‘WRC needs SUPERSTARS, not just winners’ – Ben Sulayem

[focus206]

For some reason, American rally drivers have been more successful on internet than Europeans.

Americans, and American brands, use social medias more often on average. If I remember correctly, NASCAR has more Facebook likes than F1, or at least it used to...
Moreover, Block and Pastrana are "celebrities" more than rally drivers. Block with his gymkhana videos and Pastrana used to be the host of that Nitro Circus show.

[AnttiL]

Colin was an unlikely organic star. He broke convention, team orders and arguably the rulebook in the era that WRC was open. You couldn't falsify that if you tried today. Rallying and car-culture isn't relevant to most people's lives now either, that's why they'll never bring in new fans. That's my wider answer to Colin constantly raising this topic especially with young people in mind. Doesn't matter how many TikTok followers or Insta posts with emojis (the obvious points) - they'll never own a car, drive it above 80kph or pull handbrake turns on a car park.

It's difficult to decode what made Colin such a big star. Was it in the end that he was the first British driver to succeed on WRC level? All the big witty comments and rebellious behaviour started after his first wins or during the championship season.

I would say Tänak has a similar background, he's also the first internationally successful driver of his country since a long time, and he gives witty comments and sometimes acts "rebelliously". He also crashed often early into his career, and the Titanäk incident is recalled on WRC+ as often as McRae's 1000 Lakes 1992. However, the difference is that Estonia is not as powerful nation in rally media as GB was in the 90's, and the worldwide weight of the sport is not on the same level. The Colin McRae Rally games also made McRae a bigger super star than any other WRC driver, there have been kids who played that game without knowing that Colin McRae is an actual person!

We could also say Kris Meeke inherited some of his mentor's behaviour, but lacked the big success.

And what about Marcus Grönholm? Was he ever considered a McRae level super star? He also had success, witty comments and early career crashes.

Some of the most successful drivers in Finland like Tommi Mäkinen, Juha Kankkunen, Ari Vatanen and Hannu Mikkola were always shy and/or polite (you could also say boring) in media. Timo Salonen sometimes gave witty comments and had some unique characteristics, but his career was so short that no one thinks about him before the four aforementioned ones.

Pastrana and Block cannot be compared, here because it's a completely another world that they come from. WRC is not present in the USA and their success is based in different disciplines. It's easy to enjoy a 10 minute Gymkhana video rather than follow a four day rally let alone a whole championship season.

Good question from Bin Sulyaem, but I would say it's not possible to make WRC superstars anymore. Maybe it's more about the Sebastiens setting a some sort of standard for the past 20 years?

[Simmi]

It's far from the only issue rallying has but I think Bin Sulyaem makes a valid point to an extent.

It does feel like we're in a pretty fallow era of personality these days. Partly that's the crop of drivers - but a big reason is the lack of ways they have to express themselves within the sport. We're in a different era to McRae. The sport is more professional, society has different standards, social media skews everything. If his career was 20 years later, there's no guarantee that McRae would be a star in this modern era IMO. He'd have found it hard.

The WRC is so regimented these days that you have these bizarre 45-second stage-end interviews that no driver can be bothered with. Media zones, press conferences - the drivers just turn on a switch like they turn on stage mode in the car. Not their fault. I'm sure behind closed doors they are great fun - you just do not see that. It seems maybe only Oliver Solberg is trying to expand his brand these days.

Like I said, not entirely their fault, but top guys like Tanak, Thierry, Elfyn, Kalle - let's be honest they are pretty painful. Tanak particularly since that title winning year. Wow. Breen is probably the only established guy that looks like he's having a good time within the confines of the sport. WRC isn't a good enough product to create a transcendent star within it, purely on the strength of it's TV/social media package. Not a chance. You'd have to do something outside of that to pull new fans in and drag the whole thing up. F1 was already a juggernaut but look what Netflix/Drive To Survive did for it - particularly around personalities.

I think collaboration is key. Lean harder on companies like Red Bull, YouTube influencers (one of the first posts in the thread says 'nobody cares about influencers'!!!??), TikTok. Better eSports crossovers, not just the s**t WRC games. The drivers and teams have to open themselves up - it won't come to them - no matter how many rallies you win. Let's see what the young crop start doing.

But probably the biggest issue is, ultimately none of the established guys want to be 'superstars'.

[macebig]

That's my thinking too. The only guy right now that has the tools to become a "superstar" is Oliver Solberg. It's still WIP and it will need success and backing from the promoter, EA, Monster (and possibly a certain Mr Block), but he's the only one that is trying to grow his image through social media.

[WRCStan]

However, the difference is that Estonia is not as powerful nation in rally media as GB was in the 90's.

