Hi,
It looks like the BFGoodrich drivers team will be part of 2009 IRC too(starting in Monte-Carlo ??) :confused:
http://www.autoklub.pl/22360,news.html
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Hi,
It looks like the BFGoodrich drivers team will be part of 2009 IRC too(starting in Monte-Carlo ??) :confused:
http://www.autoklub.pl/22360,news.html
Ho dear !!! Only five rounds of IRC09 will be concerned about the BFGoodrich drivers team !!!! :( :(
http://www.rallyes.net/20081120/bf-g...-team-en-2009/
Therefore a company like BFGoodrich being worldwide they would certainly take benefit to take part to non-european events :mark:
Why so few events(and in Europe there are even more events than five)??? :rolleyes:
I would actually hope for a new system, at least for 1 or two rallies this year.
That would be that the fans will wote instead of journalists - I think that BF would benefit from that, when they sell tyres.
The next time I am to buy new rubber for my car, and had been part of voting for who should get the BF car - BF/Michelin would get on the top of my list.
I think they would sell a lot more tyres if they involve the public in this !!
Not a bad idea Sulland, maybe fans could vote, and then journalists could pick from the top 3 or something?
I have Michelins on the front of my Octavia and Roomster came with Bridgestone, but maybe when they are due for renewal I will change to Michelin or BFG :)
I don't know how trusty and reliable these news are(read on a french forum)but it looks like Alexandre Bengué and Arnaud Augoyard(winner of the trophée BFGoodrich 2008 in french tarmac championship with a 306 Maxi)would also be candidate for the drive at Monte-Carlo :confused:
From same source I've read that Gilles Panizzi in fact refused to send his candidature :mark:
If all that being true, Alex Bengué(codriven as always by his girlfriend Caroline Escudero)could largely, to my point of view, be the driver chosen by BFGoodrich and Kronos for the first IRC09 event :D
Anyway, answer TOMORROW :)
Bengue would be a perfect choise!
Of course there always one better.......Seb Loeb ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by urabus-denoS2000
Sébastien Ogier would also be enough :p :
Oh,forgot him,sure he would be enough ;)
But realistically,there were rumors that Seb would start in Monte Carlo,why not in the BFG car.
He is an unproven young talent after all ;)
Bengue would be good, he won a couple of stages when he did Monte in the Fabia as far as I can remember.
Panizzi I don't think will try, he has said he wants to make way for the young guns and feels he doesn't have the speed anymore. He did say he was offered to drive the Skoda on Monte, but decided not to for these reasons I believe.
I'm hoping Bengue gets the drive. He could definately be in contention for a podium I think.
I wasn't paying that close attention last year but what was the best position the BFG car came last year? Valousek 4th in Barum?
I think you may be right, because Snijers came in "only" fifth in Ypres, so i guess it was Valousek who made best result. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Simmi
There was a lot of candidats for MC. French federation "FFSA" selected 20 of them before th elast five nominated drivers.
some names : C.Robert, A.Bengué, G.Canivenq, E.Mauffrey, E.Guigou, A.Augoyard, N.Bernardi, B.Tirabassi ... but the two hot favourite guys are Y.Bonato and JS.Vigion !
Cédric Robert too is on candidat list ???? :eek: :eek:
yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom206wrc
And do you know the name of the 5 finalists NRI ??? :confused:
Hard to vote for one. Very strong group of drivers...
