Hyundai WRT

[er88]

Mikkelsen getting dropped was obvious the more I thought about it. How could Hyundai, and Adamo under huge pressure, justify having Andreas in the car on tarmac when the GOAT or one of the better tarmac drivers (sordo) sits at home? Answer is, you can't justify it. Especially after Spain last year when Mikkelsen was miles off his two team mates (and this was after upgrades to the car, of which Neuville and Sordo both said helped a lot especially in the drying/dry conditions). If Mikkelsen couldn't get anywhere close to the best out the car unlike the other two, he's rightfully dropped. It would've been nonsensical to have him over Loeb or Sordo.

Let's wait and see for Corsica - I expect Hyundai aren't as far away as previously, but still need further improvements. But some of the talk here has been silly about the car, it's a very good car. Ogier would've won the title in it in 2017 and in 2018 imo, and you can't win a title in a bad car. Heck it was Neuville's fault he didn't win in 17, he blew two sure fire wins in Monte and Sweden (50pts) in a year he won on tarmac in Corsica. In 18, the car broke in Turkey and Neuville made a costly mistake in GB. Yes they have weaker events but it's a few upgrades away from being a powerhouse of a car.

Also regarding the other drivers not having won in it - is is really a surprise that Sordo/Mikkelsen/Paddon haven't won with the i20?! Genuinely? I don't think so. Neuville is on a different level to his team mates - despite him being a bit disliked on here.
Sordo has won one event in his whole career ffs, and the wrc is at it's most competitive now. Mikkelsen had by far an away the best car for 3yrs or whatever at VW with little competition, was team mate to a mentally broken Latvala, and still only won 3events despite Ogier sweeping the road for two days for a whole year! And Paddon hasn't kicked on after the Argentina win years ago and didn't get the required diff changes for a while. And let's not judge Loeb like he's still on the top top level - he isn't and has said that himself. He's still great but he wouldn't beat Ogier/Tanak or Neuville across a whole year. He was top 3 pace in Mexico (road position) and Corsica (home rally/best tarmac car) but still made little mistakes due to his age and time away when trying to match the top guys. Mistakes he'd have never have made in his pomp. In Spain he didn't take advantage of road position, was nowhere near Tanak, and then made an inspired tyre choice gamble which won him the rally after Tanak's troubles. Again people on here maybe expected him to win events this year, but it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't bar the most dusty of gravel events (as I think Tanak will probably win 5/6 rallies himself, and then you've got Ogier, Neuville etc). Loeb has also said he has a contract to help the team/Neuville. At Citroen he was there for fun first and foremost, the manufacturers or drivers titles didn't matter. If Hyundai are paying him a lot of €€€ then he has to make sure he does the job required.

Only reason you had Evans win an event with the fiesta was because of tyres - that's clear as day. Lappi won in Finland due to Latvala's retirement and Toyota having a totally dominant car there in 2017 (reflected by Juhos pace too). Latvala and Meeke have won events in the Toyota and C3 because Latvala was mentally sound in 2017 and always been an event winner, and Meeke had a win or bust approach and has always been one of the faster drivers until he crashes. Tanak won in the Fiesta because he was on a huge upward trajectory as a driver. Mikkelsen could've even won an event or two in the Hyundai if he didn't hit problems in Australia in 2017, and maybe in Sardinia/Portugal too? Maybe that's being generous to Mikkelsen but it is small margins.

So yes the i20 needs work but not as much as some make out. Mikkelsen just isn't in the top tier of drivers imo. He had terrible pace in the c3 on gravel, and terrible pace with the Hyundai on tarmac. And can't beat Neuville on gravel rallies even when he's had road position advantage. It's time he steps up to the plate, after all he was brought in to challenge for a drivers title alongside Thierry, not be a safe pts scorer like Sordo/Paddon. The fact he's now judged against Sordo/Paddon/Loeb etc says it all, while Neuville continues to demolish him on an almost event by event basis.

[mknight]

Yes! I looked through the wall of text to find your favourite wording and you didn't disappoint. Just instead of domination you used demolish this time.

To stick to your words.. Loeb is being demolished by Neuville and in Sweden even by Mikkelsen (while Mikkelsen in Sweden was closer to Neuville than last year). Off course Loeb now is not the same like 6 years ago, but he is a level slower than last year. Anyway Corsica will be the first event that can be directly compared, but I somehow doubt he'll have top 3 stagetimes whole rally like in C3.

[EstWRC]

i really admire your determination and nevergiveup attitude

[GravelBen]

i really admire your determination and nevergiveup attitude

I just wonder if he's getting paid for it!

[N.O.T]

i really admire your determination and nevergiveup attitude

its british autism... nothing to do with determination and other positive values.

[AnttiL]

Dani Sordo is driving the Rali Serras di Fafe with the R5 car this weekend. The rally consists mostly of the WRC Rally Portugal Sunday roads. Does this imply Sordo is not going to do Rally Portugal because this would be considered as an extra recce round? Or have I understood this wrong?

[tommeke_B]

It's not an extra/illegal recce imo. Not Sordo's fault that they're using the same roads.

[Googol]

I can't imagine rules where that would be allowed and which at the same time couldn't be abused.

[AnttiL]

Not Sordo's fault that they're using the same roads.

What do you mean? If you're taking part in the rally of Fafe, you might have a guess at which stages you're going to do...I don't remember when they published the route though.

[tommeke_B]

What do you mean? If you're taking part in the rally of Fafe, you might have a guess at which stages you're going to do...I don't remember when they published the route though.

In France, one or 2 weeks before Rallye d'Antibes, there's another small event which uses exactly the same stages. Lots of drivers drive both every year. It has never been considered illegal recce. I think, when in an organized event, it is no problem. IF you were doing a private test on a piece of stage-road, that would be a completely different story. Also where should you draw the line then, you could exclude nearly all local competitors for Rally Portugal...