[WRC] Monza Rally 2020

[the sniper]

Maybe we should get some statistics on how many stages were cancelled every year I don't think it has increased that much in the latest years

As you know, there used to be far more stages, so inevitable there were more stages that could be cancelled. Though as a percentage of an event's SS length, less would have been lost in the past. So it'd be interesting to know on percentage terms.

What I mean by increasing risk of cancellations, is that with live coverage, more information from the stages (organisational and spectator via social media), plus SOS from cars, combined with modern liability issues, it's never been easier to justify cancelling stages. It's a slippery slope though.

[Jakem]

wrc is becoming more and more joke. In Sweden we cancel stages because there is NO snow and in Monza because there IS snow(and everybody knew it)

[jonkka]

- Number of all stages canceled per year
- Percentage of canceled stages per all stages run that year

(however I think red flagged stages with notional times for rest of the cars don't count as cancelled in your books)

Well, raw data as follows, I can't check it just now:

Kausi count(*) stages worth of sum(ek.Pituus) kilometers
1973 37 stages worth of 358.42 kilometers
1974 11 stages worth of 36.53 kilometers
1975 8 stages worth of 107.40 kilometers
1976 8 stages worth of 33.30 kilometers
1977 15 stages worth of 241.27 kilometers
1978 9 stages worth of 157.20 kilometers
1979 25 stages worth of 208.60 kilometers
1980 11 stages worth of 101.52 kilometers
1981 7 stages worth of 70.10 kilometers
1982 13 stages worth of 126.73 kilometers
1983 13 stages worth of 142.21 kilometers
1984 8 stages worth of 134.00 kilometers
1985 10 stages worth of 115.43 kilometers
1986 22 stages worth of 78.84 kilometers
1987 13 stages worth of 58.05 kilometers
1988 8 stages worth of 89.02 kilometers
1989 1 stages worth of 16.80 kilometers
1990 5 stages worth of 89.32 kilometers
1991 7 stages worth of 89.01 kilometers
1992 13 stages worth of 315.69 kilometers
1993 2 stages worth of 14.08 kilometers
1994 2 stages worth of 0.00 kilometers
1995 5 stages worth of 77.78 kilometers
1996 8 stages worth of 410.67 kilometers
1997 5 stages worth of 34.87 kilometers
1998 4 stages worth of 71.09 kilometers
1999 6 stages worth of 143.40 kilometers
2000 5 stages worth of 103.35 kilometers
2001 11 stages worth of 326.35 kilometers
2002 11 stages worth of 297.14 kilometers
2003 4 stages worth of 89.22 kilometers
2004 4 stages worth of 110.67 kilometers
2005 4 stages worth of 79.42 kilometers
2006 6 stages worth of 114.36 kilometers
2007 8 stages worth of 140.20 kilometers
2008 8 stages worth of 93.86 kilometers
2009 6 stages worth of 92.14 kilometers
2010 5 stages worth of 94.69 kilometers
2011 6 stages worth of 73.48 kilometers
2012 6 stages worth of 102.92 kilometers
2013 3 stages worth of 83.57 kilometers
2014 5 stages worth of 76.69 kilometers
2015 5 stages worth of 152.54 kilometers
2016 9 stages worth of 104.73 kilometers
2017 8 stages worth of 170.25 kilometers
2018 1 stages worth of 14.12 kilometers
2019 7 stages worth of 90.04 kilometers
2020 7 stages worth of 141.67 kilometers

EDIT: Quickly verified last two seasons and it checks out...

[Rallyper]

It maybe as easy as the rescue vehicles not having tires/chains to come in case someone gets injured. Not a weather to fly rescue helis in. (due to icing, not visibility)

Also if it really got high with snow (10+ cm) you could even risk cars not making it up the hill on wet tires.

Better drive RMC in the summer then...

Everyone loves Col de Turini with snow, as far as I know.

[mknight]

Pretty much nothing has been normal in 2020 (Mexico stages cancelled due to COVID, this "emergency" rally set up in 3 months and taking place pretty much just a few days after lifted curfew in Lombardy). On top of that you got least snow in 20+ years.

If you look at years until then there is no clear trend imo. Though off course as percentage of total kms it maybe increases a bit.

What definitely changed is that now with ALLlive and all people at stages having a mobile phone you get many more immediately complaining. Not many did that if all you could do from home was watch numbers on a pc screen.

[seb_sh]

I think it's too easy to stay at home and type something on your keyboard without thinking. The organisers' job is hard with all the requirements for safety and TV, not to mention the context this year. In 2020 you need to put safety first and think of the whole rally. You cannot afford someone (maybe from lower categories) going off and having serious problems. WRC round are shorter than ever and guess what they're not going to get any longer, enjoy what you have.

[seb_sh]

What definitely changed is that now with ALLlive and a all people at stages having a mobile phone you get many more immediatelly complaining. Not many did that if all you could do from home was watch numbers on a pc screen.

Exactly this, an unrealistic expectation, i think we are all lucky to be able to see this all happening live, 25 years ago we'd just read the result in the newspaper...

[PLuto]

Yeah, and especially these short COVID-editions suffer exceptionally much from canceled stages.

BTW this is also one reason not to have marathon stages anymore. When you have to cancel one long stage (because of situation like this or stupid spectators etc), it's a bigger percentage of the whole rally

Marathon stages are not problem (this cancelled stage had only 22 kms, so nothing special). Problem is that total mileage of rallies is lower and lower and instead of rally it is going closer to rallysprints...

[m-ast]

So high numbers will only have run today one stage (11) if it ends ok, at the moment I think it's running, plus the monza final stage, I think there won't be many happy italian competitors with the situation at all today

[the sniper]

WRC round are shorter than ever and guess what they're not going to get any longer, enjoy what you have.

That's the problem and you're probably right, suits them for events to get ever shorter, though nobody has to enjoy that fact. Requiring events to be at least 350km, preferably all around 400km, is hardly a massive leap and would provide for at least some contingency/legitimacy.

I'm not offending them by going as far as to insult the precious cloverleaf format...