2022 WRC News & Rumours

[the sniper]

Is there something wrong about how works teams choose new drivers these days? First Katsuta and Arai at Toyota, then Lefebvre and Camilli, now Fourmaux... Have they ever won anything important before joining works teams?

For example, if you look at WRC2 results from Croatia, both Lefebvre and Camilli were beaten by Rossel, Kajto, Lindholm, Gryazin and Ingram quite easily:
https://rally-base.com/2022/croatia-...61&ssGroupId=1

Arai and Katsuta can't even win a single ERC event, but were chosen for works drivers...

There's something wrong with it, but it's not a case of backing the wrong horse, having not identified the best of the best. Arai and Katsuta were chosen because they were the best Japanese options when they needed a Japanese prospect. Their seats were never intended to be allocated purely on merit, unfortunately. But their seats/entries probably wouldn't exists at all if they weren't being paid for with the intention of filling them with someone Japanese, so nobody lost any opportunity out of it.

It's like the situation with Gus Greensmith at various points. Would his seat exist to be filled if he weren't paying for it?

Likewise with the French guys, would they have got their works seats without their backing or their nationality (particularly in the case of Lefebvre)?

Re Fourmaux, he has a lot more pressure to produce than the likes of Katsuta and Solberg.

The French 'development' system got broken by Loeb and Ogier being unnaturally good, mere talented mortals couldn't replicate their great leaps forward to the big league, for which they are considered failures.

[dimviii]

The French 'development' system got broken by Loeb and Ogier being unnaturally good, mere talented mortals couldn't replicate their great leaps forward to the big league, for which they are considered failures.

+1
although its wrong to compare every new French (or not) hope with Loeb and Ogier.
You cant have every decade a new one.
It happened for 2 decades,will not happen for ever.

[PLuto]

+1
although its wrong to compare every new French (or not) hope with Loeb and Ogier.
You cant have every decade a new one.
It happened for 2 decades,will not happen for ever.

I think it was not only french development system, but mainly Citroen development system. Next one from this system is Thierry Neuville. And for this development system they have lost also one of the key person - Philippe Bugalski...

[Danny0405]

Rossel and Lindholm over Gryazin and Ingram? Based on what? On results in Croatia?

Here is the way I classify the young drivers (it’s my opinion, not an absolute truth).
I consider that there is, at the moment, 10 drivers that could reach the Rally1 level in the next 2 years. This excludes a potential skyrocketing progression of another driver and drivers with WRC experience such as Mikkelsen and Suninen that cannot be compare.

Then I classify them in 4 different categories depending on their experience (number of years with a serious R5-Rally2 program, number of rally starts, number of WRC starts in a R5-Rally2 car, number of ERC starts in a R5-Rally2 car).

The «*very experienced young drivers*»: Gryazin, Veiby

The «*experienced young drivers*»: Rossel, Lindholm, Huttunen. I consider that the gap in terms of experience with the former category corresponds to around 1 season of Rally2 development.

The «*hybrid young drivers*»: Ingram, Bulacia, Ciamin. Their figures are not that different than the Lindholm-Huttunen-Rossel group but they have a special context that justifies the difference, which corresponds, IMO, to 1 season of Rally2 development.

The prospects: Linnamae, Cais. I consider the gap with the hybrid category to be 1 season of Rally2 development.

Then, I take a look to the results (consistency, speed and level of the car).
For the last 5 drivers I quote, I consider that, at the moment, their level are a little slow to compete for a Rally1 drive (they are not able to really compete for a WRC rally RC2-class win in a normal context so it would be as sending Fourmaux in the Rally1 car). For me, to be a competitor for Rally1 car, you must be able to compete for Rally2 class wins, at least on some fields. But then, if they progress, they can be candidate (and overtake the others) because they all have some potential.

Then, when I take the experienced and very experienced chaps, the last months (or even years) from Huttunen and Veiby were quite complicated for different reasons (personal, quality of the car, ...) so it’s difficult to put them in the contest at the moment.

So it lets Gryazin, Rossel and Lindholm. When I take a look at the result since the beginning of 2021 season in WRC (because it’s the best competition to compare them), for me (and again it’s only my opinion), they are pretty equal: yeah, Gryazin is probably faster (but Lindholm can also be really quick) but Rossel is more consistent and at a good speed also. In terms of versatility, I would put Gryazin and Lindholm slightly over Rossel because the French doesn’t drive in fast gravel and snow.
+ through the last 14 months, I see more progress from Lindholm and Rossel than from Gryazin.

So globally, in terms of current level, they are pretty much the same for me; but as Gryazin has one additional year of development, I consider that Rossel and Lindholm have more potential so, if I was Toyota or Hyundai boss and I had a 7-round Rally1 program to give to prepare the future, I would give him to one of them (for sure, M-Sport’s situation is not the same because of the financial aspects). Ok, I can admit that the Lindholm-Gryazin call is a close one.

[djip]

Here is the way I classify the young drivers (it’s my opinion, not an absolute truth).
I consider that there is, at the moment, 10 drivers that could reach the Rally1 level in the next 2 years. This excludes a potential skyrocketing progression of another driver and drivers with WRC experience such as Mikkelsen and Suninen that cannot be compare.

Then I classify them in 4 different categories depending on their experience (number of years with a serious R5-Rally2 program, number of rally starts, number of WRC starts in a R5-Rally2 car, number of ERC starts in a R5-Rally2 car).

The «*very experienced young drivers*»: Gryazin, Veiby

The «*experienced young drivers*»: Rossel, Lindholm, Huttunen. I consider that the gap in terms of experience with the former category corresponds to around 1 season of Rally2 development.

