when the wrc2026 wiki's page gets an update they gotta post the sources. this is the source they used for tierry's contractQuote:
Originally Posted by Morte66
https://rallyjournal.com/major-drive...-championship/
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when the wrc2026 wiki's page gets an update they gotta post the sources. this is the source they used for tierry's contractQuote:
Originally Posted by Morte66
https://rallyjournal.com/major-drive...-championship/
I wouldn't be surprised if there are more A-list announcements yet. Nobody is certain but Neuville.Quote:
Originally Posted by deephouse
wow....nothing more to say, incredible ......hope he comes back 27Quote:
Originally Posted by Odd
Maybe it's time for decisions. Doubtful WRC will make it through 2026 with only Toyota as a fully focused competitor. Hyundai are very clearly out and Ford's/M-Sport commitment is questionable. Go to Rally 2s with the current cars for a 2-3 year window and start a major restructure for 2028 or 29. It will at least give a Lancia vs Toyota headline that will help spark interest back. Plus the Fiesta Rally 2 is still very competitive while Skoda can provide a challenge. Ben Sulayem should stop bitching with Liberty and spend some time at the sport that made his name.
What was your answer / alternative ?Quote:
Originally Posted by WRCStan
Rally1 was too expensive. Hyundai were going to leave. M-Sport were struggling with only young pay drivers. Toyota cant carry the sport alone.
Rovanpera is leaving because he wants to race. And Tanak (he says) for personal reasons. Some new stars will emerge, they always have.
I think we are at a situation almost like in 1986 when GrB went out and we got GrA instead.
Now WRC will start maybe not from step one but in some sort in the same way we had in the 80´s.
I can see a freshening new order with new cars, new drivers mixed with some older comebacks. Just think. There might be an open road for guys liks Meeke, Sordo, Paddon, mixed with some new youngsters. And thsoe we already have and know of. More teams come with cheaper cars.
Järveoja also with a statement now and says it was their mutual decision
And mentions again that it’s not the finish line but rather like a break.
I really wonder what they will do, both him and Ott leave it open like they would so couple of rounds.
I hope they at least drive in Rally Estonia
Sad day for the sport honestly, really hope that 3rd seat at Hyundai will be something who has yet to sample WRC top class and if not, for the love of all things holly, can we have Paddon back please???
Wrc is dying, and nobody cares, except us hardcore rally fans, we are minority my friends.
It's clear to me that a tour of paid elites isn't popular with many fans who say 'go to Rally2 and the elites will have to face larger fields and local privateers'. I and a small bunch of others have said for many years that this is the best way to drive the elites out of the sport. We lost 2 WDCs in the last weeks and there was the suggestion of the 8/9 timer too. That's all that was behind that post.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
No need for us to firmly fix Tanak retiring with a move to Rally2 either, my post wasn't about tech specs, costs etc. And he may even return for WRC2027. If your question was how to retain the elites and continue as-was, then we're in the wrong thread.
At least you're confident there will be a 3rd seat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eli
If it is true that Hyundai wanted to knock Tänak out cold with bricks of cash then one could assume that they still want to continue rallying.
Stuff like that used to give me hope for the team but this season it was clear that the team got sized down and there was a lack of investment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Odd
Neuville already alluded to it this weekend that the technical trouble are not just bad luck.
Those conflicting signals tell me the whole team is in a similar situation as Alpine is in F1. Competent people held back by corporate indecision and utter missmanagement by the people at Hyundai it self not the people in the team.
Anyway hopefully there will be a third car, who will be in it doesn't really matter to me but I doubt it will be Rossel, he wouldn't make sense alongside Fourmaux. Neither would Gryazin in my opinion, but I believe he would have enough funding?
On second thought I also find it strange that Gryazin gets mentioned, for multiple reasons.
- He is neither youth nor experienced (in top tier)
- He got more stable last years but also lost a lot of speed
- His origin and the origin of his funding are a hidden PR bomb
Similarly I find it strange that somebody mentions Meeke. Paddon is also a long shot but would be interesting.
I expect at least two different drivers sharing the car, simply because there is no clean pick.
I also expect at least one to be experienced.
Definitely this. Paddon is the perfect choice with his huge experience. And even for 2027 in the i20 Rally2 car as he's the only one who's made it a winner (in ERC x2).Quote:
Originally Posted by Eli
Logic votes -Paddon, he deserves another chance, but Hyundai is Hyundai - who knows their logic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
paddon last years were great
2 nz titles, 2 ERC titles and he just won the australian championship title - today!
theres this reaaaally small amount of fans telling him to go do the american championship next year...
but yeah, for us fans paddon back in wrc would be awesome! not sure he is interested tho.
maybe 2027
Gryazin is the best available rc2 driver after solberg. The only thing that has held him back for many year now is him being russian.Quote:
Originally Posted by mknight
Paddon's last wrc season was 2018, and even then only partially. He is done for it. He just doesn't have the experience needed anymore. He has never driven a new rc1 car, or done a wrc recce for 8 years.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
People can dream, but some dream are just stupid.
Gryazin presumably also brings budget. If Hyundai do go the M-Sport route running out of Belgium, it's a good shout.
Gryazin (and Rossell) signed with Lancia... no?
Bad timming
I rank Rossel above Gryazin. Gryazin used to be very fast and unreliable, now he is reliable but not much faster than others.Quote:
Originally Posted by denkimi
In all those years in WRC2 Gryazin never had a real shot at title. Rossel was extremely close multiple times.
