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Thread: Silly Season 2022
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21st September 2021, 12:43 #161
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i really wonder why some of you arent working in the series as team bosses or smth like that
especially mknight, he has all the answers all the time#8 Ott Tänak - Martin Järveoja #8
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21st September 2021, 13:45 #162
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You totally misunderstand this.
I want MSport to be competetive, but right now they are just not present in the championship.
Sure technically they drive the rallies, but that's it. 0 podiums. Zero times any of their drivers had speed to beat any of the 6 other manu drivers. Lately they usually don't even beat Katsuta, so they "fight" with Loubet for 8-9th and move up with retirements.
Yes COVID hurt them a lot and it wasn't their fault.
So we get great announcements with Ford leadership present on how they are going to aim for top results in 2022....
and then their lineup starts shaping up as Breen, Fourmaux, Greensmith
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21st September 2021, 14:14 #163
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And? They don't have a God given right to sign Tanak or Neuville. Those 2 were the only available top level drivers. Breen,Fourmaux and Greensmith are a fine enough combination for RMC. During the year, they may add another driver if it makes sense.
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21st September 2021, 16:02 #164
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There are/were multiple other top rally drivers available, lots of them likely for free/low wage.
(Top driver in the sense of previous winner (Lappi, Mikkelsen, Sordo, Paddon, Meeke, Loeb) or at least a podium finisher (Suninen)).
Every single one of these is better than Greensmith for any rally and most are better than Fourmaux even for Monte. If you go for lineup like that in Monte you already gave up manu title.
Which brings out the suspicion that the talk about aiming for top drivers and results in 2022 was just PR BS. Don't see why any fan should applaud to being fed PR BS.
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21st September 2021, 16:17 #165
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Meeke, Sordo have zero upside. Loeb isn't available for RMC. Lappi was only looking for a Toyota return.Paddon has to move out of NZ to get any chance of a regular program (and he is working with local Hyundai anyway...) And Suninen decided to shoot himself on the foot, when he had clear orders to bring the cars home and wrecked them.
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21st September 2021, 16:52 #166
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Loeb, Meeke and Sordo would do a much better job than Greensmith, that's the point. All three bring a lot of interest and publicity too, and on specific rallies could still challenge for some podiums and win stages to show the pace of the car. That's despite the fact they are all over the hill and past their best. If Solberg gets a full seat at Hyundai, Msport (if they didn't want to rinse money out of Greensmith) could just rotate all 3 of those drivers in a car for a season, alongside Breen and Fourmaux with full seasons.
Suninen shot himself in the foot with crashes yes, but clearly he felt no backing or confidence from the team, had little testing, and was driving under huge pressure and yet still I remember that 1st Monte stage more than anything Greensmith has done this year. He crashed, but he was equally criticised when off the pace too.
Then you have Mikkelsen, clearly available, would drive for barely anything to get back into a Rally1 car, and is such a better option for decent results/pace than anything Greensmith has ever shown. Paddon seems to be a what might have been unfortunately....
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21st September 2021, 17:22 #167
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Any top driver would do better than greensmith. He just doesn't have it. I saw him lift in ypres in a place where no good driver ever lifts, not even the jwrc drivers.
Good for him that he brings a lot of money to keep msport running, but he is never going to be anything but a paydriver.
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21st September 2021, 18:56 #168
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Mikkelsen is regularly testing a Fiesta and is now using an M Sport contracted co driver. A deal may happen.
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22nd September 2021, 06:58 #169
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Maybe Greensmith does the best job by keeping M-Sport in the WRC through bringing in the much needed funding? Anyway I hope they can afford to pay a top driver next year.
As for Loeb, Meeke and Sordo, remember that they are old drivers. Loeb has retired twice, Meeke has been out for two seasons. Sordo and Loeb will not do the fast rallies anymore. Breen, Mikkelsen and Lappi are drivers at the best possible age and will still have lots of years ahead of them.
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22nd September 2021, 11:39 #170
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