[WRC] News & rumours (part III)

[AL14]

Here it is another speculation:
Logistic costs can be cheaper if you put Australia after China. Australia is asking since 2014 to have the last round of the season. Maybe the decision of running China in October will mean that in November there will be Australia as last round and in that case it is Wales to say bye bye.

I have no basis to say it but it is funny to try to predict such moves. Hope to be wrong, I'd like Wales to stay.

[itix]

Here it is another speculation:
Logistic costs can be cheaper if you put Australia after China. Australia is asking since 2014 to have the last round of the season. Maybe the decision of running China in October will mean that in November there will be Australia as last round and in that case it is Wales to say bye bye.

I have no basis to say it but it is funny to try to predict such moves. Hope to be wrong, I'd like Wales to stay.

If you are right about that, it will no doubt be another boring gravel rally, destined to flop like the 1999 version (or was it 2000? no I believe Auriol won so it must have been -99). Please promoter, event organisers and FIA, be sensible about this. China has lots of beautiful mountains and concrete roads are an interesting difference from the smooth tarmac of Spain.

May there be a rally appreciating god in heaven!

It is not logistics but the sheer cost of having a long haul tarmac event. The extra spares and gear needed would break the budget for many privateers in WRC2 or WRC3. They are already having to run two separate cars, one in Europe and one circling the globe without the need for a third tarmac car for a single event. WRC factory teams could possibly afford it but you do need more entries than them.

The only saving grace for a tarmac round in China could be a fast freight train, currently only 14-16 days (a third of the sea voyage) across Russia etc to China. Maybe the Chinese will help fund teams to transport their gear overland but I doubt it. By the way, BMW send engines this way to their Chinese factories.

It shouldn't be impossible to plan the calendar so that you can do a sea voyage and pack stuff in containers. Maersk does several fast Europe to China lines (I know, I work on a ship).

If china can have enough space on either side to send the equipment by sea it shouldn't be impossible. It could even be the last round for all I care, just not another boring gravel rally.

[dimviii]

Colin Clark
‏@voiceofrally
From the Beijing Huairou Rally this week. Apparently sponsor confirmed for WRC event pending what they see this week




rally is asphalt.
Traxx - WR is Free ‏@Traxx_WiF
Le Beijing Huairou Rally (asphalte, Chine) pourrait avoir la faveur des observateurs FIA pour une intégration en 2016 http://bit.ly/1Ji6X74

[Jack4688`]

I believe China would be a tarmac round. So it's not a loss there.

If it is a sealed surface then I hope this isn't anything to go by: https://youtu.be/wcJLo_owefo Anyone know if that is a good representation of the rally as a whole?

Gravel isn't boring by it's very nature, in fact the other week I watch the BBC coverage of China Rally 1999 on youtube (and posted it a few pages back on this thread) and I quite liked it. The problems at the time seemed to be about the organisation rather than the stages but I remember Auriol and I think Burns saying at the end of the event it wasn't that bad a rally. Of course it was replaced for 2000...

It would be a shame to lose a tarmac round but I sincerely hope the Italian round returns to tarmac on the mainland - the 1000 Miglia stages around Brescia would be amazing, if a little too similar to the Monte Carlo stages, although Monte Carlo seems to be less alpine based than when I watched it as a kid in the early 2000s.

Also, can someone explain to me the logistical issue with having a gravel car and a tarmac car when the same chassis is used for both surfaces for Rallye Catalunya? If they can convert the setup overnight why can't a car be setup for a tarmac flyaway/island round and converted for the next time it's used on on a flyaway gravel event?

[Toyoda]

If it is a sealed surface then I hope this isn't anything to go by: https://youtu.be/wcJLo_owefo Anyone know if that is a good representation of the rally as a whole?

Gravel isn't boring by it's very nature, in fact the other week I watch the BBC coverage of China Rally 1999 on youtube (and posted it a few pages back on this thread) and I quite liked it. The problems at the time seemed to be about the organisation rather than the stages but I remember Auriol and I think Burns saying at the end of the event it wasn't that bad a rally. Of course it was replaced for 2000...

It would be a shame to lose a tarmac round but I sincerely hope the Italian round returns to tarmac on the mainland - the 1000 Miglia stages around Brescia would be amazing, if a little too similar to the Monte Carlo stages, although Monte Carlo seems to be less alpine based than when I watched it as a kid in the early 2000s.

Also, can someone explain to me the logistical issue with having a gravel car and a tarmac car when the same chassis is used for both surfaces for Rallye Catalunya? If they can convert the setup overnight why can't a car be setup for a tarmac flyaway/island round and converted for the next time it's used on on a flyaway gravel event?

So dumb, NZ should be on the calendar!! China Australia and NZ could be cool

[giu canbera]

this little "WRC Powerslide" game is silly but looks fun just to waste some time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WclZBxaujTI

[dimviii]

Colin Clark ‏@voiceofrally
More potential calendar news! Governor of Kangwon state in South Korea attended Rally Germany and apparently wants to take WRC to his region

[Jack4688`]

So the WRC will be just like F1 - anywhere that has the money can get a round of the championship despite no previous pedigree in the sport. At least in the WRC a candidate event must be run, but that's of little comfort...

[AL14]

Great news. Let's hope for rounds both in South Corea and China. And maybe in Azerbaijan too or Russia. I think also Argentina should alternate his round with Brazil.

[Mirek]

Is anyone really surprised that Hyundai wants to have their own home event just like all other brands involved have?