[WRC] Tour de Corse 2019

[EstWRC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=936jkHTT3SQ

[mknight]

Yes. I also noticed the trend in 2018 and what he did in Monte and Mexico this year.

In the first 3 rallies this year he has better performance than last year.
Monte was good speed on Thursday (4th), 2 stages on wrong tires due to the stage cancellation and small mistake, then technical on saturday which was not his fault.
Sweden was clearly better.
Mexico was also clearly faster that year before, small crash with retirement from 5th, year before he jumped off the road from 9th.

In 2018 he was clearly faster than Latvala in first half of season, second half seemed a bit affected by getting kicked from the team.

I agree that the whining is a bit too much lately, but the pace (especially comparing 2019 vs 2018) is actually an improvement so far.

[EstWRC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeikP3kb7Wk

[Indreq]

If his car is working well, there is no reason not being confident. For sure he didn't say he is better driver, did he?

Ott said that he expects good fight and he has to push hard to beat Evans. IMHO this shows respect toward Evans and is more in line with todays performances. Evans self confidence would be justified if he had 45 seconds lead instead of 4,5. Or if there had been any real reasons to believe that he is that much more faster than Ott that he shouldnt be worried and could beat him easily. Today neither of them were probably at their limit, Evans didnt have any complaints as much as i remember, Ott had some minor issues with cows, pacenotes, rhytm and damper. Overall - i dont know who will be faster tomorrow but based on todays performances, i wouldnt say neither of them has any reason to dismiss other as threat.

[Allez Andruet]

In 2018 he was clearly faster than Latvala in first half of season, second half seemed a bit affected by getting kicked from the team.

He didn't get kicked from the team, quite the opposite actually. He had an offer from Toyota (publicly confirmed by both Mäkinen and Veiby) and Tommi wanted to wait for his decision before making any moves (eventually leading to hiring Meeke).

In a nutshell, even though you can make cases for and against by comparing this and that result, the guy who won the power stage in his second ever outing in a WRC car, has been missing in action lately. I think there's no denying that.

[dimviii]

[dimviii]

Loeb error at ss 1
https://www.facebook.com/franck.pasq...67433106721567

[dnb]

Evans self confidence would be justified if he had 45 seconds lead instead of 4,5. Or if there had been any real reasons to believe that he is that much more faster than Ott that he shouldnt be worried and could beat him easily. Today neither of them were probably at their limit, Evans didnt have any complaints as much as i remember, Ott had some minor issues with cows, pacenotes, rhytm and damper. Overall - i dont know who will be faster tomorrow but based on todays performances, i wouldnt say neither of them has any reason to dismiss other as threat.

Self confidence is always justified. Why would somebody give up before trying?

[AnttiL]

What the hell happened to that Lappi who occasionally terrorized the scene in 2017?

And had great fun all along! Who else cracks a joke in the car when it goes 170 km/h?

He didn't get kicked from the team, quite the opposite actually.

True, but before that he was made very uncomfortable in the team.

[stefanvv]

Ott said that he expects good fight and he has to push hard to beat Evans. IMHO this shows respect toward Evans and is more in line with todays performances. Evans self confidence would be justified if he had 45 seconds lead instead of 4,5. Or if there had been any real reasons to believe that he is that much more faster than Ott that he shouldnt be worried and could beat him easily. Today neither of them were probably at their limit, Evans didnt have any complaints as much as i remember, Ott had some minor issues with cows, pacenotes, rhytm and damper. Overall - i dont know who will be faster tomorrow but based on todays performances, i wouldnt say neither of them has any reason to dismiss other as threat.

Yeah it'll be great fight for sure. Unlike some gravel events though now Evans has been in the worse starting position (he didn't complain though), especially in the morning loop. I don't think he wants to be arrogant, even if smashes everyone to pieces in a single rally, he knows there is still lot to do, doesn't seem like that type of character, making a joke or two is fine, but not humiliating anyone.
I'll enjoy the show tomorrow and hopefully we'll see them both in the first 2 places.