[WRC] News & Rumours 2018

[AnttiL]

Another point about Ott is that he hasn't really had a 'traditional' off this season. The Sweden one was quite bizarre and we can argue whether he broke the car by driving too fast in Portugal, Sardegna and Wales, or the tyre in Catalunya, but he hasn't ruined a rally by putting the car off the road, like Ogier and Neuville have done.

[stefanvv]

How's "Ott Tänak" for a definition?

That could be example, but certainly not a "definition".

The quickest and relatively reliable indicator is the number of stage wins. It's not perfect, mainly due to road cleaning effects, but it's also better now when drivers don't know splits.

Yes, that could be good indicator. Even if we take away 1/3 of Tanak's stage wins due to road cleaning, he has still more than Neuville. And 1/3 is a lot.

[mknight]

Another point about Ott is that he hasn't really had a 'traditional' off this season. The Sweden one was quite bizarre and we can argue whether he broke the car by driving too fast in Portugal, Sardegna and Wales, or the tyre in Catalunya, but he hasn't ruined a rally by putting the car off the road, like Ogier and Neuville have done.

Can't quite agree. Sardinia was "traditional" off.
Neuville has one in Finland + timeloss in GB.
Ogier has Portugal+Tur.

Not listing Monte as most had small offs there and the timeloss depended on how many spectators were nearby.

[AnttiL]

Jumping from an artificial jump, staying on the road, not hitting a stone or anything on the road, but breaking the radiator is a traditional rallying crash for you? OK then...but 2 for Ogier and 3 for Neuville is still more than 1 for Tänak.

[Allez Andruet]

That could be example, but certainly not a "definition".

I tried to be clever but obviously failed in that attempt.

[stefanvv]

I tried to be clever but obviously failed in that attempt.

Well I'm not n.o.t. to judge people's mind capabilities and throw random insults. Just wanted to know which indicator(s) makes a driver indisputable fastest as there are so many variables and circumstances, that I can never claim certain driver has been fastest 100%.

[AL14]

It's full of examples in the history of rally of fastest drivers who don't win championships. It's because Rally is not just about being faster.
And I'm not referring to Tanak this year, it's more general. Me too I would have voted for Tanak.

[Tarmop]

Jumping from an artificial jump, staying on the road, not hitting a stone or anything on the road, but breaking the radiator is a traditional rallying crash for you? OK then...but 2 for Ogier and 3 for Neuville is still more than 1 for Tänak.

Neuville should have been more careful in Turkey also Ogier almost had to go rally2 with his wishbone change. And GB gearbox breaking because of a spin...and going into a ditch in Corsica...and punctiouring in Germany due to a collision.

[stefanvv]

Putting Tanak aside, what is more interesting Ogier has not been faster even than Neuville, and that without having to clean the road half the season. So yes, it's rally and why we love it, being fast most of the time couldn't pay off at the end. It's more about being tactic.

[deephouse]

What if we go in another direction of arguing about the slowest driver out there. Please don't count Qassimi, Block and other one off-s.