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Last time we had anything approaching winter conditions I was sat in a cancelled double run of Hafren. Didn't go back for a couple of years after that.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
In this day and age a snow/ice-hit Rally GB would be a farce so it's probably for the best.
I too was in Hafren, but I thought it was to do with the ridiculous tyre regs that the stages were cancelled. The tyres were picked months beforehand - and couldn't be changed; plus there was the 'safety issues'.
It just seems as if everything that once made the event great & unique have gone. Saying that, I ordered my tickets the other day....
If it ran in March wouldn't there be greater chance of wintry conditions?
2004 GB was early (september) and the weather was just as cold, rainy and miserable as in november. Wales will never disapoint in that sense
That ending in Rally Australia is a joke. Typical Australian lobbying and positioning and selling "a gala dinner at the end in Sydney". Personally I think that is pretty arrogant, who cares about the dinner? The rally lacks personality, history, spectators, entries, interest fullstop. They manufacture stupid jumps on the stages for the 5 spectators who are there - it isn't a world rally event it is marketing and promotion.
This article from maxrally sums up the Australian approach:
http://www.maxrally.com/2015/10/31/i...rsus-australia
I hope the World Champions are known in all categories before the event and it is a flop with nobody there. It would serve their arrogance right.
It would do nobody any good to have an event, any event, "flop".
There's a few inaccuracies in that article. Rally NZ was not originally the Motogard. It was originally the Shell Silver Fern and then the Heatway Rally and the Radio NZ Rally before Motogard took naming rights in '78 ... the year after Bacchelli won in the Fiat.
Those who would champion NZ over Australia need to remember that it was NZ who stepped away from the year about arrangement. You step out of the queue and take your chances at the next available opening.
If it flopped people wouldn't go back, sounds good to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by sollitt
The inaccuracies don't actually make any difference to the article, there was a rally in NZ for 38 years, who cares what it was called?
And the year about arrangement was dumb. Trying to retain sponsors and a management organisation for every second year was a stupid idea that any normal person would re-negotiate - which they did. And who isn't to say the year about arrangement would have been honoured by the Australians?
My point (which you have missed) is they are making it into a "show" rather than a Motorsport event. Formula one here we come which I think isn't what the fans want and why they walk for 2 hours to find the best spot to watch in the middle of a field
We need both Rally NZ and Rally Aus in the WRC. I love the roads in NZ but also enjoy the Rally Oz roads. I think the big thing about getting into the calendar is how much power your FIA delegate has. Having a strong person as your nations FIA delegate can make a big difference.
On the idea of running Aus in November, I think I may have to have a special on cool suits (I run a racegear shop) Going to be hot, the smaller stature drivers may suffer as they can't retain as much fluids, the guys that are moonlighting at Dakar in January might have a better chance:)
Anyway I'll be there next year competing in something but that's for another thread.
Ray
That is a good article. Motorsport in Australia is all about the V8 Supercars. There was a V8 race the same weekend as the Rally; guess which got all the coverage??Quote:
Originally Posted by Grundo Farb
The event in Perth was fantastic, with the unique ball bearing surface. Coffs Harbour is another gravel event.......
No V8 clashes for 2016. This has been a pet hate of mine for years. They try to say that it's different fans, it's not!!! Some of the series organisers in Australia live in their own fantasy land.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
Yes tyres were the reason. But has anything changed to prevent the same thing happening again?Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
The inaccuracies, of which there are several, actually do make a difference to the validity of the article ... which is clearly written with some bias.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grundo Farb
The question which the article asks, and then attempts to answer is "what can Australia give us that NZ can't?". The correct answer to that question is - confidence and capability.
Whatever you may think of the year about arrangement, Australia is in the box seat today because it delivered on it's commitments at a time when NZ declared it was incapable of doing so.
In order for NZ to regain a position on the calendar it would need to be able to demonstrate a capacity, venue and resources, to stage multiple events over a committed number of years. Whether it can is yet to be seen.
The real point, which you appear to miss, is that the FIA and promoter's position is completely understandable. In a world in which you are only as good as your last game, NZ's was a 'no show'.
As an aside, Hyundai will surely have a car next year better than current. Thus, Citroen and M-Sport will find it harder to get podiums IMHO. Maybe a driver shuffle up is a good thing?
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My Highlights of 2014 2015 Hayden Paddon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9mdk9m9Jf4
Good stuff JB!Quote:
Originally Posted by jbmarcus21
http://www.autosport.com/news/report...medium=twitter
But Capito dismissed the latest wave of rumours that it would be cutting down from three to two Polo R WRCs next season.
"If I had to save money, I would save it somewhere else other than on the third car," said Capito.
