2023 WRC News & Rumours

[mknight]

I kinda doubt we will see much of Fourmaux in 2023.

If Malcolm uses money (or gets a big sponsor) I would expect:
Tanak (getting paid)

Bringing money:
Greensmith
Loeb (RedBull)/Loubet

Solberg maybe funding own separate car

Without Tanak the drivers will be the same, just one less car.

There could have been a tiny chance that MSport would aim to get another experienced driver, but the only realistic option available now is Mikkelsen, since Suninen got kicked and Paddon is supported by Hyundai. But Wilson does want to pay for Mikkelsen as directly or indirectly demonstrated multiple times over the years, even in 2016 right after Mikkelsen won Australia (his second win that year) Wilson told him to bring money to drive a Fiesta on DMACKs. The story is repeated for last 2 years, MSport asks for money, Skoda pays money. Lappi was also only there in 2019 cause Citroen was still paying him.

[wyler]

italian media:

The Solberg family has not yet fully revealed its cards, but the trip to the United States to meet with the top management of Monster, dad Petter's historic partner, has produced the desired results (although it would be more correct to say budgets). This has been confirmed by all the sources known to be close to the best-known and most media-conscious Scandinavian rallying family. These days, the Solbergs have set out on a major programme, a return to their roots, given that their WRC adventure was born under the American soft drink maker's flag. According to the rumours circulating, the two Monster image men among the four-wheelers Petter Solberg and Ken Block should be on the command bridge. This is an important widening in the policy of the American company, which up to now has mainly focused on the world of two wheels, while with four wheels it has marked a significant presence in World RX, in the days of the previous promoter; and at single spot events from Block's Gimkana to the Monza Rally Show with Valentino Rossi. Even though these were one-off presences, they were still talking about six-figure budgets, from the commitment to cover technical budgets to those needed to give an image to their presence. The programme they are now working on has been associated on several occasions with the name of Ott Tanak, the only top WRC driver never to have worn the colours of rival Red Bull. The first rumours were leaked immediately after the announcement of his divorce from Alzenau, only to be relaunched by the Iberian media last week, as soon as Hyundai and Toyota announced their 2023 line-ups. At this point, with the certainty of the budget, the drafting of the programme has begun to take shape, and between the end of November and the beginning of December the first certainties should arrive.

http://www.areacorse.com/solberg-2023-monster/

[RS]

Presume Breen wasn’t paying for his drive, although probably not actually paid much?

I can’t see why they wouldn’t offer a similar deal to Mikkelsen, who is at least a multiple WRC event winner.

[mknight]

3 possible reasons any one of them could work:

- (if) they get Tanak
- Loeb's starts serve the purpose of showing the speed of the car
- Malcolm doesn't like/have faith in Mikkelsen, see post just above. Every time they had a chance to choose him they told him to bring money (before 2017 season, 2021, 2022)

[Allez Andruet]

Presume Breen wasn’t paying for his drive, although probably not actually paid much?

I can’t see why they wouldn’t offer a similar deal to Mikkelsen, who is at least a multiple WRC event winner.

To offer such deal - especially in M-Sport's case - to a driver who has zero rallies in a Rally1 car and hasn't driven in WRC's top class for three years doesn't sound like a smart move.

[skarderud]

To offer such deal - especially in M-Sport's case - to a driver who has zero rallies in a Rally1 car and hasn't driven in WRC's top class for three years doesn't sound like a smart move.

Do you really think a driver with Mikkelsens experience and routine cant drive the rally1 proper? Its not a moonrocket...

Sent fra min SM-G950F via Tapatalk

[mknight]

To offer such deal - especially in M-Sport's case - to a driver who has zero rallies in a Rally1 car and hasn't driven in WRC's top class for three years doesn't sound like a smart move.

When Breen got the "deal" he has not driven Rally1 car either (so unknown), has not driven more than 4 rallies per year for 3 years and had close to zero experience on half of the rallies in calendar.

Other available options have proven they can't drive Rally1 car with good speed and any reliability (Fourmaux, Greensmith).

So yes it would be a risk, but out of those available hiring anyone else than Tanak is.

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Imo drivers that are used to driving cars without active difs like 2016 and earlier WRCs or Rally2 cars should do better in Rally1 than those that only drove 2017 WRCs with 3 fancy diffs.

[meh]

Previous Rally 1 car experience can not be that strong argument - orherwise you don't have any choice.

I think with Mikkelsen the reason to not get Rally 1 seat is somewhere else. Related to previous experiences and maybe "still learning the car" times from Hyundai. He has at least average speed on the field, but problably not enough to overweight some other arguments. But his marketing campaign "I'll dominate WRC2" didn't went that well also.

[becher]

It's quite funny how we all want more cars, yet the number of drivers that are guaranteed to do a good job is probably less than 10. Goes to show how high the level is. I'm inclined to agree that Mikkelsen is one of the best drivers without a Rally1 drive but it is also questionable whether he will be at the sharp end.

[Allez Andruet]

Do you really think a driver with Mikkelsens experience and routine cant drive the rally1 proper?

No, I don't.