Fair point.
Printable View
Fair point.
Do they have 1 or 2 Polo R5 ?
Oliver did drive Wales with their "old" Polo (chassis #1) and Petter was driving brand new one.
Who owns that car ? (ewrc doesn´t have that chassis)
He'll definitely be driving for the SKODA Motorsport team next year.
Whether the car is being run by the official Mlada Boleslav team or a satellite team, I don't know.
But his contract is with SKODA and the funding is coming from SKODA.
Is it too soon to be talking about a move to Rally1/WRC for 2021...? The main reason to stay in Rally2/WRC2 would be to get experience on the rallies he's missed this year. But given his ability, would it make sense to look at purchasing an M-Sport drive in 2021 with sponsorship money? To me it would seem like an opportunity to step up to the top category with the minimal possible expectation. Nobody expects the car to be a winner, he could probably beat Greensmith almost straight off the bat, and given how variable the performances of Lappi and Suninen can be, he may compare favourably to them.
Alternatively, what is Solberg's path? Another year in just a Rally2 wouldn't be a waste, but it's going to remain a competitive category and it'll become increasingly important over time to stay ahead of the competition. Unless Toyota replace Ogier with him in 2022, I'm not sure that Solberg can avoid buying a drive eventually with M-Sport either way.
While this is for another thread and I've said it before, if I were Malcolm, I'd be trying anything I could to tap into the Monster Energy oil field...
Yep, another WRC2/ERC season will only help but Sniper question about what team will give Oliver the first WRC1 program (even if partial) is quite interesting and probably it won’t take too long to be answered.
https://www.fia.com/news/wrc-o-tanak...e-didnt-expectQuote:
Q: Here we've seen this very quick upward trajectory from you in terms of performance. You’re achieving so much success immediately. Sometimes it takes drivers a few years to get that success that you’ve already had in your career so early on. Oliver, I have to ask you, where are you seeing yourself next year already?
OS: It’s hard to say. I have only won one rally so far. I still have to work a lot. Every rally is so different and I need to get experience from every rally. In Mexico, I retired already in the first stage with a broken sump. That’s what I love, I’m always learning something new every day. It’s all about the experience. Next year, I’m not really sure what will happen, I’ll drive probably R5 again and just learn as much as possible again every race. Now I have the pace-notes from Mexico. Always coming to new places all the time and then I will have experience for the next year. Then you have a new set of pace-notes and you know a little bit more what you’re doing. It’s all about the experience and gaining speed all the time.
To me I think it would be surprising if Oliver is NOT in a RC1 car next year. He can gain experience in such a car as well. As long as teambosses think it´s worth to get him a seat.
As a teamboss I already should have done the call today, if not for months ago...
At this rate, OS and Kalle are going to have some epic fights for WRC titles further down the line.
This kids rise could make things even harder for the likes of Mikkelsen/ Paddon/ Latvala etc to get back in the WRC (unless they pay for a seat). Ostberg is already getting soundly beaten by him, and must be resigned to the fact his days of getting a WRC drive are done for.
Team bosses have to be looking to sign him up now or getting a long term agreement in place - even if he continues with the R5 for next season (which is absolutely the best plan). But some tests / one or two starts in a WRC car shouldn't be ruled out for 2021. It would be terrible management if Malcolm/Tommi and Adamo aren't already on the phone.