[WRC] News & Rumours 2019

[mknight]

If You didn't notice they compete with the very same competitors in R5. Believe me that's really not the reason.

Skoda'a budget seems to be much higher than all the other R5 teams. At least before C3 and Polo came.
Most notably the testing and continuing development part. Others seemed to just make the car and then let it sell with little changes as long as somebody was buying it. (208, DS3, i20). But again that's just how it looks to me. Might be wrong.

[Mirek]

Skoda'a budget seems to be much higher than all the other R5 teams. At least before C3 and Polo came.
Most notably the testing and continuing development part. Others seemed to just make the car and then let it sell with little changes as long as somebody was buying it. (208, DS3, i20). But again that's just how it looks to me. Might be wrong.

Sorry but doesn't proof anything about them being afraid of competition. Quite the opposite. It shows that when they do something they do it on 100%. Really the reason why they are not in WRC is not them being afraid of something.

[er88]

Sorry but doesn't proof anything about them being afraid of competition. Quite the opposite. It shows that when they do something they do it on 100%. Really the reason why they are not in WRC is not them being afraid of something.

Well it is, maybe they're afraid to invest the money needed to take the next step and take on the current wrc teams. They're afraid to step up to the plate, having proven everything in the lower classes. It's why they'd rather sit where they are and be content with what they have. They've been market leaders in s2000 and now R5 but won't take the plunge - despite it being possible to win without spending the most.

They'd rather be safe than sorry. That's obvious

[Tarmop]

What is obvious, is that such big decisions and money come from VAG leadership in Wolfsburg.

[deephouse]

Don't be so protective just because you are Czech - Mirek. Although it's their decision why they are where they are. We will not change that. But I would be really happy and maybe others too if they would step up to the big game. How bad that could be even if they would suck at the beginning. They have experience in lower class in the highest too. Budget I think wouldn't be a problem at all even for a caliber like Ogier or Loeb type investments (others I think are not that much expensive). Maybe they are really waiting for right oportunity like some guessed (new Fabia introduction or new regulations).

I mean it's kind of strange why they invest in 5 drivers ths year. With 2 of them being in fight for the title and then ''offer'' Kopecky a prestigious title (maybe for his loyalty - he definetly deserves it). Then build a new facility for what project? (they have talk about it and then nothing). I don't think that is that just for building their R5 machines. Or it's producton so huge that they need serial production lines for faster, cheaper building of that cars. Are they working on new R4 cars or R2? Then let's move on, then the fired Veiby (OK understandable he show something that he was not allowed to). Obviously they let go Nordgren too and keep only Rovanperra (he had a valid contract) and Kopecky. Tidemand have another offer too but he declined it and go seeking new oportunities. Well if Skoda was intend to bring their programme to the WRC then that would be a stupid idea to go out of the team.

Next thing some guy in Skoda Motorsport department say that their plan is not coming to the WRC and that's it. I think that they have maybe consider it and then change their minds, at least for a while. With their herritage in that kind of motorsport I think that they will be here for a long time and maybe when they will be ready they will come officially. We can only wait for their real intentions and hpe that this day would someday come. I think that Skoda coming is more possible than Mitsubishi and Subaru combined. These two manufacturers even don't make proper cars for that project.

Then there is another thing with interesting guessing. Skoda maybe will closely look at WRX and ES Motorsport activities. And if they will be succesfull why not try over there and support the team with factory money (just my guessing).

What I'm really sad is that sponsors don't invest more in this sport (WRC). They are rather in F1, or some football related sports. But novadays a lot of people invest in their cars and closest sport is rallying. Now I need to stop haha

[Mirek]

Don't be so protective just because you are Czech - Mirek.

That's not the case

Although it's their decision why they are where they are. We will not change that. But I would be really happy and maybe others too if they would step up to the big game. How bad that could be even if they would suck at the beginning. They have experience in lower class in the highest too. Budget I think wouldn't be a problem at all even for a caliber like Ogier or Loeb type investments (others I think are not that much expensive). Maybe they are really waiting for right oportunity like some guessed (new Fabia introduction or new regulations).

One of the issues is that it's not their decision. At least it's not them alone who can decide and the smallest word of all decision makers has the motorsport department itself which is more a tool in the hands of the marketing strategists.

I mean it's kind of strange why they invest in 5 drivers ths year. With 2 of them being in fight for the title and then ''offer'' Kopecky a prestigious title (maybe for his loyalty - he definetly deserves it).

Agree that this was really strange and I have personally no idea what was behind that.

Then build a new facility for what project? (they have talk about it and then nothing). I don't think that is that just for building their R5 machines. Or it's producton so huge that they need serial production lines for faster, cheaper building of that cars.

That's how they actually present it. The truth is that the old facility was non-suitable for the motorsport department and especially for the volumes of the R5 cars being built and serviced there. They build approximately 80 R5 cars per year. that's quite a lot.

