BTW, Breen leads Rally Legend after SS4. Dont see any times for Meeke ??
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DpWTRLUWwAA5MHM.jpg:large
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BTW, Breen leads Rally Legend after SS4. Dont see any times for Meeke ??
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DpWTRLUWwAA5MHM.jpg:large
Meeke only in show car class, not timed
I took a look at Mikkelsen´s performances this year:
Monte: alternator problem early in the rally, after restart some good times (fastest guy on day 3)
Sweden: good and solid job, ended on the podium
Mexico: okay rally from him, became fourth, behind Sordo tough
Corsica: really disappointing performance, “didn´t have the feeling”
Argentina: was leading after the fourth stage, puncture in SS6, finished in fifth place in the end
Portugal: power steering problem on day 2, but no good stage times at all
Sardinia: leading after the fifth stage, gearbox issue made it impossible to set any good times afterwards
Finland: a real disappointment, slow times, off road on SS4
Germany: another disappointing performance, solid sixth place, but mostly due to the mistakes of other drivers
Turkey: battling for victory, ended 5th due to driveshaft issues
Wales: feeling was missing again, disappointing sixth place
So obviously the pace was missing in Portugal, Finland, Wales and at the tarmac rallies (as it has been already said before). Lot of bad luck as well, he definitely deserves another chance next year. I don´t see any reason to drop him.
Mikkelsen shouldn't be dropped, let's get that straight. But there could be an argument that he might be brought into the rotation of drivers along with Sordo and Paddon, if he doesn't improve early on next season.
Even in the events like Sweden and Turkey, he was crushed by Neuville's pace when Thierry had the worse road position. Even Breen beat him on pace in his "home rally", which was a surprise.
When you're holding up those events as his good ones it reiterates how disappointing a season he's had given the expectations he set himself, and the expectations many on here have had for him ever since Makinen overlooked him 2yrs ago.
How about the fact that Sordo and Paddon combined have out scored Mikkelsen ? This despite being in and out due to sharing the 3rd car...
Scores:
Mikkelson 83
Sor & Pad 115
If you remove the extra rally which they all did (Portugal) it's:
Mikkelsen 83
Sor & Pad 100 (Sordo actually got 15pts in Portugal, the other two got Zero pts)
Paddon would have done worse in tarmac rallies and Sordo in fast rallies. Also, they have gotten good starting positions in gravel rallies. So it's a good deal for Hyundai, but not a realistic demonstration of how they would perform in a whole season.
Also, Mikkelsen has been very unlucky in some events but still scored consistent points.
I've said the same earlier. But the problem is all those three are at their best on technical gravel rallies. On tarmac Paddon and Mikkelsen are going nowhere and Sordo has recently a tendency to crash.
Perfect pairs for the drivers:
Mikkelsen - Meeke (tarmac rounds and Finland)
Sordo - Østberg (fast rallies)
Paddon - Kopecky (tarmac rounds)