We may ultimately agree here, but this might miss the point that no media organisation is as powerful as in the 90s - so the content can't be either, regardless of McRae v Tänak, GB v Estonia or the popularity of rally. People now consume their own chosen media individually, families don't watch one screen together, nobody goes to work and talk about the previous night's tele anymore, nobody leaves a newspaper in the canteen anymore. We're all in our own bubbles - this forum is in mine, I don't talk to people around me about rally and I bet a lot of you are the same. WRC won't get into new bubbles unless it's relevant to those people's lives and sadly rallying just isn't. Doesn't matter if it's free, there's billions of hours of free video, pods and content to consume every day. People need to care. I'll bet very few of you search free channels looking for something new to consume. If you put TV on, you watch the things you already know (likely in the background of being within your phone bubble).

Stars, Jeez. Open question: other than Ronaldo (36), Messi (34) and Hamilton (37) - name a current global star (under 30 for an extra challenge), that transcends their sport.

[focus206]

It's difficult to decode what made Colin such a big star. Was it in the end that he was the first British driver to succeed on WRC level? All the big witty comments and rebellious behaviour started after his first wins or during the championship season.

I would say Tänak has a similar background, he's also the first internationally successful driver of his country since a long time, and he gives witty comments and sometimes acts "rebelliously". He also crashed often early into his career, and the Titanäk incident is recalled on WRC+ as often as McRae's 1000 Lakes 1992. However, the difference is that Estonia is not as powerful nation in rally media as GB was in the 90's, and the worldwide weight of the sport is not on the same level. The Colin McRae Rally games also made McRae a bigger super star than any other WRC driver, there have been kids who played that game without knowing that Colin McRae is an actual person!

I think the Colin McRae Rally videogames did a lot for McRae's popularity, especially on the younger audience back then. I remember in my middle school and highschool, there were various kids who knew that Colin McRae was a famous rally driver because of the videogames. But I doubt many of them eventualy got interested in rallying, considering there was almost no way of following it. The only other driver I remember being mentioned was Ari Vatanen and his Pikes Peak one hand drive On the other hand, rally cars like Impreza, Lancer, Delta, Quattro etc. were known by many.
I agree that in Colin's case it was a mix between being an already popular driver + videogames + being Scottish and therefore being internationally pushed by the British media.

[WRCStan]

(one of the first posts in the thread says 'nobody cares about influencers'!!!??)

I meant then that I don't think any of us need or want the current drivers to become that style of personality/star. Conversation has changed to the context of the question, how to grow the sport. Still, I think there's better ways to improve the sport than giving some TikTok dancer or whoever a shakedown run.

[Simmi]

I meant then that I don't think any of us need or want the current drivers to become that style of personality/star. Conversation has changed to the context of the question, how to grow the sport. Still, I think there's better ways to improve the sport than giving some TikTok dancer or whoever a shakedown run.

Yes but you can share more of your life and give behind the scenes insight without being an insufferable reality TV star. And social media personalities can be a lot more influential than a 'TikTok dancer'. I get what you're saying but it's a bit of a narrow way to look at that space. But many people only do look at the negatives.

I think social media, YouTube and collaboration is worth pursuing for the drivers. If I was WRC Promoter I'd desperately be trying to replicate Drive to Survive in some way. Ringfencing the WRC behind a paywall doesn't grow the sport - it only monetises it in the short term at a set level. Like you said, people don't watch the same channels, but trying to get a presence on Netflix or Prime with marketing budget behind it makes sense surely. Then people will seek out your core product and might pay for it.

[WRCStan]

Yes but you can share more of your life and give behind the scenes insight without being an insufferable reality TV star. And social media personalities can be a lot more influential than a 'TikTok dancer'. I get what you're saying but it's a bit of a narrow way to look at that space. But many people only do look at the negatives.

I think social media, YouTube and collaboration is worth pursuing for the drivers.

Fair point, that is just my opinion of lifestyle influencers.

Interesting that nobody has mentioned Andreas Mikkelsen's Youtube yet. One I subscribe to but I skip the episodes where he's working out or playing golf obviously. When he's not in the rally bubble that all his subscribers are already in, he mostly stays within the Red Bull bubble because he knows who the bosses are. Can any of the other drivers even make an independent Youtube? I've never seen Drive to Survive but I don't imagine it'll work within the Red Bull walled garden. If the sport is tainted in the name of manufacturing drama it'll lose the loyal fanbase WRC has.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

A case of cart before the horse here...

You have to get the wider public interested in watching rallying first and when a lot of them are they will make the one who they love a superstar.

But another issue is rallying has changed to be way more professional. Its safer, and driving-syles less flamboyant to be faster, not exciting. The likes of Lukyanuk has shown flat-out everywhere doesnt get you a WRC seat and stardom.