Silly Season 2008

[bennizw]

Does anyone know when Ford will make an official statement about the drivers lineup for next year? Besides, does anyone think we will get any more news concerning the rumour of Grönholm continuing next year in the near future?

[Halvis]

I think you are right. One of the reasons that Rally will never be as big as F1, is clearly down to a few nations dominating the sport. But what can you do?

The same goes for MotoGP. It's a World Championship on paper, but people call it the Italian and Spanish national championship.

For some reason F1 has managed to be more global.

I agree with you, even if the example from MotoGP wasn't the best, Casey Stoner dominated this years season - and he's from Australia, isn't he?

[MikeD]

I agree with you, even if the example from MotoGP wasn't the best, Casey Stoner dominated this years season - and he's from Australia, isn't he?

Hi Halvis,

Yes Stoner is an Aussie, but I was refering to the amount of Italian and Spanish drivers in MotoGP. The main problem is that the two feeder series 125cc and 250cc are dominated by spanish and italien riders and their sponsors, so it makes it hard for other nationalities to come in with a good rider. But previously it was USA and Australia that dominated MotoGP (Called BikeGP back then) with Gardner, Rainey, Schwantz, Doohan etc. As far as I recall there have only been 4 nationalities in the last 20 years of so that have won the MotoGP title (USA, Australia, Italy and Spain).

One of the strengths of formula racing is the amount of lower formulas spread all over the world. You take the best from several regions of the world and they end up competing in F3, Formula BMW, WS and then GP2. F1 has produced champions over the last 30 years from Finland, Spain, Germany, Canada, England, Brazil, France, USA, Australia, Austria, South Africa and Scotland and that, I think, is a part of why the sport is so big.

I think the weakest link in Rally is the feeder series from other parts of the world. Loeb might be french and dominating the sport, but in fact it's Finland that is dominating in the amount of drivers. Hats of to Finland for their amount of talents, but at the same time it's a problem for the sport that the drivers are basically 40% finns, 20% norwegians, a frenchman, a spaniard, an unsuccessful aussie and a couple of pay-drivers from GB and Argentina.

Personally I don't give a toss about nationality, but most do - so I think that Rally would benefit big time with drivers like Aava, Duval, Arai and Galli having a full year drive. That would bring 4 other nationalities into the sport and making it look more like a world championship. And then perhaps in the future with Pastrana, Araújo and Rautenbach joining WRC and then we would have another 3 nationalities. For the sport to grow, I just think it has to look more like a world championship.

Just my 2 cents...

[COD]

But the fact is 8like in any sports) that the best compete for the most valuable title. There are no quotas for countries. The best are allways the best, from whatever country the come from.

[MikeD]

But the fact is 8like in any sports) that the best compete for the most valuable title. There are no quotas for countries. The best are always the best, from whatever country the come from.

It's not that I disagree, but in motorsport the main goal is a mixture of getting the results and to use motorsport as your platform to sell cars.

We know that Citroen wanted a French driver because their main market is France. Luckily for them, Loeb came along. For the second seat they chose Sordo because - apart from his obvious talent - then he is from Spain, and that is an important market for Citroen.

So what puzzles me is that Ford is a brand sold over most of the world, and yet they chose two have two Finns as their main drivers. Weather it being Gronholm, Hirvonen or Latvala, they have or will deliver the results - but is it good for marketing? Ford sell a lot of cars in all of Europe, so for them I would think it would be important to have drivers from several countries, to make sure their results reach a bigger platform. After all, motorsport is important for the manufactures because it helps them build up a positive image. But if the sport is too narrow and really doesn't live up to it being a World Championship, then they end up building an image for way too few countries.

Many in here don't like F1, but from a marketing point of view WRC could learn a lot. It's the TV-deals and the commercial aspect build up by Bernie Ecclestone that is attracting all the big manufactures into F1. And once F1 hit the big TV figures, the sponsors came along. And then the bigger variety of drivers also came along. So I think WRC needs to look more at the commercial aspect to make the sport bigger and better.

