[WRC] News & rumours (part III)

[Mintexmemory]

That's very interesting thing, Teemu. I have never realized that. For sure it can not be accidental coincidence.

Optician appointment for depth of field check?

[Mirek]

Hard to say. I can only say that due to the driver's seat being on the left side I feel myself a lot more comfortable turning left than right as well.

[Simmi]

I think the expansion to 14-rounds and the new cars coming in for 2017 probably kills the potential for my dream scenario. Three-car teams scoring points with a third driver who has had no more than 18 WRC car starts going into that season.

That way a driver starting fresh like a Lappi, Tidemand or Breen would be able to score points for two seasons.

It would constantly force teams to be bringing new drivers through and evaluating new talent. Like AndyRAC says organisers really need to mix up the rallies too. It's too easy for current crop of WRC drivers to stay in works seats due to the massive experience advantage.

[RS]

That's the real issue why the drivers who are serious about WRC must go there as soon as possible. You can learn driving in ERC but that is not enough.

True, but it's not enough either just to learn the roads in WRC2.

Competing in ERC whilst doing WRC recces, then if you can win ERC moving to WRC2 the following year seems like a good plan.

I am not convinced the plan they are following for Lefebrve will work. They are trying to make him run before he can walk.

Lappi is a very quick driver but realistically he wouldn't have won ERC either if the 208 R5 hadn't been so unreliable (Lappi himself admits this and that is something I like about him)

[RS]

The problem is that ERC is a ladies cup with no real competition and if you get stuck in there you end up like Hanninen...

Maybe not ERC so much the last two years, but certainly IRC was the only serious support championship of recent years. All the recent new WRC event winners (Neuville, Meeke, Mikelssen) spent significant time there.

Hanninen's problem was more his age and lack of WRC seats at the time. I actually think at the end of his Skoda days he was a more complete driver than Lappi is right now.

[Simmi]

For sure a good grounding in the ERC - fighting for victories at the front of international rallies - is very valuable. Even if it could take maybe five years in the WRC before you can be in a position to call upon that experience again.

[sindroms]

Maybe not ERC so much the last two years, but certainly IRC was the only serious support championship of recent years. All the recent new WRC event winners (Neuville, Meeke, Mikelssen) spent significant time there.

Did anyone predicted WRC future for these guys when they were in IRC? Lets wait for, lets say, 3-4 years. Maybe we will tell same about nowadays ERC regulars then.

[Mirek]

I'm biased in Lappi's case being a fellow Finn, but don't give up on him just yet. I realise he has made a lot of mistakes on tarmac, simple mistakes with similar pattern - for example crashes in Ypres 2014, Zlin 2013 and 2014, Corsica 2014, Germany 2015 and Catalunya 2015 were all on righthand corners ��

You can add an off in Rally Bohemia 2015 (to be fair he went off in both right and left hand corners in theat rally )

Did anyone predicted WRC future for these guys when they were in IRC? Lets wait for, lets say, 3-4 years. Maybe we will tell same about nowadays ERC regulars then.

Actually yes, everybody was speaking about Mikkelsen or Neuville and their WRC future in that time (at least here). The new one may be Bergkvist. Let's see.

[Rallyper]

Has anyone being so convincing in his early career as Emil? Dont think so. Lets hope money wouldnt be a negative factor here. Teambosses should/must see something special about Emil Bergkvist.

[AL14]

Has anyone being so convincing in his early career as Emil? Dont think so. Lets hope money wouldnt be a negative factor here. Teambosses should/must see something special about Emil Bergkvist.

He should have his chances and is a very interesting promise, but it's better to be prudent on putting too much hopes. We have had a lot of drivers very fast in 2wd cars or in ERC but struggling even in wrc2.