"For me, the third car is vital to win the championship and we have contracts with three drivers.
"You can never know what happens the next day, but there is no absolutely no indication that we have to do anything that is reducing our competitiveness."
While VW is unlikely to reduce its team to three cars, the chances of current Skoda driver Esapekka Lappi being installed in a fourth Polo next year also look to have waned.
"There is no chance of any more drivers or cars for us next year, but I think Lappi is ready for a world rally car no matter what that is," said Capito.
"We are following his progress closely and he is definitely one of the next drivers we would take."
He added that Volkswagen would not be running any semi-works cars or selling Polos to private teams in the future.
"We are a factory team," he said. "We are here to win."
So this means definitely no four VW cars next year as it was planned. For me title of this article is bad, better should be: Volkswagen is dropping fourth WRC car amid emissions scandalQuote:
Originally Posted by makinen_fan
One more season in WRC2 won´t kill Lappi :-)
Did they plan that then? For Lappi full time?Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
No Polo for a private team, that's a shame... it's like with the Touareg at Dakar Rally ! :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by makinen_fan
It is too complicated. There was plan that one driver from "A" team will leave, Mikkelsen will go to "A" team and Lappi to "B" team. Then they decided to keep that driver one year more, so they have changed plans - to have two drivers in "A" team and two drivers in "B" team. Now it looks like they are forced to change plans again...Quote:
Originally Posted by RS
Maybe his failure to deliver in WRC 2 also helped to decide against a WRC seat for him. Too many mistakes and he had the best car with factory supportQuote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
In light of what has happened how could VW possibly have justified adding a fourth car to the line-up next year? They will be lucky to keep the current set-up at the existing level.
PLuto - all current VW drivers have contracts through 2016 though - correct? I figured those shifts would happen in 2017 where so far they only have a deal with Mikkelsen. Likely scenario could be Latvala moving on to Toyota for example. Then you shift Mikkelsen up and add Lappi in. Best scenario for VW is to put Lappi on a similar deal to Abbring. Let him do a lot of test kms next year and hope that by the end of 2016 there is scope to give him 1-2 rallies.
Of course if the VAG link begins to weaken then you'd have to imagine Lappi/EVEN will start looking around.
I think there aren't any solid news about the original idea of VW to go with 4 cars in next years.
So I don't think there isn't any step back in keeping the 3 cars.
Or have I missed something?
PLuto knows stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by AL14
rumours says Kubica in DTM+third driver possibly at Citroen in DS3WRC
How does that work? BMW, Audi or Merc have no connection with Citroen/ PSA group.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Quad
Damn, would have liked either 4 VWs or Lappi in the 3rd.Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
Why do those two parts of Robert Kubica's motorsport activities have to be linked?Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
Somewhere I heard that Robert could do some WRC and WTCC rounds with Citroën next year. Then he decides if to go on in rallying or touring cars (maybe DTM).
This would only work if Muller goes to Volvo in WTCC I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by JUF
M-Sport & Citroen wins.. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by makinen_fan
And I hope Codies will be able to have current WRCars licenses for Dirt Rally.
Muller could leave WTCC to do World RX. He did Lohéac with Albatec, and then tested the Audi S3 of Münnich Motorsport.Quote:
Originally Posted by tomhlord
More or less no chance to see him going to Volvo ... if he wants to go to another team, I think it could be Lada (as Lapierre will focus on WEC).
What say Malcolm Wilson? 'There comes other drivers on the market.' I see Lappi next year in a M-Sport Ford.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
The Finn has a opportunity to gain experience. Wilson gets money from the financial backers of Lappi (i am sure) for that 'education year.'
Everyone happy.
I was thinking about this after I read the interview with Capito on Lappi.
I am thinking that lappi is confirmed to continue in Škoda in WRC-2 for next year.But Dieselgate should change everything.
For me personally is too early to put Lappi in WRC.This year he made a lot of mistakes.
Not only this year. In APRC he lost against Gill, in WRC2 he lost against Al Attiyah (and several others) and in ERC he nearly lost against Wiegand. Only the accident of Wiegand on Tour de Corse 2014 saved him from loosing three times in a row against opponents which he shall have easily beaten and moreover also against his own teammates/support drivers.
2012, 2013 and 2014 in an S2000, most of it as part of the Skoda team, then a year in R5 this year plus who knows how much testing? If he isn't ready/good enough by now to try a WRC car, will he ever be?
The time is right for Lappi, but the time is wrong for VW. Unfortunate.
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A second year in WRC2 learning some more discipline can only be good for Lappi. He's 24 and in the next years factory teams will be hungry for new drivers. No reason to be in a hurry for a WRC car, especially if that car is a VW.