[WRC] News & Rumours 2019

[AnttiL]

Wouldn’t that mean potentially losing out on some of the best stages?... at least I know I’m
asking the right man!

Well, you know, in Finland there's no more Ouninpohja...but still many awesome stages, and zero chicanes, although it's the fastest rally. Even Turkey had a chicane!

[Hartusvuori]

Don’t be naif. Allowing virtual chicanes is opening a Pandora ’s Box. Like it’s been said, virtual chicanes would be easier to place than the current ones and would also allow organizers to save money on insurance fees or road repairs; that’s quite an incentive for a larger use. Besides, under the politically correct (false) pretext of improving safety, how would anyone dare to limit them?

How does virtual chicane save on insurance fees? Or road repairs for the matter - any chicane mean detoriation to the road. Anti-cut blocks are invented for preventing cutting.

[Rally Power]

How does virtual chicane save on insurance fees? Or road repairs for the matter - any chicane mean detoriation to the road. Anti-cut blocks are invented for preventing cutting.

In some countries there’s an average speed stage limit for insurance purposes (75mph in GB case). Mentioning road rebuild savings may sound silly, but Wales organizer said it on Autosport piece: https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...ctly--rally-gb

Btw, take a look on Wales onboards: in all the forest stages of the first and second legs there was only one chicane in Brenig (SS3/8) and another one in Sweet Lamb (SS11/16). In both cases, the spots didn’t seem particulary ‘dangerous’. Surprisinsingly, on Great Orme (SS21/23) tarmac road section one can count 3 chicanes in less than 6 kms!

Let’s face it: if Finland organizers can get alternative roads to avoid extreme speeds, for sure it won’t be that hard for Wales or any other organizer to do the same.

[AnttiL]

Btw, take a look on Wales onboards: in all the forest stages of the first and second legs there was only one chicane in Brenig (SS3/8) and another one in Sweet Lamb (SS11/16). In both cases, the spots didn’t seem particulary ‘dangerous’.

Sweet Lamb chicane is just before the arena with a lot of spectators. Brenig was a long straight into a 90 junction onto tarmac with another road behind the junction (open for traffic)?

[SubaruNorway]

Let’s face it: if Finland organizers can get alternative roads to avoid extreme speeds, for sure it won’t be that hard for Wales or any other organizer to do the same.

In the end those roads didn't make it safer since they were still very fast with hidden rocks and tree stumps in the grass, trees also even closer. Also poor viewing for spectators making them stay closer to the road.

[Rally Power]

Sweet Lamb chicane is just before the arena with a lot of spectators. Brenig was a long straight into a 90 junction onto tarmac with another road behind the junction (open for traffic)?

Yep; actually Brenig straight doesn’t look very long.

In the end those roads didn't make it safer since they were still very fast with hidden rocks and tree stumps in the grass, trees also even closer. Also poor viewing for spectators making them stay closer to the road.

I remember reading that some drivers actually liked Finland’s new roads and prefered them than using chicanes like in 2017.

Anyway, probably there will never be a perfect solution to avoid extreme speeds in rally, but it’s difficult to imagine a worst one than virtual chicanes.

[cali]

I still think the best solution is not to have any chicanes at all, a route which doesn’t require them.

I've said the same before. No real need for chicanes and we would lose one more pseudo problem. WRC is speedtest for world's finest drivers. Just lose it.

[Steve Boyd]

In some countries there’s an average speed stage limit for insurance purposes (75mph in GB case)

75 mph limit in GB is for tarmac stages only. The limit for gravel stages is 70 mph.

I don't like chicanes but for the long term future of the sport I believe we need to control the average speeds on the stages.
If we have faster roads without chicanes the cars will become faster. Team A will use a joker to homologate a higher final drive. They will be faster on faster stages. Team B will see this and homologate a higher final drive. This battle will continue until the slower accelleration out of the slow corners compensates for the higher top speed. If there are more fast straights without chicanes then the top speed increase will be more.
When the FIA see the top speed of the cars is now maybe 10% faster they will say more safety protection is needed for the crews. They may increase the weight to allow the extra protection to be fitted so we could have cars that are 5% heavier & 10% faster top speed. This equals 26% more kinetic energy when a car goes off the road so the places where spectators can go will be reduced and they will need to be kept further from the track except in the slow parts. If spectators are forced to watch these cars in the slow parts it may reduce the people who go to watch because heavier cars with higher final drive ratios will not accellerate like the current cars. People will want more power to get the specatcle back making the cars faster and so the cycle will repeat.
Virtual chicanes are simple to impelment in WRC with current technology and using them to break up long straights will keep the top speed of the cars down so the accelleration will still be good making the cars good to watch in the interesting places. Who watches in the middle of a long straight anyway?

[atsiotras79]

I have one question. How this whole chicane story will imply in a rally like Monte Carlo? I am sorry for the strong language but there a fatal accident can happen with 5km/h... is really average speed the problem? So should we stop Monte due to safety? Could this be the kind of question that rises next? And Turkey has big rocks... and Finland has big jumps... and Germany has these big hinkelthings...and let’s keep only rallycross... what a load of shit...

[AnttiL]

I have one question. How this whole chicane story will imply in a rally like Monte Carlo? I am sorry for the strong language but there a fatal accident can happen with 5km/h... is really average speed the problem? So should we stop Monte due to safety? Could this be the kind of question that rises next? And Turkey has big rocks... and Finland has big jumps... and Germany has these big hinkelthings...and let’s keep only rallycross... what a load of shit...

Have you ever seen a chicane in Monte?