Anyway for both of them the questions is what they already signed and whether it can be cancelled.
Talking about the experienced drivers I really only count the 3 that drove Hyundai last year. Out of them Sordo has best chance if they go for part time, Mikkelsen if they want one for full season (which is unlikely) and Lappi if they want one just for fast snow/gravel.
Again it is hardest to pick a driver for tarmac, Rossel (or Gryazin) would fit that role.
Still the big part of the decision is what Toyota would do and what are Hyundai's actual aims for next season and future. Problem is they cannot seem to decide.
"Signed for" are big words for them having done a deal to drive the current Stellantis Rally2 forQuote:
Originally Posted by giu canbera
another season.
If Hyundai comes knocking that deal is done for sure.
Must be going off to do the Historic ERC with Jari Matti then! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
Solberg confirmed with TGR
Munster out of M-Sport
where did you hear that ?Quote:
Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1
Munster could do a season in WRC2 or BRC like many used to and come back strongerQuote:
Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1
Solberg full season with Toyota confirmed
Solberg, Evans, Pajari, Katsuta for the full season, Ogier for "more than half" in Toyotas.
https://www.threads.com/@tgr_wrc/pos...face=35&slof=1
Ogier doing "part-time" program as always, hahahah, enough of jokesQuote:
Originally Posted by BobJones
There's such a small talent pool for that third Hyundai seat I think... No one that stands out as the obvious choice.
So an Estonian joined Toyota after all ;)
Eighteen-year-old Estonian Jasper Vaher becomes the first non-Japanese driver to join Toyota’s WRC Challenge Program, and will compete in a GR Yaris Rally2 next season.
Two-time Estonian junior champion Vaher was chosen from a five-driver selection process held in Finland earlier this year, and he’ll take on a mixture of WRC, ERC and national championship events alongside third-generation Program drivers Shotaro Goto and Takumi Matsushita.
Keep an eye out on this guy I say!
A bit offtopic, but...
https://x.com/TGR_WRC/status/1987777...659242/photo/1
From a certain age, based on this picture from 36 to 40, you start wearing your shirt in pants.
I imagine Ogier will do exactly as 2024 and 2025: skip a couple of rounds and if the standings are looking good, go for the title.
And the older you get, the higher you wear trousers.
For sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by focus206
It’s been in the works 🤭Quote:
Originally Posted by spyros
Not really, it’s more professional and mature look. It’s how you present your self. Young people don’t feel comfortable with a tucked in shirt, I’m a mix of both but this instance better to have in. He’s also French.
So the obvious happened and Solberg joined Toyota in a straight replacement for Rovanpera. I cant believe anyone thought anything else would happen. They keep it simple and dont rock a steady ship.
Translated interview with Jaspar Vaher from Estonian Powerstage.ee
This morning, November 10, the long-circulating rumor was officially confirmed — 18-year-old Japsar Vaher will become a member of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s WRC Challenge Program next season.
Powerstage got in touch with Vaher to find out how the Japanese team discovered the talented young driver, what happened during the test, and more.
How did the opportunity to take part in the WRC Challenge Program test come about?
A couple of weeks before the test, I was contacted and asked whether I would be interested in such an opportunity.
Jaspar, please tell us a bit about the WRC Challenge Program test, where you were ultimately selected.
The test, which had five participants in total, took place in Finland at the end of the summer. We spent a few days driving four-wheel-drive cars — the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 and the Renault Clio Rally3.
In addition to the driving sessions, there were also physical endurance tests, which included running, strength exercises, and flexibility assessments.
How did you feel in the Toyota Rally2 car, and had you driven a Rally2 car before?
It was my first time driving a Rally2 car, and in general, I have very little experience with four-wheel-drive cars. However, I got a good feeling with the Toyota Rally2 very quickly, as it’s a great car with very logical handling.
According to Toyota’s press release, you’ll be competing in local championships as well as ERC and WRC events. How much do you know right now about, for example, your first rally of the season?
To be honest, I don’t know that yet. At the moment, I’m not signed up for any particular championship, but I think we’ll start the season in January with some winter rallies. I can’t say exactly which rally yet, since it depends a lot on snow conditions. As mentioned in the press release, I’ll definitely be seen at rounds of different national championships, and possibly at some ERC and WRC events as well.
Your first season will probably be something of a learning year, since you have no previous Rally2 experience and will also face new rallies you haven’t driven before?
Yes, since this will essentially be a training season, my progress will be closely monitored throughout, and based on that it will be decided which rallies I’ll be sent to. I don’t have a specific goal set for me yet — the main task will be to learn and gather experience. It would be unrealistic to expect crazy speed from me right away.
Before the season starts, have you already tested or will you get more testing time in the Rally2 car?
I’ve already had a bit of seat time in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, and I’ll have a few more test days before the season begins. With every kilometer, the feeling gets better and better.
This season, you competed in the ERC with Sander Pruul and in the Italian Championship with Rait Jansen. Which of them will be your co-driver in Toyota’s WRC Challenge Program?
Rait Jansen will be sitting next to me in the Toyota WRC Challenge Program tests and rallies.
Toyota’s press release mentioned that you’ll be supported and guided by experienced Finnish mentors. Who will your mentor be?
The mentors in Toyota’s WRC Challenge Program are Mikko Hirvonen, Jouni Ampuja, and Juho Hänninen. My mentor will be Hänninen.
https://powerstage.ee/eesti-autorall...vaga-kiiresti/