Silly Season 2022

[macebig]

It's Breen/Fourmaux/Greensmith for RMC. The only alternative for Sweden onwards could be Mikkelsen. Loeb won't be really available for more than 2-3 rallies at best.

[Lancia Stratos]

Hyundai announcing lineup in a tweet immediatelly seems like typical knee-jerk Adamo reaction. Especially since they now have Suninen to test in next rallies.
So I doubt that lineup is 100% confirmed.

Today's announcements have been planned for a while. Nothing impulsive about Hyundai's announcement at all.

[er88]

Things looking bleak for Mikkelsen, unless he has the money to buy his way into Msport.

Malcolm Wilson explicitly said at the start of the year he would keep an eye on his performances this year in wrc2/erc, so it seems he wasn't sufficiently impressed (maybe Mikkelsen's own domination comments hurt him too).

With Suninem gone though, surely there is some sort of deal they can come to with a bit of budget brought from Mikkelsen's side (maybe just for some rallies), which would help take the weight off Breen. Unless Fourmaux has a big step up, it's Breen and Breen alone who can get good results for the team, or it's nothing at all.

[flat_right]

Really happy for Craig! This man has delivered under pressure for quite some time now and compared to how much seat time he has had, then the deal is well earnt and long overdue! Hopefully his new car will be competitive and we can see a lot of positive stage end interviews in the next two years!

[abcrally]

Good call, but it’s always difficult to know who’s a pay driver and who is not.

We are actually talking about pay driver on this matter too. There is lot of Monster Energy money involved.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

So the big Manu teams are both having part-time drivers in their 3rd car next season.

Toyota - Ogier & Lappi
Hyundai - Sordo & Solberg

I think Toyota is clearly the stronger pair. So did Hyundai make a big mistake letting Breen go rather than give him a full-time deal ? I think so.

[mknight]

Millener says they started talking in Sardinia with the deal basically done in first week of july
so before Estonia/Ypres/Finland and after a rather bad Croatia.

I'd say that's rather unexpected timing.

[Danny0405]

Strange choice from Hyundai not to wait at least Spain.
Wait and see but not really optimistic for them.

Good thing for Breen to have a full-season contract, let’s see what he can do, no excuse now.

And Dani Sordo still survives ... 17th season with a full or half-time official program

[Allez Andruet]

We are actually talking about pay driver on this matter too. There is lot of Monster Energy money involved.

Most likely there is. And ofcourse the definition of a "paydriver" is somewhat hazy too. For example Sainz was definitely a paydriver back in 1987 just like Delecour got his Ford seat in 2001 with a backing of Ford France. So it really is a thin line...

[mknight]

Strange choice from Hyundai not to wait at least Spain.
Wait and see but not really optimistic for them.

Exactly why I wondered if it's a knee-jerk reaction from Hyundai. Surely they have known Breen is leaving for some time, so they created press release to put out immediatelly when it comes out.

But why? Solberg had a two year contract anyway, Sordo is not going anywhere. Waiting after Spain or Monza would make much more sense and make better PR. Especially if they time the release after a rally where Solberg has done something good. Right now it just kind of drowned behind the Breen announcement.

Is it a desperate attempt by Adamo to save his job? (by showing he had "planned" for this)