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  1. #1161
    Senior Member er88's Avatar
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    Yeah another manufacturer and 3 of Mikkelsen, Meeke, Latvala, Paddon etc being back in the championship would be ideal.

    I dont agree with downplaying this current season in terms of who wins the title though. A title is a title, people say because it's a shorter season it doesn't feel the same but it can be harder to win a title in a shorter season - one bad result/ mistake and you are in trouble. Two bad results and it's nearly game over. You need to be on it in every rally and every stage, and the car needs to hold up too. So far Evans is the only driver to have speed and consistency and not make any real mistakes iirc - Ogier has even lost valuable points and places on powerstages in Sweden and now Italy. That could be costly in such a shorter season.

    What does feel lacking for me is Msport and their two Finns. Both have been underwhelming for the most part, the team is not testing due to financial struggles, and car development has been halted. I said going into this year it will be hard to gauge where Lappi and Suninen actually are, because there was no reference for them with an experienced team mate like a Meeke etc. Someone who you know has good speed across most events, and so you can compare against. Makes it even harder to really judge Teemu and Lappi and where they are currently at as drivers.

    If I was Malcolm, I'd be doing everything i can to sign up Oliver Solberg for next year..., offer him a long term deal, run him in an R5 car (would also help prove the Fiesta R5 is still competitive), and let Oliver test the WRC car and maybe give him an event of two in the WRC car (on events Greensmith maybe doesn't go to etc).

    There's no way Solberg isn't a sound investment for the future considering what he is showing.

  2. Likes: cali (12th October 2020),dimviii (12th October 2020),Eli (12th October 2020),tommeke_B (12th October 2020)
  3. #1162
    Senior Member EstWRC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by er88 View Post
    Yeah another manufacturer and 3 of Mikkelsen, Meeke, Latvala, Paddon etc being back in the championship would be ideal.

    I dont agree with downplaying this current season in terms of who wins the title though. A title is a title, people say because it's a shorter season it doesn't feel the same but it can be harder to win a title in a shorter season - one bad result/ mistake and you are in trouble. Two bad results and it's nearly game over. You need to be on it in every rally and every stage, and the car needs to hold up too. So far Evans is the only driver to have speed and consistency and not make any real mistakes iirc - Ogier has even lost valuable points and places on powerstages in Sweden and now Italy. That could be costly in such a shorter season.
    so lets make all future seasons with just 6 rallies? the drivers would then be on it every rally


    my post on previous page not feeling to be complete season was more meant if its now done with Sardegna...if Ypres and Monza are also going ahead then thumbs up from me and it feels more season-like already.

    Regarding Oliver i would like to see him do some tests and rounds with WRC machine., most of the season in WRC2.
    Last edited by EstWRC; 12th October 2020 at 11:08.
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  4. Likes: AnttiL (12th October 2020)
  5. #1163
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    I agree about Evans, he's clearly the best driver this year, he is very fast and consistent at the same time. There's no reason to think he wouldn't be doing the same if there were 10 or 12 events.

    About M-Sport, well... I think that with Lappi and Suninen they have some of the best drivers available. It seems clear they don't have the resources other teams are having, the difference in performance is becoming clear. Evans was considered an overrated driver by many, for years, when driving the Fiesta... Look at what he's doing right now. Who knows, if you put Lappi or Suninen in a Yaris WRC, they could start winning straight away? Quite ironic considering both were once tied to Toyota.

    Solberg seems to be the next rising star, looks just as promising as what Rovanperä did the last couple of years. However, when watching onboards, I hope he can still process his pacenotes when things are going even faster.

  6. Likes: er88 (12th October 2020)
  7. #1164
    Senior Member AnttiL's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by er88 View Post

    I dont agree with downplaying this current season in terms of who wins the title though. A title is a title, people say because it's a shorter season it doesn't feel the same but it can be harder to win a title in a shorter season - one bad result/ mistake and you are in trouble. Two bad results and it's nearly game over. You need to be on it in every rally and every stage, and the car needs to hold up too. So far Evans is the only driver to have speed and consistency and not make any real mistakes iirc - Ogier has even lost valuable points and places on powerstages in Sweden and now Italy. That could be costly in such a shorter season.
    one retirement in a 6-rally season is more costly than one retirement in a 14-rally season.

    If I was Malcolm, I'd be doing everything i can to sign up Oliver Solberg for next year..., offer him a long term deal, run him in an R5 car (would also help prove the Fiesta R5 is still competitive), and let Oliver test the WRC car and maybe give him an event of two in the WRC car (on events Greensmith maybe doesn't go to etc).
    That would be a big investment, and seeing the trouble they have just running the cars on the events, I don't believe it will happen. Also Oliver must be aware of how the Fiesta WRC is lacking behind in development (difficult to say for the Fiesta Rally2).

    I think Oliver should still do one full season in WRC2, but likely the WRC teams are interested in him.

  8. Likes: pantealex (14th October 2020)
  9. #1165
    Senior Member Fast Eddie WRC's Avatar
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    The problem of the cost of producing and running the '17-spec cars is the root of the problems.

    They have put all the privateers out of the WRC top level, Citroen struggled for funding and then quit and M-Sport has been hanging on but going backwards all the time.

    Seats are at a premium and no new manufacturer has been tempted into WRC in 4 years.
    Last edited by Fast Eddie WRC; 12th October 2020 at 11:04.

  10. #1166
    Senior Member EstWRC's Avatar
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    how long contract Lappi signed with M-sport?

    the guy seems to me he has no interest to drive at all anymore, at least this is the expression he leaves, doesnt seem motivated.
    #8 Ott Tänak - Martin Järveoja #8
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  11. #1167
    Senior Member AnttiL's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tommeke_B View Post
    Who knows, if you put Lappi or Suninen in a Yaris WRC, they could start winning straight away?
    Well, Lappi won his second power stage and fourth rally...

  12. Likes: pantealex (14th October 2020)
  13. #1168
    Senior Member AnttiL's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC View Post
    The problem of the cost of producing and running the '17-spec cars is the root of the problems.

    They have put all the privateers out of the WRC top level
    Who were the top level privateers in 2016?

    http://juwra.com/season_2016_points.html

    Guys like Henning Solberg, Martin Prokop, Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Lorenzo Bertelli, Marcos Ligato etc. don't really fight for top positions. It's just more WRC cars on the entry list, but personally I don't care if these hobbyist drivers would drive Rally2 cars instead.

  14. Likes: EstWRC (12th October 2020)
  15. #1169
    Senior Member PLuto's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AnttiL View Post
    Who were the top level privateers in 2016?

    http://juwra.com/season_2016_points.html

    Guys like Henning Solberg, Martin Prokop, Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Lorenzo Bertelli, Marcos Ligato etc. don't really fight for top positions. It's just more WRC cars on the entry list, but personally I don't care if these hobbyist drivers would drive Rally2 cars instead.
    But this privateers were bringing money to M-Sport...

  16. Likes: pantealex (14th October 2020)
  17. #1170
    Senior Member AnttiL's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PLuto View Post
    But this privateers were bringing money to M-Sport...
    I see the point, but M-Sport still has someone like Greensmith and Hyundai someone like Loubet.

    Also drivers like Prokop and Bertelli had their own cars and teams.
    Last edited by AnttiL; 12th October 2020 at 12:12.

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