[WRC] News & Rumours 2021

[AnttiL]

The way I understand it, this Teams championship is for WRC teams which must participate in 7 rounds with 1-2 cars. So for example Hyundai's 2C team? Kubica/Kajto team? M-Sport won't do full season? Toyota's second team for Katsuta?

A full manufacturer team must participate in all rallies with two cars.

Then again, the point of the "second teams" goes if they are not taking points from the rival manufacturer teams. Will be interesting to see which teams participate.

WRC Manufacturer entry fee is 326 000 euros
WRC Team entry fee is 22050 euros

That's some difference...

[AndyRAC]

Just like what happened to Emil B a couple of years ago then.

We just have to accept that fortune no matter talent, is a big factor. Let´s think of all brilliant drivers never made it to the top during all times...

Maybe a list on Bar topic?

In this era you need talent, money/sponsors & connections; more and more we are seeing 'sons of' taking seats in motorsport disciplines.

[meh]

Some 'sons of' can drive as well. Being a 'son of' can give you faster lift to some level, but then you need to be the guy to deliver to stay there or climb higher.

[the sniper]

In this era you need talent, money/sponsors & connections; more and more we are seeing 'sons of' taking seats in motorsport disciplines.

Like Ingram...?

[T16]

In this era you need talent, money/sponsors & connections; more and more we are seeing 'sons of' taking seats in motorsport disciplines.

To take Evans, Rovanpera and Solberg as examples - all three are absolutely incredible drivers. For some reason, in my mind, Rovanpera and Solberg are once in a generation talents, but then I think Evans might be unstoppable next year, so he may well be up there too.

[Andre Oliveira]

Colin McRae was son of someone...

[mknight]

To take Evans, Rovanpera and Solberg as examples - all three are absolutely incredible drivers. For some reason, in my mind, Rovanpera and Solberg are once in a generation talents, but then I think Evans might be unstoppable next year, so he may well be up there too.

IMO neither of those 3 can be said to be "absolutely incredible" yet. Each and everyone of them can still prove it though.

Rovanpera did get youngest podium, but in terms of experience (rallies driven) he was certainly no novice.

Solberg did show great progress, but actually hasn't won much yet.

Evans has 3 rally wins out of 6! seasons in WRC and one second place in championship. He has shown rally winning pace in Sweden and near rally winning pace in Monte, not so much in any of the other rallies. The main reason for coming so close to title was consistency and no technical issues until Monza.

For me there are at most two "absolutely incredible" drivers driving atm, Ogier and Tanak (title and his stage winning streak (until Monte)). Loeb off course as well but he retired again. But I get peoples rankings might differ.

[AnttiL]

More new rules for 2021:

10.1.4 SPECIAL STAGE OVERLAP
The choice and timing of the special stages must be such that
there is no overlap of at least the first 15 cars on any special
stage before the start of the next special stage at normal
intervals.
10.1.5 NUMBER OF SPECIAL STAGES BETWEEN SERVICES
The construction of any itinerary that contains any more than
4 special stages (under the exclusion of a super special stage,
if any) between two services is subject to FIA and WRC
Promoter’s written approval.

The latter probably is the reason why Rally Finland cannot run their 2020 route in 2021. They would have run 7 stages on the Friday afternoon.

[T16]

IMO neither of those 3 can be said to be "absolutely incredible" yet. Each and everyone of them can still prove it though.

Rovanpera did get youngest podium, but in terms of experience (rallies driven) he was certainly no novice.

Solberg did show great progress, but actually hasn't won much yet.

Evans has 3 rally wins out of 6! seasons in WRC and one second place in championship. He has shown rally winning pace in Sweden and near rally winning pace in Monte, not so much in any of the other rallies. The main reason for coming so close to title was consistency and no technical issues until Monza.

For me there are at most two "absolutely incredible" drivers driving atm, Ogier and Tanak (title and his stage winning streak (until Monte)). Loeb off course as well but he retired again. But I get peoples rankings might differ.

O.K. and fair enough, but I think the pace of Solberg and Rovanpera, given their ages means they are both incredible. Of course they will get better, but even so, I'm astonished by them both.
You're talking post tense regarding Evans - you'll note, my saying he may be up there too was dependant on what happens next year, not what he's done this far.
I've just got a feeling that he really will build on this year and fill a lot of the gaps in. He's clearly a thinker, always learning and he certainly doesn't look out of ideas _ I'm pretty sure there's more to come from him.
Of course Ogier and Tanak are the best at the moment, but I wasn't comparing anyone to anyone else, more commenting on three 'sons of' who have made it (ok - very nearly) to the very top level.

[Sulland]

This "Son thing" is not happening only in motorsport.
Same for many other sports. It could have something to do with what is discussed around the kitchen table day in and day out.
You will automatically pick up a lot of info, to make your understanding of the sport down to the details very different than in a home where no one habe a clue on what you are training to become good in.

Think of a dinner in the Solberg home, compared to a boy or girl asking his/her parents on something regarding their sport, that they have no clue on. The answers will be dramaticaly different, and same with the kids output. This happens every day for many years, and also being at rallies picking up details of driver talk and discussion on set-up, driving, tyres and so on, and so on.

But as said here, your upbringing will only get you so far, then you will have to deliver on your own. And in the car you are on your own making your own desicions every second. Then it is more and more training, and the 10 000 hours it takes to reach the top in every sport, as a rule of thumb.

So even if you are a "rich brat", there is something in here money cant buy, to become world champion in rally.
As we saw in F1 a couple of weeks ago, when a driver took Hamiltons car for a race and led the race and could have won, if not Mercedes had fuc..... up. That will never happen in rally!