Thread: [WRC] News & Rumours 2019
-
14th July 2019, 19:40 #2551
- Join Date
- Jul 2003
- Location
- Sleezattle, Washington, USA
- Posts
- 3,342
- Like
- 737
- Liked 558 Times in 295 Posts
That was 50 years ago...50 years subsequently full of ever more hysterical hype..
One simple pass and the announcers flip out so much screaming a "Brilliant" pass and make Brazilian football fans look like geriatrics patients sedated with massive amounts of drugs as if nobody has ever passed anybody ever before..Its ridiculous..John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle WA, USA
Vive le Prole-le-ralliat
-
14th July 2019, 22:20 #2552
- Likes: cali (15th July 2019)
-
16th July 2019, 08:15 #2553
- Join Date
- Apr 2017
- Location
- Finland
- Posts
- 9,625
- Like
- 8,775
- Liked 10,522 Times in 4,616 Posts
Jouhki says Ford might return as a factory team with the hybrid regulations. He thinks Tänak will stay at Toyota, but if he leaves, Kalle will go there. He also says M-Sport is always a good option for a new driver to rehearse.
https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-10876239
- Likes: pantealex (16th July 2019),Rallyper (16th July 2019)
-
16th July 2019, 10:55 #2554
- Join Date
- May 2005
- Posts
- 5,802
- Like
- 337
- Liked 3,791 Times in 1,979 Posts
I read it as saying pretty directly that Kalle will either go to Toyota or MSport and I agree it's the best options. C3 seems a bit tricky on gravel atm. and only one driver has ever been able to consistently deliver with I20. Just as before I am not so convinced he should drive full season yet though.
For me it also looks very likely that Evans will go somewhere else if he continues to prove a reliable points scorer. Surely that has to be something for the teams fighting for manu title (Toyota, Hyundai and probably Citroen next year). MSport with Tanak would want cheap/paying drivers and Evans probably would not be interested in that any more. But it might be that if MSport doesn't get Tanak they change their goal from driver title/rally wins to manu title and sign one of Latvala/Meeke/Mikkelsen and keep Evans.
Latvala/Meeke will want to stay at Toyota, but unless they do like 2 podiums each in next 3 rallies I think one of them will leave, then the question will be who (if?) hires them. Latvala going "cheap" to MSport seems most likely.
Mikkelsen would want to leave Hyundai if he can (unless he drives in Germany and has normal speed there). Tommi never seemed interested though and I can't see that happening unless he kicks both Latvala and Meeke, which is not very likely. Out of the other two Citroen (with 3 cars) looks most likely to me.
Anyway just like Jouhki says the fastest free driver will kick it all off and everything else will depend on what he does. That's undoubtedly Tanak atm. since Ogier and Neuville have contracts.
-
16th July 2019, 14:13 #2555
- Join Date
- Apr 2017
- Location
- Finland
- Posts
- 9,625
- Like
- 8,775
- Liked 10,522 Times in 4,616 Posts
I typed my initial reply on the phone quickly.
Here's some quotes from Jouhki translated
"Our target is that Kalle drives next year in WRC class. I believe in that firmly"
"My guess is that Tänak will remain at Toyota, although the fight will be fierce with M-Sport and Hyundai"
"Let's say that if Tänak leaves Toyota we'll get there quite surely"
"Not all teams are such where you could imagine being as comfortable as possible" (the journalist mentions Citroen axing Meeke and Adamo's politics at Hyundai, plus Toyota's realiability problems)
"I consider all manufacturer teams to be equal in competitiveness. M-Sport is not a full works team but it's a good rehearsal team"
"Let's say that the probability to driving with Toyota is over 50%. The rest are below. Toyota is quite interesting but so are the others"
Jouhki also states that he hasn't had this situation where teams are battling for his driver since the days of Kankkunen and Mäkinen. He also claims being Finnish has no meaning in going to Toyota. Kalle's contract should be published by October.
- Likes: dimviii (16th July 2019),pantealex (16th July 2019),racerx1979 (16th July 2019)
-
16th July 2019, 22:32 #2556
I forgot... does Jouhki manage Latvala as well??
-
16th July 2019, 22:52 #2557
- Join Date
- May 2018
- Location
- Monaco
- Posts
- 290
- Like
- 179
- Liked 253 Times in 103 Posts
-
17th July 2019, 06:25 #2558
- Join Date
- May 2005
- Posts
- 5,802
- Like
- 337
- Liked 3,791 Times in 1,979 Posts
Afaik, last time one of his drivers won the championship was Mäkinen in 1999, 20 years ago!
Yes he has brought (or "bought") quite a few drivers to WRC, but they tend to be "second best".
-
17th July 2019, 06:48 #2559
- Join Date
- Jul 2016
- Location
- Finland
- Posts
- 1,320
- Like
- 1,091
- Liked 1,995 Times in 793 Posts
So far the list of "Jouhki drivers in WRC" is as follows: Kankkunen, Mäkinen, Rovanperä Sr., Gardemeister, Hirvonen, Latvala and Suninen. Out of those G-Man is the only one failing to win a WRC event (I count Suninen as being on his way to one), so overall Jouhki delivers quite top quality, I would say.
- Likes: AnttiL (17th July 2019),steve.mandzij (18th July 2019)
-
17th July 2019, 07:43 #2560
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
- Location
- J y v ä s k y l ä
- Posts
- 3,858
- Like
- 18,465
- Liked 2,195 Times in 1,078 Posts
- Likes: AnttiL (17th July 2019)
Today without bigger drama for Rally1, so expecting tomorrow lot of retirements maybe, because there is NEVER rally without issues. Let's see guys, favorizing Ogier for the win probably, depends on...
[WRC] Croatia Rally 2024