Silly Season 2019

[mknight]

Sure it's a gamble. But since they have the money and 2 other "reliable" drivers (I put it in " " cause of Latvala), it's not such a big one. As Tommi said it will definitely give PR for both wins and crashes.

Imo the most "risky" part is that they prbly alienated Lappi, which could turn into a Ogier-Citroen kind of situation. When Lappi would not really want to go back to Toyota in 3-5 years even when it's the most logical option like Ogier did with Citroen before 2017 and 2018.

[Allez Andruet]

https://www.is.fi/ralli/art-2000005867366.html

Interview with Lappi about the Citroen move. I don't know, maybe I read too much into it, but it's not exactly a compliment towards Mäkinen when Lappi says that "Citroen wanted me there ... the interest the team principal has shown towards me is motivating".

And it also becomes clear that moneywise Toyota couldn't (or didn't want to) match the offer Citroen had made.

[itix]

A super funny question I saw on Toyotas FB regarding Meekes signing
"are you putting the livery upside down on his car so the sponsor logos can be read?"

Hope he didn't get a multi year contract like Mikkelsen...

[AnttiL]

Meeke has one year contract at Toyota
Lappi has two year contract at Citroen

[mknight]

Two year contract is normal (lots of unexpected things can happen... like you know, leading 2 rallies when the car stops working by itself )

One year contract is super-risky for the driver (for the reason listed above) and team would do it only if they weren't really sure about the driver, like Toyota did with Latvala last year.
Looks like it won't be such "no pressure" drive for Meeke in the end.

[itix]

Meeke has one year contract at Toyota
Lappi has two year contract at Citroen

So Mäkinen hasn't lost all of his brain cells. Good.
In the unlikely case he might finally do a Tänak and stop crashing, they can extend and in the very likely case that he will ruin their budget too, they can sack him for good and we can get some young talent that actually deserve to be there.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

@MadsOstberg
“A pessimist sees the difficulty*in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”*
- W. Churchill #WRC #fightingviking #SillySeason
📸 Tim Preston https://t.co/DH10Q28uAN

[wrc2017]

@MadsOstberg
“A pessimist sees the difficulty*in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”*
- W. Churchill #WRC #fightingviking #SillySeason
📸 Tim Preston https://t.co/DH10Q28uAN

often $$$$ creates opperunities..

[wrc2017]

I smirk. Meeke takes the seat that Breen, Otsberg, Sordo, Paddon, Evans would give their manhood for.

[wrc2017]

So Mäkinen hasn't lost all of his brain cells. Good.
In the unlikely case he might finally do a Tänak and stop crashing, they can extend and in the very likely case that he will ruin their budget too, they can sack him for good and we can get some young talent that actually deserve to be there.

bitter little man. what u going to say when Ogier or Lappi starts chucking the C3 into the scenery trying to screw a stage time out of it?