Petter Solberg WRT

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Originally Posted by JFL

No mather what talent, what age, what driver or whatever you put in a WRC car, he can't win.. Unless he's in a M1 car and is a priority driver..
Maybe Petter never will win again, but the hunger for a win is a lot bigger for him then many other drivers... At least it seems that way..
Anyways..if he's finnished or not, what he put together this year, and all he had to think about besides driving and testing the car.. Deserves a medal... In my eyes anyway.. But.. I'm Norwegian..

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Gotta agree he is burning with passion, but THE "SPORT" has changed.
It's gotten more like circuit racing which has always frankly disgusted me since talent is clearly extremely secondary to having a financial and technological advantage.

And yeah I was cheering for him going it nearly alone, but he will probably be the last man ever in WRC to do that.

Maybe he was just born 20 years late.

( I was lucky enough to do my sport when a single guy could tow from event to event and do International moto-crosses single-handedly and actuall make enough money to save 75% of what we got in start money. (hell working on the junk cars i could afford is how I got into first repairing cars then building rally cars and rally parts, but moto-cross was changing too, by the mid 80s local juniors "needed" big 508 Mercedes 3,5 ton vans just to go practicing!!)

I don't see how the sport changing has anything to do with Petter.

Rallying is in the situation that is due to the economic downturn and the championship being guided off course and at a low point.

If there were a few more manu's and a drivers market then Petter would be getting a paid drive. x number of good drivers into 4 works seats doesn't go.

So you pay and drive or you don't pay and dont drive. So I don't see how anyone can criticise Petter for raising a budget and going rallying. Is he supposed to just pull out and retire because the sport he loves is a shadow of its former self? If he can't get into one of the 4 works seats should he not go rallying?

As for how he raises his money, and whether he runs a private or semi-works car doesn't matter either. It's just about what is the best value and performance for the money. He might not win but he puts himself in the mix. He gets to feel the burn of competition. So what's the problem? Who is he hurting?

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Originally Posted by Simmi

I don't see how the sport changing has anything to do with Petter.

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Then I guess you don't see it.

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Rallying is in the situation that is due to the economic downturn and the championship being guided off course and at a low point.

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Understatement of the Decade award goes to Simmi.

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If there were a few more manu's and a drivers market then Petter would be getting a paid drive. x number of good drivers into 4 works seats doesn't go.

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Awfully big if you got there, pardner.

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So I don't see how anyone can criticise Petter for raising a budget and going rallying.

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You can't see it because NOBODY is criticizing him for raising a budget and going rallying.

I've said his "hollywood" persona isn't my taste, and that's not criticising Petter but rather what I feel is a "face' he puts on for promotional purposes.

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Is he supposed to just pull out and retire because the sport he loves is a shadow of its former self? If he can't get into one of the 4 works seats should he not go rallying?

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Are you hysterical, or been drinking??

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As for how he raises his money, and whether he runs a private or semi-works car doesn't matter either. It's just about what is the best value and performance for the money. He might not win but he puts himself in the mix. He gets to feel the burn of competition. So what's the problem? Who is he hurting?

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Nobody, and yes he can drive, and drive a lot better than all but one or two current guys, and I admire his going and doing it himself.
Far better job he's doing than McRae when he'd priced himself out of reach, and burned so many bridges that he couldn't get a seat----he quit rather than spending a penny of his own millions. Very lame.

I gently suggest you're reading way too much into casual comments.
As Hollywood would say "Take a chill pill, dude"

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Originally Posted by Simmi

Rallying is in the situation that is due to the economic downturn and the championship being guided off course and at a low point.

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Low point?
TV ratings are up. And TV is the MOST IMPORTANT measurement of the popularity of the sport.

The only issue I would consider low is the lack or manufacturer involvement which has nothing to do with the sport and everything to do with the state of the world wide auto industry.

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Originally Posted by JFL

Anyways..if he's finnished or not, what he put together this year, and all he had to think about besides driving and testing the car.. Deserves a medal... In my eyes anyway.. But.. I'm Norwegian..

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Ok, Petter is a great guy. But why does he deserves a medal? Then Mads Østberg and Henning should have one aswell? And Urmo Avaa? And all of the other guys who is fighting for sponsorship money?

People on here having a whinge for the reason that they don't like his persona!?!?

He is now just the same as he was back in 03 before the hard times. This is the Solberg of old. He just was more mallow when Subaru had those few years of trying times.

I know we struggle during the break for things to talk about on the forum, but this is scraping the bottom of the barrel....really

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Originally Posted by anthonyvop

Low point?
TV ratings are up. And TV is the MOST IMPORTANT measurement of the popularity of the sport.

The only issue I would consider low is the lack or manufacturer involvement which has nothing to do with the sport and everything to do with the state of the world wide auto industry.

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TV ratings are up??? Where?? I'm always slightly dubious of tv figures. Certainly, not in UK, as far as I am aware.

these changes peter does to his cars at least keeps the "new car" favourite excuse he uses all the time...how many rallies now he needs in the focus ?? 1-3-5-10-12 ?.

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Originally Posted by WRCfan

People on here having a whinge for the reason that they don't like his persona!?!?

He is now just the same as he was back in 03 before the hard times. This is the Solberg of old. He just was more mallow when Subaru had those few years of trying times.

I know we struggle during the break for things to talk about on the forum, but this is scraping the bottom of the barrel....really

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Yup, it's quite sad really that we have people bitching about Petter the whole time. Perhaps we should be grateful to have someone of his ability in a WRCar at all in these talent-starved times.

Yep RS, it's a shame! Go Petter and I hope for a Ford! :)