2016 Silly Season

[NoName]

http://www.madsostberg.no/Home/PressArticle/1043

[skarderud]

Correct.. Mikkelsen dident see Ola in future plans.. And Ola is going to work with Mads for the next couple season.

It has been a long term plan to make a co-driver of one of Mikkelsens best friends, but i hadn't thought this happens already.

But i remember Ola said after the comeback as Andreas co-driver that he was looking 3-4 years more of codriving. Maybe that was according to this plan?

[AL14]

I must say I feel a bit sorry for it. Ola and Andreas were a great couple of friends. Always smiling and having fun together.

[skarderud]

Ola's contract was expiring after 2016, but he feels he has more years in him, so then Mads gave him an offer he said yes.
Interesting her is that Jonas is in EVEN management now, Ola quit EVEN by this.

[Sulland]

And rumours tonight says Veiby Jr notereader Anders Jæger will team up with Mikkelsen in 16.

[Lundefaret]

Okay, hold Your horses

In the official statement from Adapta, Ola says that his contract with EVEN Management was to the end of 2016.

The situation was:
- M Østberg was without a codriver, his former was signed by EVEN Management.
- Ola Fløene had only one year left of his contract with EVEN Management.

The situation is:
- Mads Østberg hires Ola Fløene.
- Andreas Mikkelsen is whit out a codriver.

Mads has tested both Ilka Minor and Emil Axelsson, and says in his statement that both worked very good.
But what have happened behind closed doors since Jonas Andersson left for EVEN Management?
Either Ola or Mads had to make the first move to contact each other.

If Ola did it - and this is purely speculation - he could have had two main objectives:
1) Trying to prolong the contract with EVEN Management by letting them know that there was other interested parties.
2) Trying to get certainty around his own future in the WRC.

If it was the first one, and knowing the guys behind EVEN Management, this - presented in the wrong way - I would not think would be a good tactic to get a prolonged contract.
One thing is if You play with open cards and say that You are on the lookout, another thing is when You spring a surprise one someone that has invested A LOT of money and time in a project You are involved in. But we will probably never know.
The second objective is an honest one, Olas future in the WRC beyond 2016 was very uncertain, and he wants to make it more certain.

If Mads (or his team) made the first move, his main objectives could have been:
1) First the obvious one, he needs a new codriver, so to contact the only WRC codriver that speaks Norwegian is not entirely illogical, given that he also probably knew about Olas contract ending after 2016.
2) EVEN Management of course signed his codriver, so getting a codriver and "getting back" could off course have increased the motivation to choose Fløene, but I neither think or hope that this kind of factors play a part in important decisions like this.
3) Ola Fløene was the codriver for Morten Østberg for a period, and they know each other quit well, so Mads will know what he is going too, for both good and bad.

So what will happen with Mikkelsen:
There is mainly two alternatives:
1) Take on Jonas Andersson and let Pontus Tideman have Anders Jæger who most certainly was set for Andreas for the 2017 season. To prime his future codriver for one more year before he hits the big league.
2) Take on Anders Jæger, to start this long to be partnership one year early.

Well, its not an easy one. And both decisions can be good ones.
What do I think will happen?

I think Anders Jæger will be Andreas codriver from 2016.

Why? Mikkelsens WRC-career has been somewhat plagued with questions and instability around his codriver.
Anders Jæger has preformed well in the car of OC Veiby.
2016 will for Andreas be another year playing third fiddle to Ogier and Latvala, so they will have the oppertunity to use 2016 as a "practice" season.
2017 is probably the first season Mikkelsen will be in a similar - or more similar - car to Ogier and Latvala on all surfaces and in all rallies - because of the new regulations and brand new cars. So the team can have 2017 year marked as Andreas Year of a real brake trough.
If Jæger is Mikkelsens codriver from 2016, I believe this will be a very positive thing for Mikkelsen.
Spending so much time together, a good relationship is vital for motivation and results, and I think that Mikkelsen has been left some what wanting in this respect.

2016 will let us know who chose the longest straw in this ordeal.

[Mintexmemory]

Interesting insights there from Lundefaret, but from Ola's perspective there must be the hurt he felt when he was summarily dropped in favour of Markkula. A long-term contract is what he deserves and VW may regret their approach. I don't see Hyundai asking Paddon to ditch Kennard any time soon!!
My opinion is, regardless of who is his co-driver, in an equal car Mikkelsen will always be 3rd behind the Champ and JML.

[mousti]

Interesting insights there from Lundefaret, but from Ola's perspective there must be the hurt he felt when he was summarily dropped in favour of Markkula. A long-term contract is what he deserves and VW may regret their approach. I don't see Hyundai asking Paddon to ditch Kennard any time soon!!
My opinion is, regardless of who is his co-driver, in an equal car Mikkelsen will always be 3rd behind the Champ and JML.

I think you have to replace VW with Even Management..

Verstuurd vanaf mijn Nexus 5 met Tapatalk

[dupanton]

Maybe Mikkelsen will pick Emil Axelsson? Mikkelsen codriver to Ostberg, Ostberg codriver to Tidemand, so maybe Tidemand codriver to Mikkelsen??

[Rallyper]

Me too wonder where does Emil A fit in? Or has he already a codriver seat.
He could replace Ola, couldn´t he?

Even Management and VW - what a combination. Who´s fooling who?