I impatiently wait for today news :)
No the 5 drivers are reveal this morning to the jury.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom206wrc
SEBASTIEN OGIER would be the choice for Monte-Carlo(freshly read on a french rally forum) !!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:
I didn't even know he was among candidates for BFGoodrich drive :confused:
the 5 are :
- OGIER
- BONATO
- VIGION
- BOUFFIER
- BENGUE
Even Bouffier ???? Wow !!! :eek:
Had he recovered enough from his bicylcle accident ??? :confused:
If yes I would have chosen him instead of others for his full experience of S2000 :mark:
I agree and I hope for him. Go Bryan and Xav'Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom206wrc
Quote:
Originally Posted by NRI
Too late, Ogier is the definitive choice :mark:
He at least has a little experience of Monte-Carlo(less than Alex Bengué I guess though) ;)
I'ts official?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom206wrc
On different french forums people seem disappointed by the choice... :confused:
Therefore about Sébastien Ogier:
-He's among the immediatly fastest and most reliable promising(and not only among french)young drivers
-He's developping the 2010 C3 S2000+ and can collect useful datas on the 207 S2000
What Kronos is seeking first is immediatly results against contenders like Abarth and Skoda, not to give a chance to a driver looking promising but finally unable to match pace of the first ones with an S2000(I think for example about Italian Andrea Torlasco, very fast in Clio R3, but quite off in the BFG 207 at Sanremo last year)... :mark:
So yes, we could be disappointed a french crew who never got into an S2000 not being the choice(and certainly deserving a chance)but that would be a kind of risk for Kronos when you have drivers like Basso, Rossetti, Gardemeister, Kopecky, Hänninen, etc as main contenders :s
Only Bryan Bouffier huge driver we all know, escapes from the cliché of "unexperienced S2000 driver"...but was he completely FIT after his accident(broken arm) :confused:
For me the choice would be Alex Bengue...
for me also :(Quote:
Originally Posted by '[Madeira-Rally
Sink or swim for Ogier. Good luck to him.
Ogier surprises me too - not the choice of Ogier but the fact he applied. Great driver for BFG, but it seems a little selfish of him to take the drive from one of the other French drivers when he already has a C4 WRC drive for next year. Anyhow, it'll be great to follow him on Monte. I wonder if he can repeat his SS1 stage win on Monte that he did on Rally GB? :)
He swom un top of every WRC driver in Wales for most of the first day.
Good luck to ogier and let's hope to win the rally!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by RS
That's also a bit selfish from drivers like Wilslow, Qassimi and Rautenbach to take place of more skilled drivers in WRC, no ??? :p :
Those guys pay for the seat in one way or another. Isn't the BFG seat free?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom206wrc
I dont see Ogier being any worse then someone like Bengue in terms of being fair. You could argue Bengue had chances in the WRC at the highest level.
I suppose the question with this seat has to be the line between giving young talent a chance they would not ordinarily get - and in doing so give promising local drivers some quality experience in a good car. OR do they want the very best free driver to gain the maximum results?
To my mind this particular 207 should be removed from any manufacturer or team point scoring - and in doing so it would remove the need to hire an established driver. That would be a better gesture from BfG IMO.
But BFG aren't scoring manufacturer points and if they pay for the car they shouldn't be under pressure from Peugeot in this respect. I'm delighted to see Ogier there, but rather would have seen him in a Peugeot Sport 207 and another of those many talented drivers on the list get the BFG car.Quote:
Originally Posted by Simmi
Each Peugeot is allowed to score manufacturer points no matter the team or driver ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by RS
Any top Peugeots score points for Peugeot
Still think Loeb would be the best choise ;)
Yes, I know, but BFG don't have to chose on who is best for Peugeot, unless they have some special deal. Of course, best driver for BFG should also be best for PeugeotQuote:
Originally Posted by 'Mirek Fric [Cze
This is the point I was trying to make before. How do you define who is the 'best' choice? Does it mean best as in who will get the maximum result and can maybe challenge for a win. Or is the 'best' driver who deserves a chance to show his skills and hopefully make a name for himself. I had always thought it was meant to be a showcase for young deserving local talent being given a free drive - which there is not enough of in rallying. There is basically zero opportunity for anything like this apart from what tyre rivals Pirelli are doing.
So I can see why people in France would maybe be a bit upset when this seat goes to Ogier, who has ALREADY got the best opportunity of any young French driver. Of course he is a great driver and it is good for the IRC to have him in the field. But in this car I think maybe not so much - it could have gone to someone who isn't essentially a factory WRC driver.
There are a lot of positives he and Peugeot and Citroen can gain from this, and also a lot of good publicity to bring in more French spectators. This is why I feel BFG are not the only ones who decide who goes in the car.