[WRC] News & rumours (part IV) 2016

[focus206]

Eurolamp WRT was thinking about registration to WRC as a team. But as Mini is not manufacturer, they are not able to register...

What is the purpose of this rule, anyway? Why would a team need a manufacturer to register?

[Roy]

What is Azione?

From the website of M-sport:

Azione provide the team with the clothing that allows them to perform on all rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship - from the sub-zero temperatures of Rally Sweden to the blistering heat of Rally Mexico. www.azionedirect.com

They are from the start in 2015 on the car. Very small at the bottom of the bumper.
http://www.m-sport.co.uk/images/igal...4-944-80-c.jpg

[tommeke_B]

http://planetemarcus.com/une-mini-de...-eurolamp-wrt/ Extraordinary programme for Gorban. N.O.T. can hate them all he wants, but it's good to have some more privateers with WRC cars.

[PLuto]

What is the purpose of this rule, anyway? Why would a team need a manufacturer to register?

To be registered as WRC Team, you must use a car of registered manufacturer. Thats why this year there is nobody registered with Citroen and why FIA is so much pushing to M-Sport to be registered. Because without it, there will be only four registered teams this year - Hyundai, VW and their B teams...

[EstWRC]

found this from autosport forum

Esa-Pekka Lappi said Savon-Sanomat morning broadsheet newspaper that his Skoda contract ends season end and welcome the fact that Toyota is interested in him.

[Mariusz]

To be registered as WRC Team, you must use a car of registered manufacturer. Thats why this year there is nobody registered with Citroen and why FIA is so much pushing to M-Sport to be registered. Because without it, there will be only four registered teams this year - Hyundai, VW and their B teams...

FIA is also pushing because the registration is not free. Is it around 300k-350k Euro, right?

[jonkka]

To be registered as WRC Team, you must use a car of registered manufacturer.

I must have missed that one. Do you have a source?

[Karukera]

WRC Sporting Regulations and Appendices.
4.1 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR WORLD RALLY CARS AND S2000-RALLY (1.6L TURBO) CARS
4.1.1 The homologation of a World Rally Car will be completed only after a Manufacturer has registered for the current Championship for Manufacturers.

http://www.fia.com/Regulations/regul...lltext=&page=1

[jonkka]

Um, there might be a misunderstanding. If Pluto meant, as I re-read it now, that you have to have a homologated car (and only manufacturer can homologate a car which is a fact), then it is so and I agree, that's how I've understood it to be.

My point was that WRC team can use car from manufacturer not CURRENTLY registered as registered manufacturer (if they have previously homologated car). Meaning, you could run WRC team with Citroen, which has a homologated car but not registered as a manufacturer team for 2016. And thus, so should Mini, which was the question originally.

Agree? If not, point out the relevant ruling. Karukera's quote has "current" in it but in my interpretation it does not mean that manufacturer needs to re-homologate every year. Once it's been done, homologation is valid for some time. So, either Mini's homologation has expired (haven't checked, could be and probably is) or someone has misunderstood something somewhere sometime.

[jonkka]

And sorry if I point out the obvious... Cheers