[WRC] Ardeca Ypres Rally 2022

[Danny0405]

Kajto never liked Ypres, like so many other drivers he was not able to found a formula how to drive there really fast and be competitive. So his choice to absent in Ypres, same for some other drivers, is clever and no surprise.

I said it is surprising because he has competed 4 rounds so far and there are only 2 European rounds remaining after Ypres. So if he does not make at least one of the Pacific rallies, he will make only 6 rallies (whereas he could have done 7 which gives a better chance for the championship).
It was why I’m a bit surprised.
But maybe it is also for financial reason as he did Safari. Or he found some way of funding a NZ-Japan program?

[J4MIE]

I’d heard hire costs for a Rally2/R5 for Safari was around £100,000

[dupanton]

- no Kajto; could confirm the rumors he will do NZ and Japan (+ maybe Greece or Spain) or maybe he prefered to make Safari (a bit more expensive) but doing only 6 events.

He did Ypres 3 times in IRC times with mixed success

[mknight]

Surprising list in WRC-2 IMO:
- Risky choice from Mikkelsen to go on a Rallye he doesn’t know when we see what happened last year in Rally1; Spain would have sounded more cautious (if we assume Greece is no-brainer).
- no Kajto; could confirm the rumors he will do NZ and Japan (+ maybe Greece or Spain) or maybe he prefered to make Safari (a bit more expensive) but doing only 6 events.
- no Suninen and no Lindholm so they will have only a 6-rally program except if they are in NZ or Japan but would sound strange (maybe a bit more possible for Suninen)

Agree that at least two of these are surprising
- Mikkelsen did it last in 2010-2012 but crashed 2 out of 3 starts. Spain with new car ("gentle" rally for reliability) looked much more likely, assuming no overseas starts, Greece with old car does seem certain. There can be a point in trying to counter Rossel. Other reason could be that Skoda or him want to be done with WRC2 season early. (For example for starts with the new Skoda).

- no Suninen is also surprising. It does seem that his main purpose is to showcase the car which now seems competetive and Ypres could work especially now that they upgraded the engine.

- Katjo is expected (his clear strategy now is to avoid competition), same for Lindholm (limited funds better used elsewhere)

[mousti]

Yeah many expect that Kajto will do the overhaul rallies same like Johnston I guess.

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[RS]

Best seven scores works ok in ERC as there only eight rounds but best six scores out of 7 rounds in a thirteen round championship is less good. Especially when it means some drivers could avoid asphalt altogether if they wished.

[PLuto]

Best seven scores works ok in ERC as there only eight rounds but best six scores out of 7 rounds in a thirteen round championship is less good. Especially when it means some drivers could avoid asphalt altogether if they wished.

Also for ERC should be (and was) better 6 of 8. But 7 of 13 is very bad. But I dont know how better it can be done in WRC with so many rounds...

[Danny0405]

Also for ERC should be (and was) better 6 of 8. But 7 of 13 is very bad. But I dont know how better it can be done in WRC with so many rounds...

Well, anyway, FIA and Promoter will have to find a solution if they want to increase the number of abroad events. If rumors about the calendar are correct, a driver next year could make a WRC-2 championship with no European event (or maybe only Cyprus) if no change in the regulations; for example, a Zaldivar or a guy like that. It could completely ruin the championship and European drivers not to come there after one or two years like this.
Mikkelsen is talking about mandatory events; well, maybe a bit complicated with conflict with National rounds. And forbidding abroad rallies is not the solution. Probably something mixed is the best solution: the contender must register in at least 4 or 5 events in a certain panel of rallies (for example, this season, I would have said at least 4 events among Portugal-Sardinia-Estonia-Finland-Greece-Catalunya or maybe 5 among the same list+ MonteCarlo). It lets a certain adaptability to drivers with letting a big fight in some rallies; and you can still do the events closer from your place for extra-European drivers (American rallies for South American drivers / Pacific rallies for NZ/Australian drivers)

[WRCStan]

If rumors about the calendar are correct, a driver next year could make a WRC-2 championship with no European event (or maybe only Cyprus) if no change in the regulations; for example, a Zaldivar or a guy like that. It could completely ruin the championship and European drivers not to come there after one or two years like this.

Heaven forbid it act and look like a global championship.

[focus206]

Heaven forbid it act and look like a global championship.

A WRC2 championship that has half events with 3-4-5 entries wouldn't look anything like a prestigious and global world championship, it would look like a joke.