2022 WRC News & Rumours

[AnttiL]

The problem is not the lack of manu teams but the lack of privateers. And that's purely a cost issue

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Privateers to fight for positions 7-10?

[Sergiow]

Privateers to fight for positions 7-10?

I think what now matter is this:

“Obviously we had a grip advantage, let’s say, over the top guys but we’ll take a WRC stage win when we can!” These were the words of Josh McErlean last Saturday after claiming his first ever stage win in the World Rally Championship – in a Rally2 car - Rally Portugal 2022.

He’s not the first driver to do it and he likely won’t be the last, but that wasn’t exactly going to cheapen his moment or make it any less special for the rest of us watching. https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/wrc2-...verall-stages/

[AnttiL]

That was on a silly superspecial where the weather conditions changed drastically.
Normally Josh McErlean can’t win stages even in WRC2. In contrast, him being so far behind allowed the stage to dry more.

[Sergiow]

That was on a silly superspecial where the weather conditions changes drastically.
Normally Josh McErlean can’t win stages even in WRC2. In contrast, him being so far behind allowed the stage to dry more.

This is not only about McErlean, but also about Pontus Tindemand, Jan Kopecký, Jari Huttunen and Umberto Scandola. Or as Luke Barry, the author of the Dirtfish article puts it:
Umberto Scandola / Where: Monza Rally 2020, SS11 Gerosa. Nobody could match Scandola. Rally and championship winner Ogier was the only one within 15s of him. No matter what happens in Scandola’s rallying career in the future, he’ll always have that on his CV.

[cali]

Privateers to fight for positions 7-10?

I'm sure you know well enough in the 90's and early 00's privateers were better than that. Even in gr B era privateers had more chances than now.

The other thing is we would have more top cars on the starting line with local or up and coming youngsters would have a chance. Remember Jyväskylä in the 90's and compare it to present day.

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[AnttiL]

I'm sure you know well enough in the 90's and early 00's privateers were better than that. Even in gr B era privateers had more chances than now.

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That was then, now is different. The sport is more intense and the top guys are on so high level that it’s hard to compete against them.

BTW who privateers in group B era?

As for more cars on the start line, the WRC2 is a great place for privateers and the cars are not as unspectacular as Gp N as a support class

[WRCStan]

Please specify "manufacturers".

There's not one central 'Toyota' or 'Hyundai' doing everything, it's normal business structure/divisional stuff for a multinational car manufacture to have an arm like Gazoo or HMSG to be the operation, or to get an external contractor to do it. These are in it for the branding/promo.
M-Sport are in motorsport services and (it's my belief) the relationship with Ford is different. M-Sport are the driving force and because they need the manufacturer affiliation to sell Rally1 services, they bring Ford in. Ford will at least cover the entry fees and meet FIA rules about manufacturer affiliations in return for the 'free' promo. Neither would be doing Rally1 without the other.

The problem is not the lack of manu teams but the lack of privateers. And that's purely a cost issue

A reminder of some rules:

*Rally1 cars have to *look like* a series production car
*Only the manufacturer of that car can homologate the Rally1 car
*Only when a manufacturer enters the WRC will the car be approved and be available to 'Teams'

The thing is, FIA rules be talking like it's 1973 still, that there are hundreds of car manufacturers, maybe some are state sponsored, where they do all their own parts and components and assemble everything under one roof. The second thing is, the Rally1 lot are now constructors, not manufacturers. They build purpose-built race cars with purpose-built engines, with a spec hybrid package, but the FIA likes to believe only manufacturers can be constructors, because traditionally manufacturers have brought the budget.

The rally car 'manufacturers' take a windscreen and a couple of other minor parts from the production car, source everything else from a hundred SME engineering companies that are different to the thousand companies that build components used in the road cars and build something to go rallying with. Compare this to the privateer constructor teams filling grids in the roundy-roundy games.

All these rules are by design to keep privateers out, no? Just because you might not like it doesn't mean it's a problem.

[AnttiL]

This is not only about McErlean, but also about Pontus Tindemand, Jan Kopecký, Jari Huttunen and Umberto Scandola. Or as Luke Barry, the author of the Dirtfish article puts it:
Umberto Scandola / Where: Monza Rally 2020, SS11 Gerosa. Nobody could match Scandola. Rally and championship winner Ogier was the only one within 15s of him. No matter what happens in Scandola’s rallying career in the future, he’ll always have that on his CV.

No, it’s actually same for all cases. Drastically changing conditions and/or a super special

[cali]

That was then, now is different. The sport is more intense and the top guys are on so high level that it’s hard to compete against them.

BTW who privateers in group B era?

As for more cars on the start line, the WRC2 is a great place for privateers and the cars are not as unspectacular as Gp N as a support class

Please look for VHS rallies. Plenty of private local entries in gr B (fyi Tabaton etc). Not gonna argue much but it's not any better now.
And the arguement isn't that past is better or the opposite but we are missing competent privateer field which was giving us far more diversity. Today we get 3-4 top guys and sponsored drivers.

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[cali]

There's not one central 'Toyota' or 'Hyundai' doing everything, it's normal business structure/divisional stuff for a multinational car manufacture to have an arm like Gazoo or HMSG to be the operation, or to get an external contractor to do it. These are in it for the branding/promo.
M-Sport are in motorsport services and (it's my belief) the relationship with Ford is different. M-Sport are the driving force and because they need the manufacturer affiliation to sell Rally1 services, they bring Ford in. Ford will at least cover the entry fees and meet FIA rules about manufacturer affiliations in return for the 'free' promo. Neither would be doing Rally1 without the other.



A reminder of some rules:

*Rally1 cars have to *look like* a series production car
*Only the manufacturer of that car can homologate the Rally1 car
*Only when a manufacturer enters the WRC will the car be approved and be available to 'Teams'

The thing is, FIA rules be talking like it's 1973 still, that there are hundreds of car manufacturers, maybe some are state sponsored, where they do all their own parts and components and assemble everything under one roof. The second thing is, the Rally1 lot are now constructors, not manufacturers. They build purpose-built race cars with purpose-built engines, with a spec hybrid package, but the FIA likes to believe only manufacturers can be constructors, because traditionally manufacturers have brought the budget.

The rally car 'manufacturers' take a windscreen and a couple of other minor parts from the production car, source everything else from a hundred SME engineering companies that are different to the thousand companies that build components used in the road cars and build something to go rallying with. Compare this to the privateer constructor teams filling grids in the roundy-roundy games.

All these rules are by design to keep privateers out, no? Just because you might not like it doesn't mean it's a problem.

Long answer completely derailed from my point but oh please do go on

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