The «*hybrid young drivers*»: Ingram, Bulacia, Ciamin. Their figures are not that different than the Lindholm-Huttunen-Rossel group but they have a special context that justifies the difference, which corresponds, IMO, to 1 season of Rally2 development.

The prospects: Linnamae, Cais. I consider the gap with the hybrid category to be 1 season of Rally2 development.

Then, I take a look to the results (consistency, speed and level of the car).
For the last 5 drivers I quote, I consider that, at the moment, their level are a little slow to compete for a Rally1 drive (they are not able to really compete for a WRC rally RC2-class win in a normal context so it would be as sending Fourmaux in the Rally1 car). For me, to be a competitor for Rally1 car, you must be able to compete for Rally2 class wins, at least on some fields. But then, if they progress, they can be candidate (and overtake the others) because they all have some potential.

Then, when I take the experienced and very experienced chaps, the last months (or even years) from Huttunen and Veiby were quite complicated for different reasons (personal, quality of the car, ...) so it’s difficult to put them in the contest at the moment.

So it lets Gryazin, Rossel and Lindholm. When I take a look at the result since the beginning of 2021 season in WRC (because it’s the best competition to compare them), for me (and again it’s only my opinion), they are pretty equal: yeah, Gryazin is probably faster (but Lindholm can also be really quick) but Rossel is more consistent and at a good speed also. In terms of versatility, I would put Gryazin and Lindholm slightly over Rossel because the French doesn’t drive in fast gravel and snow.
+ through the last 14 months, I see more progress from Lindholm and Rossel than from Gryazin.

So globally, in terms of current level, they are pretty much the same for me; but as Gryazin has one additional year of development, I consider that Rossel and Lindholm have more potential so, if I was Toyota or Hyundai boss and I had a 7-round Rally1 program to give to prepare the future, I would give him to one of them (for sure, M-Sport’s situation is not the same because of the financial aspects). Ok, I can admit that the Lindholm-Gryazin call is a close one.

nice analysis. I would personnaly rate Rossel with the biggest potential. He has been on an upwards trajectory since the second half of 2021 (remember he won twice the overall WRC2/WRC3 class and also managed to pull a lasdt minute in for the WRC3 title in Monza which shows some mental strength as well). So far this year he has been very good : Crushing win in Croatia, and a small mistake aside, he was in the fight with Mikkelsen in Monte. The chap seems to combine speed, brain and composure whereas other youugnsters so far may lack one or more element. We'll see how the season unfold but ii would be surprised if he is not in the top2 of WRC2 (maybe beating a very experienced Mikkelsen is a hard nut to crack ...)

[Fast Eddie WRC]

The French 'development' system got broken by Loeb and Ogier being unnaturally good, mere talented mortals couldn't replicate their great leaps forward to the big league, for which they are considered failures.

This is not the pressure I was talking about - it's the fact that he has to produce points for M-Sport.

Fourmaux is effectively their No.2 driver to Breen (with Greensmith being a pure pay driver who's seat is guaranteed).

[dimviii]

nice analysis. I would personnaly rate Rossel with the biggest potential. He has been on an upwards trajectory since the second half of 2021 (remember he won twice the overall WRC2/WRC3 class and also managed to pull a lasdt minute in for the WRC3 title in Monza which shows some mental strength as well). So far this year he has been very good : Crushing win in Croatia, and a small mistake aside, he was in the fight with Mikkelsen in Monte. The chap seems to combine speed, brain and composure whereas other youugnsters so far may lack one or more element. We'll see how the season unfold but ii would be surprised if he is not in the top2 of WRC2 (maybe beating a very experienced Mikkelsen is a hard nut to crack ...)

agree,the way he controlled the gap he had create,was amazing at such a difficult rally.I ll watch him better at next rallies.

[PLuto]

nice analysis. I would personnaly rate Rossel with the biggest potential. He has been on an upwards trajectory since the second half of 2021 (remember he won twice the overall WRC2/WRC3 class and also managed to pull a lasdt minute in for the WRC3 title in Monza which shows some mental strength as well). So far this year he has been very good : Crushing win in Croatia, and a small mistake aside, he was in the fight with Mikkelsen in Monte. The chap seems to combine speed, brain and composure whereas other youugnsters so far may lack one or more element. We'll see how the season unfold but ii would be surprised if he is not in the top2 of WRC2 (maybe beating a very experienced Mikkelsen is a hard nut to crack ...)

Problem of Rossel is different surface than tarmac...

[Danny0405]

Problem of Rossel is different surface than tarmac...

Let’s see in Portugal and Sardinia as he will probably do the same program than last year with Spain instead of Monza.
But from what he showed last year, I would not be that sure; I think he is in the game with Kajto and Bulacia for example and better than Ingram (and better, for now, than the youngsters Linnamae and even more Cais).
Also do not forget than his result was even better in Croatia this year than last year (it is why I say he made some progress, combined with his Monte drive where he was on fight for top stop this year before his mistake) so he may improve on slow gravel also.

Then yeah, on fast gravel, his level is probably not really good as he almost never did one... as most of the young French; but not this year than we can evaluate I think as I would be surprised to see him in Estonia or Finland.
It is why I put Lindholm not that far: Lindholm sounds more versatile about surface and his speed can be incredible sometimes (Gryazin also but I’m less impressed with one more year of development)

[WRCStan]

If the FFSA is funding Fourmaux significantly then that is probably what has brought this will he/won't he up. Same with Solans in Spain. Who else is backed by their state?