Rally2 (ex-R5) News

[Mirek]

Difficult to find matching stages

Fafe Portugal

2021 Lappi Polo 97.7 km/h
2015 Lappi Fabia 95.1 km/h

Gandesa Catalunya

2019 Loubet Fabia evo 96.0 km/h
2015 Chardonnet DS3 90.3 km/h

Leustu Finland

2019 Rovanperä Fabia evo 111.0 km/h (stage was 500 m longer, possibly making the stage a bit slower with one junction turn)
2014 Tänak Fiesta 109.1 km/h

Riudecanyes Catalunya

2019 Solans Polo 92.9 km/h (damp conditions?)
2014 Chardonnet DS3 94.1 km/h

As I said, it tells little to nothing without knowing the tyre difference.

[Sulland]

Looking at the numbers you found, it seems like we can say that aprox 2 sec in average speed are not far from the development of R5 from 2013 and until today. It will wary from car to car, surface to surface, and driver to driver.


The main reason behind the question is to show the huge success the joker thinking and rules and regulations to go with that.
This is a very good way to keep development and cost down for the users.

With a 2013 Fiesta, that is updraded over the years, at least on loose surface can still fight for podiums.

This makes for a bright future for the new Rally3 class starting up in 2021, that follows the same pattern!

[RallyFan13]

What about new Hyundai N Rally 2?we know date about debut of the car ?

[mknight]

It was said 2 pages ago that it's 1-2 months delayed. That would mean earliest at the start of august.

I was checking homologation list for this year and found:

Polo - 3 jokers in march (prbly the upgrade that wasn't sure to come after VW disbanded motorsport)

C3 - 3 jokers also mostly in March ("Rally2" upgrade?)

Fabia - 2 jokers (January, was announced)

Fiesta and i20 nothing

Hyundai has a new car coming, but what about MSport? Are they giving up on Rally2 and focusing on R3 and below?

[Sulland]

Fiesta MkII has issues.
Drivers are testing and testing to get their Fiesta to work.
On gravel some are saying that MkI is faster, and give them better feedback and feels safer.

Looking at sales numbers on the MkIi, Msport need to do something, if not they will loose the important Rally2 market.

[Andre Oliveira]

New engine of Fiesta is out.

[Jarek Z]

What about new Hyundai N Rally 2?we know date about debut of the car ?

Yes. Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car will make its competitive debut at Ypres Rally in Belgium (13 - 15 August). More details below:
https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2021/wrc...ew-rally2-car/

[mknight]

That's basically only one rally later than originally planned and makes it possible to still have a very good chance of WRC2 title for Huttunen or Solberg (if he doesn't do more rounds in WRC).

Obviously this assumes it is fast, which it should be, reliability might be more critical with a new car. Polo was supposedly tested a lot yet it had the fuel tank, rear axle and also powersteering problems. Not to mention gearbox retirement on first rally.

Hyundai priority for sure is a very good car for the future, not so much the 2021 title, even though they clearly moved Hutunen/Solberg starts to later part of the year so they can use the new car.

[dupanton]

But with a few asphalt rounds still to come, I don't think Solberg and Huttunen will get anywhere near the title.

[mknight]

Hard to predict. They are not the fastest tarmac drivers but if the car is very good there aren't that many faster either.

Mikkelsen only has 2 rounds to go after Estonia until he is at 7.
Østberg is historically not very good on tarmac, even though he did very good in Croatia. Kind of similar with Suninen.

Fourmaux has tarmac as best surface, but that also means he is likely to drive some tarmac in WRC car instead.

Gryazin is fast on tarmac, but not exactly stable in getting to finish.