Favourite Seasons! (can also include JWRC/PWRC etc as I really like those!)

[rjbetty]

Howdy.

This thread is to nominate your favourite seasons ever in the WRC.

The best one I have ever known is my first full one - 2001. That had everything, and just look at the lineup of drivers and cars: 8 different winners in 5 different cars; 14 different podium finishers; Schwarz's performances in Monte Carlo, Safari and Britain; Rovanpera's sensational win on his Peugeot debut (and almost repeating it next time out in Portugal); young guns P.Solberg and Martin getting a full season in a top team; improved performances from Francois Delecour and Freddy Loix; the 4 way title showdown in GB - the aniticipation was unlike anything I can remember in motorsport - possibly including F1. The fact that it was a bit of a damp squib as 3 of them retired early on didn't really spoil things for me; and of course there was the amazing debut of a certain Sebastien Loeb.

My favourite PWRC season was without a doubt 2004 - that was like the above season, and I was relishing the prospect of all these top drivers going against each others. Just look at this juicy entry list:

SUBARU
Toshihiro Arai - the established best GrpN driver, but look at the competition he had now!
Alister Mcrae - a bona fide recent WRC driver and was my tip to take the title.
Mark Higgins - Bound to be quick
Niall McShea - Came real good at the end of his first season. Looking good to challenge the top guys.
Nasser Al-Attiyah - his consistency and ability to always get a result enabled him to shine.
Marcos Ligato - fast Argentinian driver. Never high in the points table but thereabouts on every event.

PROTON
Karamjit Singh - the 2002 champion, and still a competitive driver.

MITSUBISHI
Daniel Sola & Gianluigi Galli - official drivers in the official team!! Wow were these drivers quick - especially Galli, who I knew little about before this season.
Manfred Stohl - 2001 GrpN Champion, and Niall McShea's tip for the title.
Jani Paasonen - mega quick. Guaranteed to be right around the top.
Xavier Pons - not much expected, but he made the most of his opportunities. If only he'd chosen Sweden, not Australia as his round to miss!
Fumio Nutahara - strong driver
Tomasz Kuchar - had driven WRC fairly well, and at this level could shine pretty well.

The other 5 were Sergio Lopez-Fombona, Ricardo Trivino, Georgi Geradzhiev, Joakim Roman and Fabio Frisiero. Sadly Martin Rowe wouldn't be taking part due to lack of funds.

By my reckoning any one of eight drivers could have taken that title, and I had no idea who. First I was convinced Daniel Sola would run away with it. Then it looked like Jani Paasonen. When he was excluded in the final round, Alister Mcrae took the lead to my great excitement as he was the driver I was supporting. I stayed up till 4am following the results on teletext (they only listed top 10 - that was always frustrating, the lack of detailed information). I finally went to bed knowing there were only stages 23-26 to run after a service, relaxed and confident it was all finally going right for Alister. I got up later that day joking with my mum about him having retired at the end after all that's happened, while fully expecting him to have won it. I switched the TV on and waited for the teletext page to load up. When it came up, I was in disbelief as I saw the top 10

1.S Loeb Citroen (usually spelt Citreon)
2.H Rovanpera (Peugeot)
3.F Duval (Ford)
4.M Hirvonen (Subaru)
5.C Atkinson (Subaru)
6.X Pons (Mitsubishi)
7.C Crocker (Subaru)
8.T Arai (Subaru)
9.N McShea (Subaru)
10.I actually can't remember

But understanding the points situation and seeing that Arai and McShea were on the page and Alister was gone, I knew that Alister was now not the champion. I was absolutely dismayed having joked about him retiring by the end, on his way to the title having led all this way - and here it was actually having happened. I realised that Niall McShea had won the title, which was some consolation.

Being new to the PWRC I hadn't really grasped the reality of it. I thought the ex WRC drivers would absolutely win by miles and that Arai wouldn't have a chance with all these big names. As it turned out, Arai did very well, and Alister actually was about the 4th quickest driver.

My favourite JWRC season was a 2003 marginally ahead of 2004, as there were more cars represented in 2003. 2004 was also very competitive though. I was impressed with all the Suzuki drivers, Kris Meeke's performances in a car not on the level of the best, including his last stage podium snatch in Monte-Carlo.

[tommeke_B]

The 2003 season was the season that got me fully interested into the World championship. A title-race that lasted until the very last event (the whole top 7 of the leaderboard could change in the very last event), 6 different winners throughout the year... And I think it also must have been the season with the best calendar.

[rjbetty]

Oh yeah I would definitely put 2003 equal with 2001!

N.B. I remember now the result for Australia 2004

9.Dean Herridge (Subaru)
10.Niall McShea (Subaru)

[Barreis]

Every season from 1992 to 2004.

[Rallyper]

2001 - no doubt. With the final event in GB with so much drama!! And Burns winning the title after so much troubles throughout the year.

[stefanvv]

May be the "golden age" in '84-'85. Rallying seemed to really picking up at interest, so many manufacturers interested in, some really great drivers comete in it, such a pitty what happened in the next one.

[Plan9]

I liked 2000 in particular and 1995