[WRC] News & Rumours 2019

[deephouse]

For sure there will be a noise

sizzling and stones throwing is not calling a noise...

[RS]

And I think it is not only about rallysport, but whole motorsport. Without sound you are loosing big part of emotions, which is the reason why you are attending the events.

This is true but what percentage of a sports audience are attending in person vs. watching on the tv?

I don’t think fully electric WRC will happen for some time anyway. F1 style hybrids first maybe.

[Mk2 RS2000]

So people want to go electric because it is clean and green and saves the earth etc. What about the 58 nuclear power stations located in France that are providing the charging power for these save the world electric vehicles all around Europe. Just remind me how clean all this is. Just remind me where France disposes of its nuclear waste, for sure they don't bury it in rural France or beside the Seine River

Actually I like the new compression ignition petrol engine that will be powering the new Mazda 3 and 6 this year as that is a whole new ball game in fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions.

[Tarmop]

It has to look green on paper. In reality it is money they need aka car, servicing and repairing it for 10 or so years, then scrapping it and buying a new one.

[AndyRAC]

Can't but help thinking that the WRC is behind the curve; we've seen Hybrids in the WEC since 2012 - and F1 not much after that. There is probably a good reason why; Cost. How many factory teams can afford to run a Hybrid/ Electric car? It's easy to say we'll join/ continue in the WRC when it goes Hybrid/ electric; but how many will actually do so?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Electric cars eco-credentials are more that they dont pollute the cities with carcenegenic NOx and particulates. How the electricity is produced is a different matter.

[mknight]

Can't but help thinking that the WRC is behind the curve; we've seen Hybrids in the WEC since 2012 - and F1 not much after that. There is probably a good reason why; Cost. How many factory teams can afford to run a Hybrid/ Electric car? It's easy to say we'll join/ continue in the WRC when it goes Hybrid/ electric; but how many will actually do so?

WRC has been "behind the curve" a few times before already.

- In 1995-2005 almost no road cars used big (2L+) turbo engines. Either naturally aspirated petrol or TDI.
- Then downsizing came with small petrol engines with turbo, but it took WRC a few years to switch to 1.6
- Similarly direct injection came in road cars before WRC.

Don't think cost is the main issue. More legacy + "slow" rule changes.

[Mirek]

Can't but help thinking that the WRC is behind the curve; we've seen Hybrids in the WEC since 2012 - and F1 not much after that. There is probably a good reason why; Cost. How many factory teams can afford to run a Hybrid/ Electric car? It's easy to say we'll join/ continue in the WRC when it goes Hybrid/ electric; but how many will actually do so?

It's muuuuuch easier to integrate hybrids or electric cars in circuits than in rallying. It's not only about the cost. There is hugely different safety environment, durability requirements etc.

[sindroms]

I tried looking at some onboards and mostly the roads resemble Rally Poland more than Finland...

I have visited Poland WRC back in 2014, I am visiting Rally Estonia every year and Rally Finland almost every year. I did spectator recce in Poland and doing it every time at Rally Estonia and Rally Finland and I must admit Rally Estonia roads are far away from Poland roads in every aspect. Surface is one of them definitely. Estonia roads have way more terrain changes - bends, small up and downs, crests, blind corners. However, it is also not Finland of course. So my final conclusion could be - " Rally Poland has something similar to Rally Estonia while Rally Estonia has something similar to Rally Finland"

[Jarek Z]

For sure there will be a noise

You mean something like that?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RYp8tXgSNc