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Really? Thats the first time I've heard that explanation anywhere, did it come from a team source or just rumour? Not saying you're wrong, I might have just missed it but curious as I never heard it anywhere else.Quote:
Originally Posted by dupanton
Would Tidemand be an upgrade on Mikkelsen? He would need at least a full season to learn the WRC car and when they drove Skodas, Mikkelsen was clearly faster. And at the same time the team already has a youngster in the development, being invested on...Quote:
Originally Posted by Allez Andruet
A team source, 100% reliable ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by GravelBen
Most definitely not.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Any kind of "guaranteed fix" surely isn't available, but I still think it's possible we'll see some drastic changes. In somewhat similar fashion than we saw earlier this year when Meeke got sacked. Ofcourse Hyundai doesn't have a "Meeke" to put all the blame on, but after five years without a single title, I wouldn't be surprised if something had to change. Will it make the team perform any better? Maybe not. But like in any corporate business, if you're not meeting your targets, you better have a corrective action plan to present to people above you in the organization. It could be close to that kind of situation at Hyundai. Let's see.
I think they should just do more testing and try to find settings that work for other drivers than Neuville. It's interesting that Paddon is considered slow on tarmac but maybe he's just slow on tarmac on a Hyundai, like Mikkelsen?
I imagine the accountants at Hyundai HQ will be looking for places the budget can be trimmed.
A team of village dog drivers? https://youtu.be/chrzpnL1OEM (dogs trained to drive) Rhorl used say he could train a monkey to drive a quattro.
https://phys.org/news/2018-10-hyunda...ets-sales.html
Paddon is historically slow on tarmac. It's his biggest limit, I don't know how much margin of improvement he has but not participating on tarmac rallys will not help for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
I remember Latvala in his early days was nowhere in the pace on tarmac but in the second part of his career he managed to be competitive, even against Ogier, and win a couple of rallys.
I'm sure that Paddon with a right car, a right mindset and a bit more speed on tarmac is still a threat.
Agree with you about setting the car also to other drivers but we don't really know how much that's really the case, I mean, did they really don't listen to Paddon/Mikkelsen/Sordo and their feedback in tests and on development of the car?
I remember the last time I saw Paddon on tarmac, it was Catalunya 2016. I think his pace was good there, too good to call him "historically slow on tarmac".
All hyundai needed to do was hire ogier. If you can't beat someone, make him join you.
Imagine a team with ogier, neuville and mikkelsen. They would have the constructors title surely in the bag, and 66% chance on getting the drivers title too.
Should have just gotten Tanak aswell just to be sureQuote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
It's clear that when I say "slow", I mean it in comparison to the top guys like Ogier, Tanak etc.... not in general...Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
Most of his WRC tarmac results have been 5th-6th, so not competing for wins but still collecting points. Which I think isn't bad considering you can almost count on your fingers the number of tarmac rallies he has done in his whole career (total over all classes not just WRC, NZ doesn't really have any tarmac rallies so he had done no tarmac before PWRC etc). Think he just needs more tarmac experience and seat time to move from that level to challenging for podiums.Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
Let's look closer:Quote:
Originally Posted by GravelBen
Deutschland 2017: 8th overall. 0.88s/km from the winner, slowest works WRC, two punctures
Corsica 2017: 6th overall. 0.43s/km from the winner, slowest works WRC, an overshoot on the last stage, no other issues.
and compare to Mikkelsen:
Deutschland 2018: 6th overall. 0.44s/km from the winner, only faster than Breen out of works WRC and only thanks to Breen's mistake. No issues.
Corsica 2018: 7th overall. 0.49s/km from the winner, slowest works WRC. A brief excursion into a ditch, no other issues.
This comparison is just ridiculous and pointless...
When that one is the 5-time Champion and the team-mates only gained places only by virtue of their start position then its different. Evans and Suninen were never faster on an equal road.Quote:
Originally Posted by sollitt
M-Sport were smarter and that's also part of motorsport. They knew defending the Manu's title was impossible so gave Ogier full assistance.
Hyundai need to learn if they ever want to win a title.
It was more an act of desperation maybe. Malcom knows the team will be crap in 2019 unless they get a top driver. It will be a boring year for MSport fans unless they get Loeb which will not happen. I can already hear the tone of the WRC commentators... Sad bunch
Say there are 10 or 11 factory drivers, and about half of them runs into mayor issues each rally.Quote:
Originally Posted by GravelBen
why?Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
Why would it make sense in your opinion? You include what fits you to prove what? Mikkelsen is at a later stage in his career, with far more experience than Paddon, and even then you compare Mikkelsen'18 to Paddon'17, which adds another year to the difference in experience. Oh, by the way, you didn't include the tarmac-stages from Catalunya this year, where Mikkelsen lost +-0,75s/km.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
If you really want to play with numbers and figures, Paddon ended up with 73 points doing only 7 events, while Mikkelsen scored 84 points doing 13 rallies.... Mikkelsen's season was a huge disappointment.
