Wrc2 / wrc3 - 2020

[Rallyper]

It's too easy to blame FIA. The main reason is the general development in the automotive industry which has little to do with FIA.

Then, who should adapt?

[Mirek]

Then, who should adapt?

That is logical question but it doesn't always have an answer.

The green movement (coming largely from your country by the way) leads to a situation in which the public will be more and more against wasting of energy in any sort of motorsports - even electric energy. This is a development which motorsport bodies can hardly adapt to and which the manufacturers can not ignore if they want to survive in the future.

We have to take it as a fact that the golden years of motorsport are gone and that it will start to fade away. The question is how fast this process will be. I personally don't know.

[the sniper]

That is logical question but it doesn't always have an answer.

The green movement (coming largely from your country by the way) leads to a situation in which the public will be more and more against wasting of energy in any sort of motorsports - even electric energy. This is a development which motorsport bodies can hardly adapt to and which the manufacturers can not ignore if they want to survive in the future.

We have to take it as a fact that the golden years of motorsport are gone and that it will start to fade away. The question is how fast this process will be. I personally don't know.

For the reasons you mention, I just hope that the most is made of what will probably be the last decade (the '20s) of being able to keep the contemporary aspect of the sport as we know and love it now. With the Hybrids coming in 2022, you can keep the ICE element while still being relevant to manufacturers and their marketing departments hopefully at least until 2026. Beyond that the future is uncertain, so let's hope the powers that be manage to pull everything together to make the the most of the foreseeable future. After that, we can spend the next few decades enjoying and trying to preserve historic rallying!

(It's this theory that makes me so p*ssed off about the state of the British Rally Championship. It's lost, a premature death, wasting what time it had left to be relevant and worthy of its legacy.)

[pantealex]

WRC2Pro 2019 => WRC2 2020
WRC2 2019 => WRC3 2020

It´s not that simple.

WRC2-2020 can be full private team (like BRR, TGS, MMM or Printsport)
and
WRC3-2020 is for privateer drivers (I remember that originally it was said that every Rally2/R5 competitor is automatically WRC3 if (s)he isn´t in WRC2)

[the sniper]

What about Kopecky? Is he really happy with Czech Championship only?

According to David Evans he's doing WRC2: "Factory drivers Kalle Rovanpera and Jan Kopecky will move on from the factory squad, with the Finn stepping up to a Toyota Yaris WRC next season, while Kopecky will drive for the Czech importer team in WRC 2."

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...d-sign-solberg

I've got to say, this new Skoda arrangement sounds promising for Chris Ingram/Toksport.

[Mirek]

That may be a mistake. Hrabánek said Kopecký would drive only the Czech championship in Škoda CZ colors.

[dimviii]

Skoda axes works WRC2 team after "losing great drivers"


Skoda will not run a factory team in WRC2 next season, and the Czech manufacturer says losing Kalle Rovanpera was a key factor in the decision.

This year, Rovanpera became the fourth different driver in as many years to win the title in a Skoda Fabia R5, taking honours in the newly split-off WRC2 Pro category with five wins.

The 19-year-old Finn follows Esapekka Lappi, Pontus Tidemand and Jan Kopecky in becoming WRC2 champion, and has landed a factory Toyota seat for 2020.

Skoda had already scaled back from five to two factory cars for Rovanpera and Kopecky this season but will now do away with its works squad entirely.

Skoda Motorsport team manager Pavel Hortek confirmed the move to selected media, including Motorsport.com, during the brand's traditional end-of-season event in Prague.

Kopecky, however, is set to remain in the Czech national championship with Skoda support.

Asked by Motorsport.com if this decision was due to Rovanpera's departure to Toyota, Hortek replied: "Of course, because we have no one to replace him. Oliver Solberg could be an option for someone to support, but not in a factory team.

"We have sold 328 cars and we have many customers, we don't have the capacity to maintain all that and also an official team. Having lost great drivers has been key."

With Citroen having withdrawn from rallying, it leaves only Ford and Hyundai as potential factory entrants in the class next year, which will be known simply as WRC2.

What was known as WRC2 this year will be renamed WRC3 and open only to privateer teams running R5-spec machinery.

https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/...pecky/4612411/

[Allez Andruet]

Skoda axes works WRC2 team after "losing great drivers"

Well that's an excuse we hadn't heard before! No wait...

[dimviii]

Well that's an excuse we hadn't heard before! No wait...

and they couldnt find another one....

[Mirek]

Well that's an excuse we hadn't heard before! No wait...

and they couldnt find another one....

Hrabánek told to Czech press agency ČTK that the decision was taken in accordance with the VAG policy which is IMHo the real reason.