2022 WRC News & Rumours

[Mirek]

FIA's own press release gives some more info:

Starting from 2022 the FIA Artificial Intelligence Safety Camera (AISC) will become mandatory in all Rally1 cars. This forward-facing in-car camera will continually scan the special stage and its direct surroundings, identifying the shapes and analysing the position of spectators in the environment, hence helping to supplement the work undertaken by the FIA Safety Delegate to address unsafe situations. The crew-facing High-Speed Camera (HSC) currently in use in all Priority 1 cars will no longer be mandatory but only recommended.

Source: https://www.fia.com/news/fia-announc...l-decisions-23

Kiitos.

The camera is for sure able to recognize people and there are algorhytms which can determine if the people (or other objects) may collide with the vehicle carrying the camera but aside of a very clear situation such as a person on the road it will require to manually pre-define no-go zones per the safety plan in every single stage for the software so that it can check whether detected people are inside or outside of such zone.

[Danny0405]

M-Sport are in a tough position with being a producer of all classes of rally cars from Rally 5 to WRC and the new Rally 1.

Having good driver's to develop and prove all of them for sales, as well as the WRC team competing at the top level is not easy, or cheap.

Personnally, I think M-Sport is the only responsible for not finding a main WRC-2 driver.
They decide to take Loeb for some drives next year whereas the marketing effect is now reduced and he has not proven to be more than a B-class driver in Hyundai now (I’m talking about the 46-year old Loeb, not the young one) even if this maverick role in M-Sport may be better for him than the manufacturer job in Hyundai.
And Loeb probably don’t pay to drive.
I’m pretty sure than by offering them a 4-round Rally1 program, they would have succeeding in hiring Ostberg or Mikkelsen for a full 7-round WRC-2 program in addition for almost nothing. And they would be at the same level than the old Loeb.

And it will be very difficult for them to hire another good driver of the Rally2 class which is already in Skoda or Citroen as the Fiesta has not proven to be more competitive (for example, don’t see why Bulacia would sign).
The only strategy for them would be to hire a young high-potential driver (Cais) and maybe another one in a bad situation (Huttunen which is not much trusted in Hyundai).

[ouvreur]

I’m pretty sure than by offering them a 4-round Rally1 program, they would have succeeding in hiring Ostberg or Mikkelsen for a full 7-round WRC-2 program in addition for almost nothing. And they would be at the same level than the old Loeb.

"The same level"? M-Sport hiring Loeb isn't about marketing, or the results he might be able to deliver - as great a story as it might be to see him 'finally' work with the team, or win a rally in yet another generation of cars. No, it's about his ability and experience in developing rally cars. There has never been a driver involved in developing as many rally- and championship-winning cars as Sebastien Loeb. Ever.

That's the angle you need to be looking at it from. Mikkelsen or Ostberg might just about be able to deliver similar results on rallies as late-career Loeb, but there's a reason why it's the 47 year old Frenchman in the Puma, and they're not...

(Edited for accuracy - I knew he was 47, honest)

[rp]

46 year old Frenchman

Loeb is already 47-year

[AnttiL]

Remember the 2018 Loeb? Not that much younger Loeb.

[ouvreur]

Remember the 2018 Loeb? Not that much younger Loeb.

He seemed to do ok! And that was in the C3...

Funny isn't it, how other drivers who have had patchy results with the i20 Coupe WRC are defended as "not getting on with the car", but in Loeb's case it's because he's "not more than a B class driver"... he's proven time and time again that form is temporary, but class is permanent.

[denkimi]

"The same level"? M-Sport hiring Loeb isn't about marketing, or the results he might be able to deliver - as great a story as it might be to see him 'finally' work with the team, or win a rally in yet another generation of cars. No, it's about his ability and experience in developing rally cars. There has never been a driver involved in developing as many rally- and championship-winning cars as Sebastien Loeb. Ever.

Yet, just like with hyundai and neuville today, only loeb was able to drive the citroen at the limit. I still remember pieter tsjoen telling how much more difficult the c4 was to drive compared to the focus.

Loeb was and maybe still is a great driver, but i doubt his skills in developing a car for someone else.

[ouvreur]

Yet, just like with hyundai and neuville today, only loeb was able to drive the citroen at the limit. I still remember pieter tsjoen telling how much more difficult the c4 was to drive compared to the focus.

Loeb was and maybe still is a great driver, but i doubt his skills in developing a car for someone else.

Pieter Tsjoen isn't a bad driver, by any stretch of the imagination, he certainly won a lot of Belgian and French rallies in and I mean him no disrespect, but... how many truly world class drivers ever got to drive a proper works one? I don't think Gronholm, Solberg or Latvala would have struggled in it.

Also, the Xsara WRC and DS3 WRC won plenty of rallies with 'other' drivers at the wheel - it's just that Loeb won more. The moment Citroen changed lead development driver, the C3 happened. It could be a coincidence. But I doubt it.

[mknight]

There has never been a driver involved in developing as many rally- and championship-winning cars as Sebastien Loeb. Ever.

I find this claim extremely doubtful, but sure do provide data to defend it.

Afaik Loeb was involved in developing 3 cars (Xsara - most of development by Bugalski before Loeb even started afaik, C4 and DS3).
3 cars... out of these Xsara was clearly best car, other two were rather often comparable with Focus and Fiesta at the time, DS3 got blown away by Polo when it came).

He was involved in "late fixes" to C3 and I20, but that surely doesn't count as "developing"?

[dimviii]

I find this claim extremely doubtful, but sure do provide data to defend it.

Afaik Loeb was involved in developing 3 cars (Xsara - most of development by Bugalski before Loeb even started afaik, C4 and DS3).
3 cars... out of these Xsara was clearly best car, other two were rather often comparable with Focus and Fiesta at the time, DS3 got blown away by Polo when it came).

He was involved in "late fixes" to C3 and I20, but that surely doesn't count as "developing"?

+1
i think Mikkelsen is better developer.