Are they working on new R4 cars or R2?

To my knowledge not and I would be very suprised if they would. It seems they are not interested at all.

Then let's move on, then the fired Veiby (OK understandable he show something that he was not allowed to). Obviously they let go Nordgren too and keep only Rovanperra (he had a valid contract) and Kopecky. Tidemand have another offer too but he declined it and go seeking new oportunities. Well if Skoda was intend to bring their programme to the WRC then that would be a stupid idea to go out of the team.

I still think that at some point there was a possibility to launch the WRC project (as that was the only logical explanation for hiring those five). Let's not forget what Veiby himself leaked - the company counts with massive decrease of profit in the comming years due to high investments mainly related to electric vehicles. That's the most likely factor behind the current planning. It's a big company and in such companies decisions take time. That's why sometimes some actions look illogical when they actually happen because we do not know when decisions were taken and in which sequence.

Next thing some guy in Skoda Motorsport department say that their plan is not coming to the WRC and that's it. I think that they have maybe consider it and then change their minds, at least for a while. With their herritage in that kind of motorsport I think that they will be here for a long time and maybe when they will be ready they will come officially. We can only wait for their real intentions and hpe that this day would someday come. I think that Skoda coming is more possible than Mitsubishi and Subaru combined. These two manufacturers even don't make proper cars for that project.

I am quite sure the motorsport department would like to do that and that it's not afraid of that at all. The issue is that the global strategy of the company and the VAG most likely doesn't count with that.

Then there is another thing with interesting guessing. Skoda maybe will closely look at WRX and ES Motorsport activities. And if they will be succesfull why not try over there and support the team with factory money (just my guessing).

They can support that of course (I guess they already do to some degree) but for sure I don't expect a true factory involvement there. Anyway I'm nowhere close to be knowledgeble about RX so it's only my assumption.

What I'm really sad is that sponsors don't invest more in this sport (WRC). They are rather in F1, or some football related sports. But novadays a lot of people invest in their cars and closest sport is rallying. Now I need to stop haha

In my eyes this is actually the most somewhat fair side of the game. The sponsors simply support what gives them something back. The level of sponsorship activities is a perfect mirracle of the marketing value of the sport. It's not an F1 and it will never be (and of course it's absolutely nowhere close to football) but it's not that bad. It's the second most popular motorsport (per Citroën marketing study from few years back).

[the sniper]

What I'm really sad is that sponsors don't invest more in this sport (WRC). They are rather in F1, or some football related sports.

Even most F1 teams struggle to attract corporate sponsors nowadays. Sadly you're right about Football though. It's all about return on investment, 'shared values' and appearing to be environmentally responsible. So big companies are far more comfortable throwing their money at an unimaginative ball game with a large audience of small minds, drunkards, racists and wife beaters... Whereas we just have NOT.

[Mirek]

It's not fair to kick into football despite all that stupid stuff like pretending. It's a trully universal game which can be played by absolutely every heathy person on the Globe and in which for being good You don't need any money at all. That's why it's being followed by billions and why childs from poor families became mega stars. And that's all You need to know to understand why the sponsor money is there.

Motorsport has many issues in this regard. It's very expensive and that's why certain percentage of people will always see it as a fun activity for rich people. It's anything but ecologic which means that certain percentage of people (and sponsors) will refuse it. For certain people it's not a sport at all due to no athletic performance. For another people it's too complicated to understand. And least but not last it requires certain interest in cars and technical stuff. All of that means that the pool of followers is tiny compared to football.

[krissucool]

It's not fair to kick into football despite all that stupid stuff like pretending. It's a trully universal game which can be played by absolutely every heathy person on the Globe and in which for being good You don't need any money at all. That's why it's being followed by billions and why childs from poor families became mega stars. And that's all You need to know to understand why the sponsor money is there.

Motorsport has many issues in this regard. It's very expensive and that's why certain percentage of people will always see it as a fun activity for rich people. It's anything but ecologic which means that certain percentage of people (and sponsors) will refuse it. For certain people it's not a sport at all due to no athletic performance. For another people it's too complicated to understand. And least but not last it requires certain interest in cars and technical stuff. All of that means that the pool of followers is tiny compared to football.

It is also objectively the most boring sport on earth where 99% of the game time nothing is happening.

[Mirek]

It is also objectively the most boring sport on earth where 99% of the game time nothing is happening.

Objectively if that was true nobody would watch it. So objectively not.

I bet most of the people not following rallying would tell You absolutely the same about it. You stand next to the road in rain. Nothing happens. Than frrrr, 5 seconds and one car passed. Another two minutes of standing in the rain. Nothing happens. Frrr, 5 seconds and again two minutes of watching trees... For sure people like us find something interesting in it but You can never ever expect majority of people thinking that this is not boring.