[WRC] News & Rumours 2019

[KiwiWRCfan]

Does this mean every car attending a WRC event will have to have the device? Do they have to buy it, or will the rally organizer supply the unit for each competitor?

Yes every everyone would need a RallySafe unit. No extra cost as all cars already have RallySafe units including support classes

[KiwiWRCfan]

There are not only 12 works WRC cars but also up to 100 other cars which are different on each event and it absolutely has to work with all of them. It's not easy even with GPS to make it working for everyone.

Unnecessary concern Mirek. Technology is already developed and well tested. System is already used at events in New Zealand, Australia and many other countries

[Tarmop]

And as we know, technology and rallysafe (or any other timing service) work so flawlessly, especially in some unhabitated forest or mountain like we have seen this year and previous years. And we are back not making it actually safer...

[Mirek]

Unnecessary concern Mirek. Technology is already developed and well tested. System is already used at events in New Zealand, Australia and many other countries

I can't compare the systems but from my experience from ERC Barum rally there is always a certain number of competitors whose safety system doesn't work in scrutineering and there are technicians needed to deal with that (replace the unit or solve the issue in other way). It takes time even when in our case more than half of the competitors have the system installed already before the event (as they use the same one in the national championship).

[br21]

I don't know how it works in NZ, but in WRC events RallySafe units were struggling from time to time. Loosing signal, cars disappearing from map or from timing, strange times, etc. Later in the season it was on acceptable level in general but not to take control of virtual chicanes/slow zones.
Non Manufacturer teams were able to buy their antenna/connection kits, units themselves each time were collected from the SAS and given back after the event. There were often problems to install the units as they are pretty big and heavy (as mounting needs to be solid and unit accessible for both crew members seated and tightened), also availability of kits with longer antenna wires or especially remote LED units was very, very limited.
In general all the features and possibilities were OK, I like it and it's big step forward from previous Spanish units, but it's not stable enough to control slow zones.
And Dutch version of the system is really weak...

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Straw bales are useless. Why not build proper, heavy-duty chicanes that cant be pushed around ?

If driver's know they cant hit them without damaging their car they will treat them with respect.

[kiil]

Straw bales are useless. Why not build proper, heavy-duty chicanes that cant be pushed around ?

If driver's know they cant hit them without damaging their car they will treat them with respect.

The purpose of chicanes is not to destroy cars.

[denkimi]

Straw bales are useless. Why not build proper, heavy-duty chicanes that cant be pushed around ?

If driver's know they cant hit them without damaging their car they will treat them with respect.

i have seen metal shipping container being used here.

The purpose of chicanes is not to destroy cars.

the goal of chicanes is not to hit them.

[Tarmop]

It needs quite an impact to be moved ( 1m x 1m bale is 300-500 kg, quite a bit)...if it was fined with a 10 sec. penalty, then they would stay in one place most of the time... 1m3 IBC container is about the same size and over one ton.

[SubaruNorway]

And as we know, technology and rallysafe (or any other timing service) work so flawlessly, especially in some unhabitated forest or mountain like we have seen this year and previous years. And we are back not making it actually safer...

It seems very accurate, not sure if it works on GPS position as that's pre programed in the unit, but they have the correct time to the tenth in the car just as they pass the finish line now i can hear from the co driver, before the co driver would give the time he had manually taken on the watch. So if that works in a tight forest having the same pre programmed line for the virtual chicane should also work fine.