Silly Season 2024

[Rallyest]

My 2024 reading of the palm:

Toyota
Evans
Tanak
Katsuta
Ogier


Hyundai
Neuville
Rovanpera
Lappi
Suninen / Lindholm

M-Sport
Loubet
Fourmaux
Munster / anybody who can pay

If this turns out to be 100% correct i will personally send you box of premium estonian lager

[wyler]

italian media: hiunday big offer to ogier

http://www.areacorse.com/hyundai-a-caccia-di-ogier/

[mknight]

We already discussed that it could be very good idea for Hyundai to do this.

So moving on in the speculation. What would Toyota do if that is the case?

- Get Tanak

- "Nothing", letting Katsuta drive more and maybe offering a few outings to Pajari while he drives Rally2 car

- Solberg sharing with Katsuta (but they are mostly good on similar rallies). Also with Pajari seemingly set to go to Toyota having both might be an issue.

- Mikkelsen is good on same rallies as Ogier (hard to say if "good enough"), but Toyota has seemingly never been interested in him during the multiple opportunities in the past.

[Managarium]

If this turns out to be 100% correct i will personally send you box of premium estonian lager

[Sulland]

Too many options still for Toyota and Hyundai, to conclude.

But Ford need to come up with a better lineup than the two frenchmen.

[Jarek Z]

My 2024 reading of the palm:

M-Sport
Loubet
Fourmaux
Munster / anybody who can pay

You are too cruel! Show some mercy to Ford. With such lineup they would quit after 3 rallies!

[mknight]

Sadly I think that's the most likely lineup.

Top drivers like Tanak will avoid them due to their reliability.
MSport doesn't want to pay "2nd best" drivers (their own words in 2022).
The best young/talented drivers like Pajari will rather go to Toyota or Hyundai. Even Lindholm did that and I don't count him as one of the best talents. Drivers with money rather pay for a Skoda at Toksport (Greensmith, Gryazin).

So that leaves 2nd best young drivers with money...and you get exactly the listed lineup. At best maybe they will run Loeb on 2-3 rallies.

[tommeke_B]

You are too cruel! Show some mercy to Ford. With such lineup they would quit after 3 rallies!

It's not cruel, actually very optimistic as they're still in the list...

[seb_sh]

I think Tanak will stick around for one more season at MSport, I presume they will bring some updates to make the car suit him for next year.

Toyota just need to hold on to Kalle and Elfyn, the 3rd car is not that important if you have those two.

Hyundai needs to pull something out of it's sleeve. Lappi was quite a good move but as it seems at the moment they don't have a potential WDC in their team. Maybe if they improve the car the balance will change. The Ogier rumor is interesting but I'm not convinced it would be a good move for either of them. I don't see Kalle switching but maybe they could lure Evans...

[EstWRC]

You are too cruel! Show some mercy to Ford. With such lineup they would quit after 3 rallies!

In 2021 they had Greensmith for a full season and Suninen/Fourmaux sharing the car with Teemu quitting before the Acropolis rally and Fourmaux doing rest of the rallies.