Crystal Ball Predictions 2020

**cali** · 8th January 2020, 13:03

Originally Posted by liposh

Hyundai had a lot of issues with set up even this year despite pure speed is OK (great, actually). Don´t look at Neuville, look at second best Hyundai each rally and its speed. And now look at speed of second best Toyota. And now look at speed of Ogier in comparison with Lappi. And I assume Lappi is not the slowest driver there. ...All and all it is tricky decision to switch from Toyota to Hyundai. Even speed of Ford is much more predictable...Pure speed not as good as Hyundai and Toyota, but good handling which means you can drive for 4th or 5th place when it suits you.

Mikkelsen (-3 rallies) and Sordo (-5 rallies) didn't do even the full program and one was ahead of JML and Meeke while Sordo was only 9 pts behind 2nd best Toyota. Sordo even did manage to snatch a win while other Toyota's were nowhere near a win. Should I go on...

While I admit Hyundai seem to be more difficult to set up you paint a very dark picture which is not backed up by stats.

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**spiderem** · 8th January 2020, 15:09

Originally Posted by liposh

Hyundai had a lot of issues with set up even this year despite pure speed is OK (great, actually). Don´t look at Neuville, look at second best Hyundai each rally and its speed. And now look at speed of second best Toyota. And now look at speed of Ogier in comparison with Lappi. And I assume Lappi is not the slowest driver there. ...All and all it is tricky decision to switch from Toyota to Hyundai. Even speed of Ford is much more predictable...Pure speed not as good as Hyundai and Toyota, but good handling which means you can drive for 4th or 5th place when it suits you.

Hyundai is the only manufacturer last year with 2 different rally winners... Just saying.

**TWRC** · 8th January 2020, 16:39

1. Drivers' title to be decided at the last round, while the manufacturers' will be decided earlier.
2. Rovanpera to get a podium during the season
3. Surprise C3 WRC programme with someone
4. Loeb to have at least 1 podium
5. Latvala to retire at the end of the year

**janvanvurpa** · 8th January 2020, 16:41

Originally Posted by liposh

Hyundai had a lot of issues with set up even this year despite pure speed is OK (great, actually). Don´t look at Neuville, look at second best Hyundai each rally and its speed. And now look at speed of second best Toyota. And now look at speed of Ogier in comparison with Lappi. And I assume Lappi is not the slowest driver there. ...All and all it is tricky decision to switch from Toyota to Hyundai. Even speed of Ford is much more predictable...Pure speed not as good as Hyundai and Toyota, but good handling which means you can drive for 4th or 5th place when it suits you.

Sorry but even after 35 years of racing and rally I still have a hard time seeing differences of 0,01% in speed... Maybe it's my advanced age. Maybe its something else but the differences between the cars and drivers do amount to fractions of 1% and that is hard to look at and see. Maybe I need better glasses???

**BigWorm** · 8th January 2020, 17:50

1. Another rally will get cancelled this year
2. Hyundai will score their first podium in Finland
3. M-Sport's new engine will reward them handsomely with a couple of wins after its introduction
4. Adamo will bench Neuville 1 rally
5. Ogier will announce mid season he's doing DTM and Le Mans next year

**tommeke_B** · 8th January 2020, 18:09

1. More WRC cars on the stages (overall) than last season.
2. Both Suninen and Lappi fight for wins in several events.
3. Sordo to win another event.
4. Safari Rally becomes a complete failure, remembering us why this country lost it's place in WRC.
5. 3-way fight for the title until the penultimate event.

**HKSjbg** · 8th January 2020, 21:28

1. Ogier will be champion.
2. No one outside of Ogier, Tanak & Neuville will break into the top 3.
3. Evans will be the only other rally winner outside championship’s the top 3.
4. Rovanpera’s position in the Toyota team will be questioned by the media in the first half of the season due to poor results/crashes. Podium finishes in the second half of the season will see him then hailed as the best thing since sliced bread.
5. Meeke will develop the R5/Rally2 Yaris for Toyota/TMR but will only drive it twice in the WRC - at Wales Rally GB and Rally Japan after winning the British Rally Championship in a Toyota GB supported Yaris in R4 kit/Rally2 kit form, though the R5/Rally2 will be homologated in time for the final round in September.

**the sniper** · 8th January 2020, 22:46

Originally Posted by HKSjbg

5. Meeke will develop the R5/Rally2 Yaris for Toyota/TMR but will only drive it twice in the WRC - at Wales Rally GB and Rally Japan after winning the British Rally Championship in a Toyota GB supported Yaris in R4 kit/Rally2 kit form, though the R5/Rally2 will be homologated in time for the final round in September.

If this all actually happens, I'm calling you out as being Akio Toyoda!

**er88** · 9th January 2020, 03:55

Originally Posted by cali

I liked that part when Tänak was going to cry and beg his way back to TGR. Funny stuff here lately..

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I think some of you take this thread to seriously.

**AnttiL** · 9th January 2020, 05:29

Originally Posted by HKSjbg

4. Rovanpera’s position in the Toyota team will be questioned by the media in the first half of the season due to poor results/crashes. Podium finishes in the second half of the season will see him then hailed as the best thing since sliced bread.

I hope people are not actually expecting too much from Kalle. Remember, he's 19 years old and it's he's driving his first WRC rallies. He has a lot of future ahead and the team are willing to wait and let him learn.