BMW - IX M60, i4 M50
Mercedes - AMG versions of EQE etc
Kia/Hyundai - EV6 GT is here, Ioniq 5 N coming
Tesla - performance and plaid versions of all models

So major EV marketing is the same as for petrol cars... "Look at our fast/powerfull/cool car ".
NOT "look at how efficient it is".

I have been saying this for last 4+ years against the prevailing opinion here...

Now if only WRC could be used to promote these....again the prevailing opinion here is that it is impossible. Well 3 years ago hybrid "was never going to work in WRC".

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Originally Posted by mknight

Basically every large volume EV has a sports model.
VW - Cupra Eborn, Enyaq RS, ID 4 GTX
BMW - IX M60, i4 M50
Mercedes - AMG versions of EQE etc
Kia/Hyundai - EV6 GT is here, Ioniq 5 N coming
Tesla - performance and plaid versions of all models

So major EV marketing is the same as for petrol cars... "Look at our fast/powerfull/cool car ".
NOT "look at how efficient it is".

I have been saying this for last 4+ years against the prevailing opinion here...

Now if only WRC could be used to promote these....again the prevailing opinion here is that it is impossible. Well 3 years ago hybrid "was never going to work in WRC".

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I can't agree more - it makes at least 2 of us with that opinion !
Yes full EVs seem impossible to work in rallying, but at the same time if you want to catch manufacturers interest this is the way to go. It would be a real testimony for manufacturers to showcase EV in everyday roads, harsh conditions, with performance and "real" km range (nobody pays attention to the numbers claimed on whatever test conditions, which need to be reduced by half in real life).
We may need to tweek the events format and trust me - i am not happy with that, I am old enough to have found memories of a 5 days Monte Carlo covering all of France's Alps. But sport has to evolve to remain relevant. i hate the cloverleaf format but it had to be (i) to contain spectators, (ii) avoid sending armies of service vehicles in the countryside and (ii) enable the service park PR activity. Maybe it's now time for the next move ...

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Originally Posted by J4MIE

But one of the issues is emissions targets for manufacturers, so if you have a sporty version of a model every other model you sell has to be reduced to compensate. It will reach a point where its just too difficult to do/justify, hence Ford have ditched a new RS (I’m sure there are other examples too).

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No problem. You only need to sell lookalike models. Could be hybrids as well.

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Originally Posted by djip

I can't agree more - it makes at least 2 of us with that opinion !
Yes full EVs seem impossible to work in rallying, but at the same time if you want to catch manufacturers interest this is the way to go. It would be a real testimony for manufacturers to showcase EV in everyday roads, harsh conditions, with performance and "real" km range (nobody pays attention to the numbers claimed on whatever test conditions, which need to be reduced by half in real life).
We may need to tweek the events format and trust me - i am not happy with that, I am old enough to have found memories of a 5 days Monte Carlo covering all of France's Alps. But sport has to evolve to remain relevant. i hate the cloverleaf format but it had to be (i) to contain spectators, (ii) avoid sending armies of service vehicles in the countryside and (ii) enable the service park PR activity. Maybe it's now time for the next move ...

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Even the fuel cars need refueling between service points, so charging EV's should not be a problem.

I don't agree that it looks impossible for EVs to work in rallying. Baumschlager ran rallies in EV Fabia with zero changes to their schedule.

So it can work just fine with minimal itenary changes. Fast charging truck after 1-2 stages that charges only for short period for 5-10 min per car should be possible for the 10 top cars running.

The only real issue is the need for sound due to safety and spectating (throttle input). Solution is to set a rule dictating the sound levels in various situation and introduce a common sound system.