2013 ERC News and Results

[Arganil]

“The FIA wants to turn the WRC more global and focus on car manufacturers while the ERC will remain Euro-centric, cost-efficient and dedicated to teams.
We therefore see no conflict of interest between both championships and we are committed to avoiding any clash of dates.”
François Ribeiro (Eurosport)

When you start a project saying that there’ll be no conflict of interest with existing organizations you’re obviously admitting that such conflict is likely to happen!

With a specially manufacturers designed category (R5), a large scale calendar (at least 12 events) disputed over the rallysport main continent (Europe) and the full commitment of a strong media organization (Eurosport), it’s quite clear that this new IRC (under the ERC badge) won’t be a 2^nd level rally series dedicated to teams, and eventually will become a WRC rival championship.

So, from 2014 (2013 ERC season will be a transitional one, before the R5 full entry) we'll have 2 major FIA international rally series fighting each other for manufacturers involvement and TV audiences...

Strange? Maybe not. Odd things has happen to rallysport so many times before that it seems there’s always a twisted way to ensure F1 undisputed motor racing lead!

[Leon]

Eurosport as I can see are already "out" announcing details about their plans for the promotion of the ERC etc.

on the other side did anyone see similar movements from Red Bull media house or however is called about the promotion of the WRC? I did not see even a press release from them as if they were forced to take on that job.
maybe Arganil you are right and FIA will end up with a conflict between ERC - WRC. Hope I´m wrong but the quiteness from the new WRC promotion side makes me wondering...

[sindroms]

Hmm, combination of gravel and snow said Mr. Ribeiro...it means two winter rallies. Janner is first and Rally Kurzeme in Latvia or Arctic rally Lapland is the second one. What is the current situation with rally Kurzeme, boys? Anybody knows? As I said in czech rally-forum I vote for gravel, I vote for snow, but surface on Kurzeme in winter is 2 cm of snow and wet gravel which I am not really interested in. I pray for some REAL winter rally. Fingers crossed for that. Anyway I have got bad feeling from that sentence "combination of gravel and snow" :-(

Actually "Rally Kurzeme" has never been on snow. "Combination of gravel and mud" - i think Mr.Ribeiro predict a most worst scenario in a case of very poor winter. Usually in February there is a quite solid snow layer and tempreture around minus 5-7 degrees. Weather is tending to be very changeable though.

[PLuto]

Maybe there should be "something like" new event with combination of gravel and snow?

[makinen_fan]

Motorsport News newspaper reports in Tweeter:

Circuit of Ireland to get spot on 2013 European #Rally Championship calendar. Full calendar in today's MN

[werner]

EM: Zwölf Läufe sind geplant*:: rallye-magazin.de

[Bartek]

Poland last days in October and Cyprus after few days?

[tolis]

Poland last days in October and Cyprus after few days?

I think it's a mistake. It's the last days of September.

[Raven]

No tarmac rally in Italy? Why expensive Azores? Why boring Cyprus? I won't event try to comment Sibiu.
Looks like again the decision was made with money... I still hope the final calendar will be very different.

[Mirek]

What is boring about Cyprus?