[WRC] News & Rumours 2021

[mknight]

The principle is this:

in 2017 Wilson made a strategic decision to hire Ogier to win titles, and it was successful. Would he pay someone like Mikkelsen, Lappi or Breen to do the same? Would they ensure him titles? No and no.

That's the simplified look.

Contrary arguments that we discussed here multiple times before are:

Car development
2017 car was (mostly) capable from the onset, but even then there seemingly were a lot of changes introduced after Ogier came and during the first 3-4 months.
While I do not know the details I guess Tanak was taking part in the development of the car and was by that time relatively experience driver (3rd full WRC season, with some decent results).

Right now it seems the 2022 car development so far is by Matt Wilson, Fourmaux and Greensmith. Is that enough? (maybe it is, but it's definitely easy to doubt that)

Business
M-Sport needs to attract the paying and/or coming drivers to drive with them for their business model. If no driver can show that the car can fight in the top the paying/young guys will go elsewhere (Hyundai). See Loubet, Veiby, Solberg, a few years back they would automatically have been expected to go trough MSport.

As we discussed MSport can take the occasional "year off" (2005, 2016), but now their "year off" is already 2 years long.

[mknight]

D. Evans doing similar kind of speculations we are (except he is getting paid for it):
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/whos-...driver-market/

The end speculations are off course deliberately crazy..... Meeke or Latvala to MSport.

Latvala suddenly leaving team boss role to drive for a competitor "for free", never going to happen.
Meeke has been "open" for MSport to take like 4 times already and never seemed to be anywhere near any negotiations. So why would that happen now.

Loeb for a few starts might be a bit more realistic.

[AnttiL]

This is all based on Colin’s twitter post and replies on it

https://twitter.com/voiceofrally/sta...715883520?s=21

[mknight]

(Surprisingly?) Little speculation the other way around.

What will Toyota do if Evans goes to MSport and Ogier retires....With all respect to Katsuta, at the moment if he is even number 3 car, Toyota will never win manu champ vs Neuville, Tanak and Solberg/Sordo/Breen.

Evans is a perfect example of how a ("2nd best") driver that was widely dismissed for multiple rally wins or even title chase can change when he gets into a great car. This goes both ways though, say Breen or Suninen might do great in a Toyota and Evans might "suddenly" do much worse back at MSport.

[AnttiL]

(Surprisingly?) Little speculation the other way around.

What will Toyota do if Evans goes to MSport and Ogier retires....

Yes, they would have to persuade Ogier to continue, likely they would get Lappi or Mikkelsen? Or maybe JML decides it's best for the team that he sacrifices his principal role and starts driving again?

Maybe Wilson doesn't want Evans back because he would lose the percentage of Evans's Toyota salary?

I though it wouldn't be a proper silly season after Tänak and Neuville signed, but it is

[cali]

This is all based on Colin’s twitter post and replies on it

https://twitter.com/voiceofrally/sta...715883520?s=21

Haha good ol' Colin again had a good laugh

Sent from my GM1913 using Tapatalk

[mknight]

Maybe Wilson doesn't want Evans back because he would lose the percentage of Evans's Toyota salary?

Interesting moment actually. But it's not like we know how far into the future those rumored conditions apply, maybe it's just for the first contract after Msport.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

My money is on Mikkelsen full-time at M-Sport in 2022. He has many different WRC car experiences to help develop the new car and can bring sponsors and/or budget.

[pantealex]

My money is on Mikkelsen full-time at M-Sport in 2022. He has many different WRC car experiences to help develop the new car and can bring sponsors and/or budget.

What if Lappi beats him clearly (and all other WRC2) in Portugal, that would be 2-0 for Lappi against all other Rally2 drivers.

[TypeR]

What about Gryazin? He has speed/can show what the car is capable of and also (repairing)money..
Don't think he wants to do another season in R5..(over 80 events with different R5s)
+ testing Fiesta before Arctic
+ also Red Bull athlete