WRC future

[AndyRAC]

Yves Matton told that FIA wants North America (most likely Canada) and China on WRC calendar and that they established work group to help them organize events in the future. These two markets are very important for all manufacturers involved in WRC.

Yes, indeed; however, is there a decent sized fanbase in those countries? Not great if the WRC goes, and very few spectators/ media are bothered. It's all well and good wanting to go to these countries; remember about 10 years ago - we were told the BRIC countries were a priority.....

[EstWRC]

Pirelli wins tyre tender to supply WRC top tier and R5s from 2021


Pirelli has been selected as the control tyre supplier to the World Rally Championship from 2021, ending Michelin's strong run at the top level of the WRC.

The Italian tyre firm, which has been involved in the WRC since the start in 1973, will deliver all tyres used by Rally1 (World Rally Cars) and Rally2 cars (R5 class) for a four-year term starting in 2021 until the end of 2024.

Pirelli already supplies junior categories in the World and European Rally Championships and recently signed a four-year extension to its Formula 1 agreement.

MRF, Hankook and the current supplier to World Rally Car teams, Michelin, were all understood to have tendered and made it through the final four in the process.

Pirelli tyres were used by Citroen and Ford in 2010 - helping Sebastien Loeb to the title that year, but announced it was leaving the WRC at the end of that season.

Michelin has supplied most works teams since, although Pirelli have often supplied privateers.

Since the current rules package came in for 2017, all the major manufacturers - Citroen, Hyundai, M-Sport and Toyota - have used Michelins.



Pirelli has enjoyed recent success in the WRC's support categories including winning the WRC 2 class at Wales Rally GB, where 2002 WRC champion Petter Solberg was victorious using Pirellis on his Volkswagen Polo R5 (pictured below).

The World Motor Sport Council conducted an e-vote on the decision earlier this week, with the decision coming on Friday afternoon.

FIA rally director Yves Matton said: "This is an exciting new phase in the development of the World Rally Championship and we are happy to announce Pirelli as our exclusive single tyre supplier for a period of four years from 2021.

"I am convinced Pirelli will bring a wealth of experience to the program."

The 2021-2024 period will be Pirelli's second stint as a control tyre supplier to the WRC, having done the same from 2008 to 2010.

The Pirelli Star Driver programme was one of the highlights of the firm's investment in WRC during that time, with current world champion Ott Tanak, Rally Argentina winner Hayden Paddon and Hyundai driver Craig Breen among the highest profile graduates of that scheme.

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...-wrc-from-2021

[T16]

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...ages-from-2022

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Interesting stat from F1 and its emissions:

"Of the 256,551 tonnes of carbon that F1 says it emitted as a sport in 2018, only 0.7% was from the cars themselves.

By far the largest proportions were from logistics, in terms of road, air and sea freight, at 45%, and personnel travel at 27.7%."

It follows that WRCar emissions must also be pretty low as a percentage of the WRC total.

As the Teams are based in Europe the best thing WRC could do to help the planet would be only to compete there. But instead the WRC want to expand around the world with the inevitable increase in CO2 from the logistics...

[Mirek]

Logistics is generally the main reason why we have the problems with CO2 emissions. Far majority of goods being transported all over the Globe doesn't need to be transported anywhere because it can be locally produced. But hey, we have capitalism and the business numbers must grow and grow and grow because...

[AnttiL]

Interesting stat from F1 and its emissions:

"Of the 256,551 tonnes of carbon that F1 says it emitted as a sport in 2018, only 0.7% was from the cars themselves.

By far the largest proportions were from logistics, in terms of road, air and sea freight, at 45%, and personnel travel at 27.7%."

It follows that WRCar emissions must also be pretty low as a percentage of the WRC total.

As the Teams are based in Europe the best thing WRC could do to help the planet would be only to compete there. But instead the WRC want to expand around the world with the inevitable increase in CO2 from the logistics...

That's an interesting stat. The 2018 F1 season had 21 rounds, 11 of them outside Europe (I count Russian GP as European). In WRC for example in 2020 there would have been originally 7 European rallies from 14, but Chile was cancelled (it would have been neatly paired with Argentina).

WRC teams have two sets of service park equipment, one is for European events and the other for long-hauls. Only the rally cars and personnel are flown in, the big gear travels by land and sea. Do the F1 teams have the same?

An F1 race is roughly the same length as a WRC rally, 300 km, but rally drivers also drive about 1000 km of liaisons and hundreds of kilometres of recce while F1 drivers have qualifications (I don't know enough about F1 to know how much they drive during the weekend).

Again, I'm no expert but I would claim that F1 cars are more aerodynamic and involve less starting and stopping and wheelspin than rally cars, so they're more efficient in transforming the power from the engine into the speed they do.

It's true that the best way WRC could reduce its emissions would be to cut the longhauls. Also, having a smaller number of races, even if they were longer ones, would help, but this is not easy to organize.

[Mirek]

Again, I'm no expert but I would claim that F1 cars are more aerodynamic and involve less starting and stopping and wheelspin than rally cars, so they're more efficient in transforming the power from the engine into the speed they do.

But they deliver way higher power.

[Rallyper]

Whatever if F1 means 0,7% and WRC vars is doubled to 1,5%...

[Norm75]

But they deliver way higher power.

Yep, a little bit like comparing apples to oranges, also question what difference when you add in the fanbase, f1 being tragically more popular than wrc, surely will see many more people take to the skies and travelling oversees to watch races than wrc fans, which should be taken into account of the carbon footprint of the sport.

[Franky]

WRC teams have two sets of service park equipment, one is for European events and the other for long-hauls. Only the rally cars and personnel are flown in, the big gear travels by land and sea. Do the F1 teams have the same?

This video should give most answers to F1 logistics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH6Loko0BOA

Apparently there are five different sets that they send out by sea.