Rally Portugal 2016

[Lundefaret]

So does that mean that capito wants them running at the front in tarmac rallys too pulling all the dirt onto the road in front of ogier like he does for everyone else...

I believe that is his next planned statement, yes.

[Mk2 RS2000]

And I know a guy from New Zealand who is gearing up to take on Ogier from any starting position

So do I.

The little French Bantam is finding out that there is a full sized Rooster in the chook house now hence all the ruffled feathers.

[sollitt]

both these wins were because of starting order ... .

Not an entirely unreasonable statement however the 'facts' are inconclusive.
If the issue of road sweeping were such a determinant of the outcome then surely Ogier should be winning the 2nd pass over the multi use stages. He's not doing so, at least not consistently.

I can recall a time (very many years ago) when 'seeding' was recognition of the driver's status and the expectation of their result. The #1 was worn by the car expected to win which may not have been the current champion but the winner of the previous year's event. The cars would start each event in numerical order. The car numbers would change on each event, as would their start position on the first day. The start order on subsequent days would reflect their position in the event.
A simple system which everybody understood ... the competitors, the media and, most importantly, the spectators.
What's not understandable is why they ever changed it.

[Lundefaret]

Not an entirely unreasonable statement however the 'facts' are inconclusive.
If the issue of road sweeping were such a determinant of the outcome then surely Ogier should be winning the 2nd pass over the multi use stages. He's not doing so, at least not consistently.

I can recall a time (very many years ago) when 'seeding' was recognition of the driver's status and the expectation of their result. The #1 was worn by the car expected to win which may not have been the current champion but the winner of the previous year's event. The cars would start each event in numerical order. The car numbers would change on each event, as would their start position on the first day. The start order on subsequent days would reflect their position in the event.
A simple system which everybody understood ... the competitors, the media and, most importantly, the spectators.
What's not understandable is why they ever changed it.

Dont forget that on the second pass Ogier is first on the road again (being first on the road in the lines of the smaller classes.)

[danon]

[RAS007]

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.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Will someone give this man a cigar?

[Munkvy]

Someone made the very good point recently that Ogier came up through the ranks where he didn't really have to start first on the road as he was part of junior classes in a bigger championship, rather than being a leading national driver a lot of the time. And even in WRC in the Citroen Junior team he wasn't first still. So it wasn't till he was a VW driver that he actually had to run first consistently?

Whereas a lot of other competitors did national events where it was part of being the fastest driver, you swept the road. So I think some of it is perspective and your previous experience?

[RAS007]

Someone made the very good point recently that Ogier came up through the ranks where he didn't really have to start first on the road as he was part of junior classes in a bigger championship, rather than being a leading national driver a lot of the time. And even in WRC in the Citroen Junior team he wasn't first still. So it wasn't till he was a VW driver that he actually had to run first consistently?

Whereas a lot of other competitors did national events where it was part of being the fastest driver, you swept the road. So I think some of it is perspective and your previous experience?

Which as a professional driver and multiple world champion, he needs to deal with in a professional manner, not whine like a little bitch every time he sees a microphone.

[Munkvy]

Which as a professional driver and multiple world champion, he needs to deal with in a professional manner, not whine like a little bitch every time he sees a microphone.

Absolutely agree, he is a little bitch. Certainly doesn't live up to the Seb name.

And I don't like that he complains, but I guess I am more saying he had it easy coming up, others have dealt with sweeping before and to them it's just normal.

[AL14]

The fact is that we are confusing Ogier's mental issues and frustrations with the rules.

Ogier should not complain that much, we all know that. Consider that after Sardinia we will have Corsica, China, Spain and Galles, all rallys where he will have either equal conditions or being advantaged.
Also I'm hearing of bad weather in Sardinia that will mean he will be advantaged there too if true.

The fact is that the rules are wrong no matter who is first in the championship.
In 2014 before a rally we knew anybody can win, now in gravel rallys we know somebody have no chance, and in rallys like Monaco is even worse because the best driver is advantaged, so anybody else have hopes.
It's simple as that.
It's not up to rulers to stop Ogier, they can limit him as they did in 2014 when he opened the road in first leg, but to stop him is up to other drivers and teams.
And I know a guy from NZ with his norvegian advisor that can do the task in the future.

Also don't forget that in 2014 Ogier lost 5 times and won 8. I'm pretty sure this year will not be too much different. The only difference is that him and us already know that in some rallys he has no chance and in others he has already win before start. I don't find this "exciting", do you?

One last thing:
In a previous comment I read "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."
Ogier is not there by God's will, he is there because he earned it, he showed all his strenght battling against the best rally driver of all time and winning all the world championships afterwards. So he is not lucky to be there.

Please now let me stop defending him, it makes me suffer