[WRC] News & Rumours 2021

[SubaruNorway]

Roads on Sardinia might not look rough on TV but i did not bother to take my Micra on some of them in 2011, nice place and good to combine with vacation imo

[AnttiL]

I also used to think that Sardinia could be dropped easily, but the last few years have proved me wrong, so much drama and tight battles. There might be big road cleaning, but Ogier and Neuville have won it being first on the road...

[mknight]

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/m-spo...on-2021-event/

MSport says they might run 3rd car on some event as part of driver selection for 2022.

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D. Evans interprets it as possibility for Mikkelsen to start in Finland (cause Wilson likes Finland to measure speed)....

doesn't look like he thought it trough much:

- Finland is at same time as ERC Fafe where Mikkelsen is very likely to go given the current close points in ERC
- The current Fiesta WRC was only good in Finland in 2017 with fresh cars, after that it's just worse every year. So the only comparison would be with the other 2 Fiestas.
- Mikkelsen has Finland as basically his weakest rally (no podiums), so don't think he personally would be interested to start there

For Mikkelsen the most realistic start would be in Catalunya.

In case he thinks of other drivers then Lappi could maybe want to do Finland, but he is also aware of the Fiesta results there, likely also signed at Toyota. Breen will for sure drive for Hyundai in Finland and they wouldn't release him before, so Catalunya or Japan.

In case MSport would do that as full "competition" they could start Lappi in Finland, Mikkelsen in Catalunya and Breen in Japan (or just the last two).
I doubt there is funding for all that internally, Mikkelsen maybe would pay for Catalunya but would Breen pay for Japan and would he be allowed by Hyundai? (also risky to leave Hyundai to "pay" for test at MSport, then don't get MSport drive and Hyundai not interested any more....)

[AnttiL]

M-Sport would need a benchmark other than Greensmith against Suninen to know if he’s slow or the car is slow. Maybe run Fourmaux there as third?

If I was Mikkelsen or Suninen, I wouldn’t waste my budget for a start in Finland with a Fiesta…

[mknight]

M-Sport would need a benchmark other than Greensmith against Suninen to know if he’s slow or the car is slow.

"Benchmark for Suninen" is another way to look at it. Then they can just run Fourmaux with them on one rally. Obviously his speed is unknown but it's an extra car for comparison

Which in the end is what Milener might have meant, all this "Mikkelsen" or "other driver" testing is just Dirtfish speculation anyway it seems.

(I don't think there is doubt that the car is slow on Estonia/Finland type of events though if that's what you meant, both Lappi and Suninen last year in Estonia and Evans and Ogier as far back as Finland 2018).

[mousti]

Maybe they put Lappi in a 3rd one for Finland.. He knows the car and Finland is his home rally.

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[er88]

Maybe they put Lappi in a 3rd one for Finland.. He knows the car and Finland is his home rally.

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Think Lappi is Toyota bound

[mknight]

Think Lappi is Toyota bound

The fact that he didn't show up in Estonia might point to it.

But it's a bit strange that it then doesn't somehow get announced, at least unofficially (by him showing up on some tests of the new car).
Yes Toyota usually announces drivers first in November/December right before next season. But when he is free surely it would be good to put him in the car?


Likely he has not signed yet cause he has to wait for Ogier to sign what he will do. At what number of rounds would he rather do something else (talk to MSport if they are interested given perhaps a bit sour relations after 2020)?

Lets say the calendar has 14 rounds. For sure Lappi would sign if it's say for 10 rounds, but what if it's for 7 or 8?
Does Joukhi (Kalles and former Latvala's manager) have anything to say, given how he "likes" Veiby (EVEN - Lappi's manager).

[AnttiL]

Maybe they put Lappi in a 3rd one for Finland.. He knows the car and Finland is his home rally.

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Like I said, I hope Lappi, Mikkelsen or anyone else won't put in their budget in "showing off" in a Fiesta in Finland. The car won't be fast, and based on Estonia it has problems on high-speed jumps.

[Eli]

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/g...endar/6642002/

As we already knew, GB/NI, NZ, Croatia, Finland are fighting for the slot, but there's no mention in the article of the other 2 (out of the 6) events who are looking to join, I'm guessing it's Mexico and perhaps another long haul event such as Argentina(?). Guess we'll just have to wait for September for the finalized(ish) calendar for 2022.