2024 WRC News & Rumours

[macebig]

Don't see Evans having much of a future with Toyota after this year. Maybe he stays for 2025 if they can't get someone better, but unless he regains form, he is out after that.

[focus206]

looking at recent results in the japanese championship, these names are on rally2 cars swapping results between them: daiko arai, norihiko katsuta, osamu fukunaga. they also did a round in the asia-pacific on the front. maybe toyota could try one of these next? idk, taka its a fun character, but hes just not at that level imo

Norihiko Katsuta (Takamoto's dad) and Fukunaga are old veterans, 50+ year olds. Hiroki Arai was one of the two Toyota young guys and in the end they chose Takamoto over him.

[AE1WRC]

I really want to see young drivers getting seats in Rally1. Sesks and Pajari have started but I really hope we get Solberg back. Rossel, Gryazin can be also considered imo. Because the "older" generation (Evans, Tanak, Neuville, Ogier) will retire soon since they are in their late 30s and ogier is almost 41. However if Kalle decides to continue doing the championship for a long time, good luck to others beating him !! but Kalle is not type of a guy who wants to chase Loeb's and Ogier's records. IMO he will retire with 4 or 5 championships.

[deephouse]

Don't see Evans having much of a future with Toyota after this year. Maybe he stays for 2025 if they can't get someone better, but unless he regains form, he is out after that.

Realistically if Hyundai will be gone, probably the sport will die, since Toyota would not be having a challenge. And I know that the sport had only two teams back then and survived... Back then the privateers did the job of competing at the top with the top cars. Right now, there is no one else who could save it, if this scenario will realized. So not only Evans, all of them will be out.

Kalle will seek another challenge in his career probably not so far from here as he is young, ambitious, multi-talented, and has an excellent resume. I kinda have a feeling he is bored all the time behind the cars. Except the next year and all afterwards there will be close battles everywhere and the titles very hard to achieve.

[ik1911]

its cool that toyota tries to bring japanese guys to the world stage but taka its just not at that level.
yuki yamamoto and hiraku kogure had some run in wrc2, right? nothing exceptional.
looking at recent results in the japanese championship, these names are on rally2 cars swapping results between them: daiko arai, norihiko katsuta, osamu fukunaga. they also did a round in the asia-pacific on the front. maybe toyota could try one of these next? idk, taka its a fun character, but hes just not at that level imo

katsuta is a main favorite to rally japan 24 win!

[macebig]

Don't think WRC dies when Hyundai quits. Either Rally 2s take over or they do a Kronos-Citroen 2006 and allow FIA to buy some time to bring a new manufacturer from 2027 onwards.

[deephouse]

Don't think WRC dies when Hyundai quits. Either Rally 2s take over or they do a Kronos-Citroen 2006 and allow FIA to buy some time to bring a new manufacturer from 2027 onwards.

Dude, really? I didn't see any new team being interested even in renting a Rally1 car for one event. Even in WRC spec cars (2017-). And since Toyota joining in 2017 it's been just talking from other manufacturers. FIA holding those crucial meetings every now and then doesn't help either. They are grinding those regs for 2027 and even existing teams doesn't have a clue for a direction WRC is heading. All existing and ''those who are interested'' (I honestly believe that there isn't many or probably even none) should be already working on a new cars, but instead they are considering of leaving the sport. It's worrying situation and seems like it's not going to be easy for all.

[macebig]

It's not gonna be easy, but the championship will continue in some way. It's guaranteed. WEC pulled through with Toyota and a cast of misfits from 2018-2021, WorldRX is still trundling along after all, even touring cars keep going. Yes, it may not be the prettiest or the most competitive world championship, but WRC will still go on even after Hyundai.

[deephouse]

It's not gonna be easy, but the championship will continue in some way. It's guaranteed. WEC pulled through with Toyota and a cast of misfits from 2018-2021, WorldRX is still trundling along after all, even touring cars keep going. Yes, it may not be the prettiest or the most competitive world championship, but WRC will still go on even after Hyundai.

WTCC died. The touring championship doesn't have anything with FIA now. Maybe WRC and World RX should be bought out too and saved from somewhere else since FIA clearly doesn't have a clue what they're doing.

I'm just worried it's too soon for them to leave. I'm trying to be positive. But if no radical decisions are accepted soon, the window for new car makers will be ''closed'' (since brands usually enter in those times, when everybody has an equal chance).

[macebig]

It's still the FIA TCR World Tour. Yes, it may not be as illustrious as the mid 00s WTCC or have the driver list of the late 10s WTCR, but it's still going.