[WRC] News & Rumours 2021

[mknight]

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/katsu...-team-in-2022/

Latvala doesn't want Katsuta as points scorer next year not to put him under pressure and slow his development.

So pretty much the opposite of what Makinen did with Rovanpera and what likely cost Toyota the last year manu title

[Rally Hokkaido]

So Katsuta won this weekend's round of the Japan Rally Championship driving a JN1 class GR Yaris............Wait a moment, what is Taka doing back in Japan when he should be preparing for Estonia? Relax, it was actually Norihiko Katsuta who won. Yeah, Takamoto's father!

[Tom K]

WRC Calendar 2022

https://www.rallye-magazin.de/wrc/ar...schland-46770/

There were a total of 17 candidates for the 13 open places. The season includes Monte Carlo, Sweden, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Portugal and Spain. Northern Ireland, Finland and Croatia, as well as Australia and New Zealand are fighting for the remaining four places. A big Corona question mark will remain behind Mexico and Argentina in 2022.

Australia is out for 2022 in 100%.
https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/...-2023/6626498/

[the sniper]

Australia is out for 2022 in 100%.
https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/...-2023/6626498/

Back to New Zealand, please!!!

[Andre Oliveira]

https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2021/wrc...ew-rally2-car/

Ypres debut for Hyundai’s new Rally2 car
Hyundai’s new i20 N Rally2 car will make its competitive debut at next month’s Renties Ypres Rally Belgium (13 - 15 August).


Hyundai’s new i20 N Rally2 car will make its competitive debut at next month’s Renties Ypres Rally Belgium (13 - 15 August).

Ott Tänak, Craig Breen, Oliver Solberg and Jari Huttunen are among the drivers who have helped the develop the car on asphalt, gravel and snow in countries including Germany, Italy and Sweden.

Although Hyundai has not confirmed which drivers will be behind the wheel for Belgium’s maiden appearance in the FIA World Rally Championship, it is likely that WRC2 contenders Solberg and Huttunen will get the nod.

The new Rally2 car, which is the successor to the i20 R5, will also be at the forefront of a new initiative from Hyundai Motorsport and governing body FIA to nurture rally talent from regional championships around the world for the next three years.


The new car tested extensively in Sweden earlier this year

The FIA Rally Champions World Tour will offer title winners from five series – Africa, Asia-Pacific, CODASUR, Middle East and NACAM – a prize drive in an i20 N Rally2 at a WRC round.

The scheme will initially benefit winners in this season’s championship and the winners in 2022 and 2023 will be rewarded at WRC events in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

The prize rallies will be confirmed on an individual basis, but it is planned that each will be as relevant as possible to the winners to allow them to take maximum benefit.

Hyundai’s customer racing manager Andrew Johns said helping bring through the next generation of WRC champions was an important part of the manufacturer’s customer department.

Breen and Solberg rack up 600km in Hyundai’s Rally2 car
Breen and Solberg rack up 600km in ...
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“The versatility of the Rally2 category as the go-to class for national and regional series allows us to follow and support crews as they progress up the career ladder,” he added.

“There are hugely talented crews competing in all of the FIA’s regional rally series. The FIA Rally Champions World Tour offers them an opportunity to show their skills on the global level.”

FIA rally director Yves Matton said the scheme would create a pathway for competitors from non-European nationalities to reach the top of the rally pyramid.

“It will provide greater diversity in the FIA World Rally Championship and generate positive media coverage, thanks notably to the attendance of regional heroes at flagship events on their continent, with a chance for them to join the world level the following year in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car,” he added.

[trykmann]

Interesting, Neuville has not been developing the new Rally2 car.

[TypeR]

Interesting, Neuville has not been developing the new Rally2 car.

He doesn't give a s.. about it.

Tänak needs to know about it more as being part of RedGrey team(I assume the RG contract also extended w Hyundai)..

[Oliverk]

Looking his track record, he is prob shity developer anyway.

[mknight]

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/colin...2021-rankings/

He surely likes to go controversial to create publicity...according to his rankings the highest ranked WRC driver for first half of the season is....
Katsuta
and 3rd highest is Fourmaux.

(at the same time he actually completely ommited Solberg).

For me there is no competition in a ranking like that. Ogier wins it by massive margin. For Monte even with all the punctures, for Croatia last day, especially with the crash on road section, and topping it all Sardinia performance from first on the road.

[AnttiL]

I think it's pretty spot on, especially when you assume it's the rating against the base level of the driver at the start of the season. Ogier has been doing this stuff for a decade, leading the championship is business as usual, and having a mistake like in Arctic is not accepted. However, it's still Ogier's best half-season so far. But Katsuta has improved his level the most. Remember how he crashed in Estonia, Sardegna and Monza at the end of 2020 and bounced off by being the only driver to finish all rallies so far, with a debut podium. Also Fourmaux has been impressive with the stage results, doing something we could have expected from Loubet this year.

No complaints from me.

If you want absolute driver ratings, just look at the points score at the moment.