[WRC] News & Rumours 2019

[Tarmop]

There was a news in December(?) that Ciesla is planning something "Monza Rally show" like in Estonia this summer, with all the manufactures present.
Tänak at the top, TGR operations, huge popularity of rally and new cars+ neighbours...who knows, how the winds blow...

[Rally Power]

It's pre 1979 cup. Before 1973 there weren't even manufacturer's championships.

Yep, Alen and Munari were fantastic drivers but to consider them as WRC drivers champs would be a mistake. Not only because the FIA International Cup wasn’t properly named as World Championship but mostly because it also included ERC rallys and some special events, besides WRC rallys. Between those special events the most peculiar was the ‘Giro d’Italia’, a mix rally/racing event that allowed rally crews to be replaced by a racing driver on the racing circuit runs!

To use the official WRC Drivers Championship status as the main standard to choose wall of fame drivers (and codrivers) makes sense, but it’s totally fair to say that many others (some already named here) should also have a place in it. Actually a small wall in FIA headquarters (apparently only visitable by request) seems too short attending Rallysport and WRC fabulous heritage; to build a proper Rally Museum would be the right step to honour all those (drivers, codrivers, manus, organizers, etc) that helped the sport growing through time.

Yesterday ceremony highlights: https://youtu.be/pjLQBERLWR4

[AL14]

Yep, Alen and Munari were fantastic drivers but to consider them as WRC drivers champs would be a mistake. Not only because the FIA International Cup wasn’t properly named as World Championship but mostly because it also included ERC rallys and some special events, besides WRC rallys. Between those special events the most peculiar was the ‘Giro d’Italia’, a mix rally/racing event that allowed rally crews to be replaced by a racing driver on the racing circuit runs!

To use the official WRC Drivers Championship status as the main standard to choose wall of fame drivers (and codrivers) makes sense, but it’s totally fair to say that many others (some already named here) should also have a place in it. Actually a small wall in FIA headquarters (apparently only visitable by request) seems too short attending Rallysport and WRC fabulous heritage; to build a proper Rally Museum would be the right step to honour all those (drivers, codrivers, manus, organizers, etc) that helped the sport growing through time.

Yesterday ceremony highlights: https://youtu.be/pjLQBERLWR4

It's right that we should not call them world champions but the discussion was about having them in the hall of fame and I think those 2 are not strangers in there.

[Rally Power]

It's right that we should not call them world champions but the discussion was about having them in the hall of fame and I think those 2 are not strangers in there.

Those 2 and many more, including the sport pioneers, pre wars and post wars rally aces and the heroes of the 60's that bring the sport into the modern age; Rally History begun long before the WRC, that's why the FIA should build a museum instead of a short wall.

[Myrvold]

No you be proud to be ignorant thats fine.

Being a fan doesn't mean you have to have huge knowledge of the history from before a person became a fan.

With that being said, you two seem to have an on-going beef with each other, why not just put put the respective names on the ignore list and get on with the day.

[Japé]

Cheers Norm... I didn’t know much about Allen. Googled mr maximum attack last night and saw who it was.

WRC all time Stage wins:

1. Loeb, Sebastien FR 915
2. Alen, Markku FI 822
3. Sainz, Carlos ES 756
4. Kankkunen, Juha FI 700
5. Mikkola, Hannu FI 654
6. Auriol, Didier FR 554
7. Gronholm, Marcus FI 542
= Vatanen, Ari FI 542
9. Ogier, Sebastien FR 539
10. Latvala, Jari-Matti FI 517
11. Blomqvist, Stig SE 486
12. McRae, Colin GB 477
13. Solberg, Petter NO 457
14. Rohrl, Walter DE 439
15. Biasion, Massimo IT 373
16. Makinen, Tommi FI 362
17.Waldegard, Bjorn SE 290
18. Burns, Richard GB 277
19. Hirvonen, Mikko FI 260
20. Salonen, Timo FI 257


Yes, rallies are different nowadays, but on the other hand juwra.com says "Stage wins before 1978 are not complete". I guess Alen had quite a few stage wins also before 1978 Drivers with a lot of stage wins might have a habit to attack

[GravelBen]

I wasn't aware of it. I have however, heard of Allen before. Should I really be ashamed?

I've been following rallying since I was a kid and I'd never heard it until this thread either.

[stefanvv]

I've been following rallying since I was a kid and I'd never heard it until this thread either.

It must be some forum thing, I know this nickname only from the forum as well, don't remember any video mentioning it, but may there are.

[Allez Andruet]

It must be some forum thing, I know this nickname only from the forum as well, don't remember any video mentioning it, but may there are.

Trust me, it's not a forum thing. Alen was known for his always-flat-out style, which during the heyday of ridiculously long rallies in the 70's and 80's wasn't that common approach. That made Markku so popular among the rally fans worldwide, but also cost him dearly; 1000 Lakes 1986 or RAC 1987 probably being the best examples of rallies where he should have just taken it easy instead of pushing like there's no tomorrow.

It's true that the moniker wasn't used as widely during his active years as it has been afterwards. In 2001, when Markku drove Rally Finland for one last time, the text on the back of his Focus WRC read "The original maximum attack".

2001.JPG

And another reason why he's still so popular (although this only concerns the Finnish speaking rally fans) must be the wonderful interviews he gave. It's hard to put in words, but there's something very unique and charismatic in his way of being dead serious, but still with a shade of humor.

I only saw him few times in action in the early 90's, yet he's my biggest hero in rallying.

edit. Has nothing to do with anything, but actually I've seen Markku's father quite many times. He used to attend the same ice hockey games I did with my father. Ofcourse I didn't recognize him at the time, but my dad did.

[AnttiL]

https://www.iltalehti.fi/ralli/a/2013080217325788

Here Markku explains that in Portugal they asked how fast he is driving and with his limited English he tried to say flat out and said instead "maximum attack". I think that term also referred to Alen's capability and desire to attack right from the very beginning of the rally. In the age of long rallies, most drivers would take it easy for a day or two, watching how fast the others go and how many retire, but Markku attacked from the first kilometres.

Also if you look up Alén in Wikipedia, it's right up there, sourced from The Complete Book of the World Rally Championship by Henry Hope Frost and John Davenport, not your average forum posters.