Rally Portugal 2016

[AL14]

I've got a mixed feelings. On one hand it's nice to see 3 different winners in the last 3 rallies. On the other hand it's only because Ogier was cleaning the road most of the time.


Actually Meeke was just building his lead from day 1 unchallenged. And Ogier still has a huge lead in the championship. Only excitement was Paddon's fire.
Do you call excitement 'will Ogier take back time lost during previous days on the Sunday sprint'? Mind you that Sunday stages was less than 20% of the rally...

Different winners are exciting only for statisticians - what matters is fight on stages. And Ogier can cruise to championship on only 2nd places, with wins taken by guys currently down enough on the ladder to have completely clean road. Because when they move up in the points they can no longer win.

The truth is sad sometimes but is true

[Mariusz]

The thing is Ogier has the right to complain about the current rules, because they strip him of winning rallies. And after winning the whole championship this is the second most important thing. I'm sure he doesn't care about creating artificial excitement because he knows he is the best, so he should be winning. When people look at rally results 10, 20 years ago they are not checking what kind of the rules were at that time. They just see places and in the way he currently drives it should all 1st places for him this year.

[janvanvurpa]

So, Capito tells Autosport that Kris winning in Portugal is devaluing the championship?!



Only logical solution to this is that Ogier has told Capito that "either you fix this starting position thing, or i quit rallying."

I'm always looking for alternate plan* (part of the way I suggest people plan and think about learning skills to get started on the right foot---remember your long term project?)

Here's what we should say to Capito
"For you the war is over" oder "Capito, du bist kaput-o"

To both "Bye, don't let the door hit you on the way out!"


*Part of the easy to remember PACE planning;
PACE is
Primary plan
Alternate plan
Contingency plan
Emergency plan

Its fawkin brilliant!
You can barrow it!

[Simmi]

People just hate sustained periods of success and lord knows the WRC has endured enough of that. So by definition it is exciting to see new and different drivers winning. It's more about momentum and hope for the future that we will actually get these fights more often.

Whether you agree with Capito's points or not - to come out with this the day after a rival victory is massively poor form. It's disrespectful and short-sighted, and it's also another PR own-goal for VW. To say having multiple rally winners 'devalues' the sport shows he certainly has the right mentality for F1!

I don't think anyone is in doubt that the road order needs looking at. Ogier has made so much noise about it that it's becoming unavoidable and the FIA needs to rectify this. The idea about putting 'wild card' drivers first on the road is stupid though - like most of his ideas.

[stefanvv]

and it's also another PR own-goal for VW.

true, but what You would say if the Company You work for is throwing hundred of millions to be N1 in this sport and they are, just not by the individual rallies results.

[Simmi]

true, but what You would say if the Company You work for is throwing hundred of millions to be N1 in this sport and they are, just not by the individual rallies results.

You say it behind closed doors to the people who have the power to make the change. You don't need to broadcast everything in public - as even if you're right - you can come out of it looking bad.

I'd have more sympathy for Capito if VW didn't have the most crushing win rate of any manufacturer in WRC history. It's not like they are going through some awful barren patch where they have no chance to win any event. They have arguably the three best drivers in the WRC, and only one of them is running first on the road.

[er88]

Ogier has probably kicked up a fuss and spat his dummy out behind closed doors, leaving Capito feeling like he has to back his star man.

Thing is, why does Ogier/VW go on and on about road cleaning to this extent. Every driver would love to be in Ogier's position with the best car, the best team, a massive contract and a comfortable championship lead. I'm sure Meeke and Paddon have said that themselves - that if you're running 1st on the road it means you're doing well in the championship. All the greats of the past won championships cleaning the road, and it's always been a part of the WRC. When this what Ogier and VW are like when they're winning/ leading championships, christ knows how unbearable they'll be if Meeke can really push them for the title next year (if the C3 is quick from the outset).

The only thing that I think is a tad unfair, is running the championship leader first on the road for 2 full days, when Sunday is a truly pathetic "day" with 3 or 4 nothingy stages.

The championship leader should run 1st car on all events for day 1, and the WRC bosses need to get a grip and let rallies run full days on Sundays. It's pointless the current identikit format all the rallies run too. People who watch the live Powerstage are rally fans, and would watch it whether it's 9am, 3pm or 9pm on the Sunday. It doesn't have to be a midday finish for every rally surely ...



Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[dimviii]

[Mintexmemory]

So, Capito tells Autosport that Kris winning in Portugal is devaluing the championship?!

Capito is the guy that wants the time differences in the two or three first days be divided by 10, so to close the whole field up (much like putting out a safety care in circuit racing to increase the action), and then he suddenly dont like Meeke winning because his starting position helped him?!?!?!

Its great for the championship that we have different winners! Finally there is some real excitement!

Only logical solution to this is that Ogier has told Capito that "either you fix this starting position thing, or i quit rallying."

Total bull from Capito - This is a competition not a VW benefit. They have 60% of the victories thus far. If we are talking about people who never contest the whole championship then let JML run at the front for every rally (as long as he lasts) or Ostberg (if he doesn't hold anyone up)
However I don't believe this will make Ogier retire - small matter of Loeb's number of championships - French mentality!!!

[dimviii]