Quote Originally Posted by MikeD
I don't think 16 rallies would be too many. I think the problem lies with the many rallies that has no relevance to the Manufacturers. Many of the potential manufacturers are putting preassure on FIA to change the calendars for F1, WTCC, WEC and WRC to make it suit their sales markets.
I personally think that WRC has the worst calendar in terms of interest for manufacturers. They have no or very little interst in promoting their brands in Greece, Portugal, Finland, Australia, New Zealand and Jordan. Either these countries are too small in population and/or hit by ressescion, but the problem is that the WRC is too focused on it's historic events because the fans are in those countries. Unfortunately is the same countries where sponsors are harder and harder to find and with a decline in car sales.

I think WRC has too add Brazil, Russia, China and USA to its calendar to make it interesting to the manufacturers, otherwise we wont see any new manufacturers in the sport.
I am mostly agree with you but I would delete Australia from your list for sure. It is among top 17 countries in the world if you take GDP. It is also one of the fastest growing economies and countries. Current population is already around 22 millions.
f you take current rallies and GDP then you can see the following list. Position in World GDP ranking list is in the bracets:
Germany (5)
GB (7)
France (9)
Italy (10)
Mexico (11)
Spain (13)
Australia (17)
Argentina (23)
Sweden (32)
Greece (38)
Norway (46) Because they are together with Sweden in WRC
Portugal (49)
Finland (55)
New-Zealand (62)

If you summarize Swedish and Norwegian GDP, then you get position 23, just before Argentina.

If you take those which have been left out in recent years you get:

Japan (3)
Turkey (16)
Poland (20)
Ireland (56)
Bulgaria (71)
Kenya (82)
Jordan (102)
Cyprus (117)
One thing is to add country to the rallies list. The other thing is to market it on that country. How many spectators did you see in Japan and Turkey? Or how many did you see in NORF and Poland?