Silly Season 2015

[bluuford]

Radik Shaymiev will do WRC2, starting from Sweden. He is going to use Fiesta R5, from MMM.

[RAS007]

state the facts please of this systematic favouritism...

Please state the opposition Loeb faced for his last 5 titles, after Gronholm retired.

[tommeke_B]

Please state the opposition Loeb faced for his last 5 titles, after Gronholm retired.

It's not his fault that there was no competition...

But remember that Loeb, in his 2nd WRC-season was beating Sainz, Burns, Gronholm, McRae, Mäkinen etc? On tarmac he was beating many WRC-stars already on his first events with the Xsara WRC in 2001/2002. What he was doing back then, with so little experience, already proved that he was a different driver. He was extremely fast, and rarely made mistakes. He doesn't have the most likeable personality, but you can't go around the fact that he's the best rallydriver ever existed.

[N.O.T]

Please state the opposition Loeb faced for his last 5 titles, after Gronholm retired.

What did you want him to do about that ??

[Nornbugger]

It's not his fault that there was no competition...

But remember that Loeb, in his 2nd WRC-season was beating Sainz, Burns, Gronholm, McRae, Mäkinen etc? On tarmac he was beating many WRC-stars already on his first events with the Xsara WRC in 2001/2002. What he was doing back then, with so little experience, already proved that he was a different driver. He was extremely fast, and rarely made mistakes. He doesn't have the most likeable personality, but you can't go around the fact that he's the best rallydriver ever existed.

I'd agree with all the above except for the personality bit

[BDA Cosworth]

I'd agree with all the above except for the personality bit

Same. He's pretty good for a Frenchman. The old Peugeot team boss (Privoit?) was a bit of an arrogant ass.

[RAS007]

What did you want him to do about that ??

Can you just answer the question?

[Doon]

Can you just answer the question?

Loeb faced the same opposition as Ogier does now, so why is the question relevant?

[RAS007]

Loeb faced the same opposition as Ogier does now, so why is the question relevant?

We aren't talking about Ogier. I agree that Loeb is one of the greats, I just don't think that he is the greatest; the fact remains that for 5 of his 9 titles, he faced practically no opposition, which is something some are unwilling to admit. Obviously, this was not Loeb's fault, but after 2007, the championship had effectively ceased to be a competition. I would have loved to see him try for a title in another car, or not to have "retired" just as VW were arriving on the scene. The WRC would have been better for it.

[stefanvv]

state the facts please of this systematic favouritism...

This isn't trial so to state who, when, why and how many times, etc. This is public secret and many have seen it many times while he practically had no other opposition than his own team mates. I'm just trying to explain that to worship someone is more complex than simple "feelings" like "I hate him, just because he is the best". So he is, and even without this favouritism, still would have more titles than anyone else in WRC, how strong or weak is the opposition, still many can argue, but the fact is that his last titles were practically with just 1 team as concurrent. To be really that good for me means You have to be in every aspect and prove it over time, again, and again, not just take it as granted after some time, when it is more easy and You have lots of credits for what You've given. At the end appears You gain much more than You actually deserve, that's my point.