[Zes]

Which happens to co-incide with the time table Wilson gave for Ford's announcements... then again, it'd be interesting if Ford would take him back after dropping him after 2005...

Does anyone know when Ford will make an official statement about the drivers lineup for next year? Besides, does anyone think we will get any more news concerning the rumour of Grönholm continuing next year in the near future?

Well, Monte entries has to be done before Dec 20th, so we are going to get news from all teams in mid december.

[Tomi]

It's not that I disagree, but in motorsport the main goal is a mixture of getting the results and to use motorsport as your platform to sell cars.

We know that Citroen wanted a French driver because their main market is France. Luckily for them, Loeb came along. For the second seat they chose Sordo because - apart from his obvious talent - then he is from Spain, and that is an important market for Citroen.

So what puzzles me is that Ford is a brand sold over most of the world, and yet they chose two have two Finns as their main drivers. Weather it being Gronholm, Hirvonen or Latvala, they have or will deliver the results - but is it good for marketing? Ford sell a lot of cars in all of Europe, so for them I would think it would be important to have drivers from several countries, to make sure their results reach a bigger platform. After all, motorsport is important for the manufactures because it helps them build up a positive image. But if the sport is too narrow and really doesn't live up to it being a World Championship, then they end up building an image for way too few countries.

Many in here don't like F1, but from a marketing point of view WRC could learn a lot. It's the TV-deals and the commercial aspect build up by Bernie Ecclestone that is attracting all the big manufactures into F1. And once F1 hit the big TV figures, the sponsors came along. And then the bigger variety of drivers also came along. So I think WRC needs to look more at the commercial aspect to make the sport bigger and better.

The thing is that its impossible to market cars that finish fifth, you need good drivers to do the marketing, without the manu title Ford would have nothing to build their campaign on.

[A.F.F.]

Many in here don't like F1, but from a marketing point of view WRC could learn a lot. It's the TV-deals and the commercial aspect build up by Bernie Ecclestone that is attracting all the big manufactures into F1. And once F1 hit the big TV figures, the sponsors came along. And then the bigger variety of drivers also came along. So I think WRC needs to look more at the commercial aspect to make the sport bigger and better.

I think that was/is the problem. WRC tried to imitate F1 which is impossible. WRC needs something different.

[MikeD]

The thing is that its impossible to market cars that finish fifth, you need good drivers to do the marketing, without the manu title Ford would have nothing to build their campaign on.

But it's also impossible to marketing a title in a sport that has such poor TV-coverage as WRC has at the moment. So WRC needs to solve the whole "coverage of the sport" issue. And as long as the sport is too narrow in the variety of drivers, it's not going to change. Let's take an example:

If Ford gave a seat to e.g. Gigi Galli they would improve their TV coverage in Italy big time. At the same time Ford would be able to communicate their Manu' title to Italy and by doing that building a better image. And it would inspire more Italian drivers and sponsors to join the sport.

So WRC’s problem is a mixture of it not really being a true world championship (when it comes to drivers) and the poor media coverage of the sport.

And let’s face it – it not just me who is complaining that the sport is too narrow. Guy Frequelin said the same, and that Citroen’s involvement in the sport beyond 2009 depends on weather WRC is able to create a better platform for advertising their involvement in WRC.

And to stay with the F1 comparison: F1 has fewer and fewer overtakings and there are at times many complaints that the sport is too boring. And yet the TV viewers increase year after year. From 1997 until today, the TV coverage of F1 is almost 9 times what it was in 1997. The reason for that is a wider variety of drivers and that tracks are now equally outside Europe as inside Europe.

So while F1 still needs to solve the sporting aspect, then the coverage and the World champion part is certainly something that is handled way better than what is happening in WRC.

[MikeD]

I think that was/is the problem. WRC tried to imitate F1 which is impossible. WRC needs something different.

I would like to hear your views?