I only wanted to compare the rallies both did in the same cars. My point wasn't to say that Paddon sucks or Mikkelsen sucks, but to just say the tarmac levels of these drivers in this car are surprisingly similar. Another point in the numbers was to show that the overall result in a rally doesn't give everything about your pace. You could end 5th or 10th being as slow in relative to the winner.Quote:
Originally Posted by tommeke_B
This is just nonsense (although Mikkelsen has more WRC starts), but Paddon isn't a rookie really...Quote:
Mikkelsen is at a later stage in his career, with far more experience than Paddon, and even then you compare Mikkelsen'18 to Paddon'17, which adds another year to the difference in experience.
EDIT: Especially in terms of WRC2017 cars, Paddon has more starts.
I know. Mikkelsen retired from good positions in Argentina, Portugal and Sardegna, and suffered of the tractor in Australia, whereas Paddon had a good starting position at each gravel rally and didn't have to do the tarmac rallies where he's not so good at. But it was not my point to compare their performances this year.Quote:
If you really want to play with numbers and figures, Paddon ended up with 73 points doing only 7 events, while Mikkelsen scored 84 points doing 13 rallies.... Mikkelsen's season was a huge disappointment.
Article about Mikkelsen's season, don't think I've ever read something this revealing...
Also mentions mechanic was at fault for driveshaft issues in Turkey since some bolts where missing.
https://parcferme.no/rally/apenhjert...g-har-sviktet/
Hopefully it makes sense in your own language.
English:
https://translate.google.no/translat...%2F&edit-text=
Thanks, a great read. I also forgot Turkey from my previous post. Mikkelsen could have won that rally.
BTW the Norwegian link does not work. Seems to have some English in the URL
An interesting article that pretty much sums up the Hyundai season, a view one would suspect that is also shared by the Board of Hyundai Motorsports division of the company. How Team Management reacts to this is the point of interest for the future.
https://www.driven.co.nz/news/motors...nue7YY1MQr4jMU
After reading the 2 articles above, I reflect on the attitude of Mikkelsen. He seems like a beaten up man! I think he can turn it around but if I was management at Hyundai WRT I definitely would be reviewing next years driver line up. I have said it before but I would Give Nueville 14 starts (whole season) Paddon 10 starts (No Monte, Corsica, Germany, Spain). Mikkelsen 10 starts (No Portugal, Argentina, Mexico, Sardinia), Sordo 8 Starts (No Sweden, Finland, Chile, GB, Turkey, Australia).
That will give Mikkelsen a chance to get his Mojo back but also give Paddon a chance to prove wether he his worthy of a full season (I actually think he is but trying not to be too biased). But hey, Paddon is not signed yet so he just might completely miss out if managment wants a bit more of a refresh.
There could also be management changes at Hyundai as the Koreans may want some blood for all their investment that has yet to realise any championships!
So, Mikkelsen's Rally Australia was his 100th WRC start and Hyundai didn't commemorate it at all?
Nor did they smile when Paddon finished the powerstage and on the podium, live on TV
My thoughts about Hyunday. I think their weak spot is that they have too many drivers. I guess it’s hard to make a car/setup that works for 4 drivers. And even if it would, there are only 3 cars and not all of them can do full season, which affects their form/confidence.
I think they should dump Sordo. I know, he had good results this season, but you need to sacrifice something for better future. In long term I think it is better to put some effort to figure out why Mikklesen is not performing well and fix that. Same goes for Paddon, give him full season, take steps to make the car work for him and I believe it would work out.
Rumour is the opposite, that they will only have Neuville doing all events and rotate the other 3 drivers, maybe even 4 with Loeb !
Where is that rumour from Eddie?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Colin Clark.Quote:
Originally Posted by T16
If it comes from COlin Clark, it's not a rumour, it's just ramblings of a narcissistic actor.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Given that he attends every single event, his lack of knowledge or insight in to whats going on shows just how much people in the service park don't talk to him....
Isn’t that just speculation though?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Got a feeling he won’t be anywhere near the WRC team next year anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyfiend
Hold on.
Colin Clark isn't predicting Loeb to Hyundai, he's just saying it would be good and that in his mind Hyundai needs him. But he's definitely not saying that contact has been made, negotiations are on-going or that it will happen.
What doesn't help is forum members misinterpreting what he's saying, posting to here and then a flock of Clark-deniers jumping on a bashing bandwagon.
Fair point, but it doesn't change that he still talks a lot of crap.Quote:
Originally Posted by BobJones
And we don't talk any crap at all on this forum? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by T16
Not as much as Clarke.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
As Hyundai havent confirmed any F/T drive for anyone but Neuville -and Sordo supposedly has P/T role - remaining driver rotation would seem very plausible.
Loeb has signed for Hyundai according to David Evans. Article in autosport
https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...-deal-for-2019