[WRC] News & rumours (part IV) 2016

[janvanvurpa]

MAny countries will not be able to have "fillers" and we´ll have maybe 25 cars on events outside Europe except for one or two countries (Aus and NZ not counted). Problems enough I think.

yes very difficult to make big promotion and generate big excitement when there are only 13-15 cars and even harder when you call the event a "World Championship" event..

Maybe in America it might work like in the thing they call Globular rallycross but it does look very odd to see seating in the stands for 30,000 but zero people in those stands...

A long time ago there was a requirement that a country must be able to have minimum 50 cars or no WRC..
I guess that no longer applies..

Something has gone wrong.

[AL14]

I know this is not very much popular but I would rather prefer 25 good cars with good drivers and more variety than going always in the same roads with the same stages run for decades.
Of course iconic events have a unique allure and I'm the first one to love them but we can't run the same 13/14 events for ever.

[Rallyper]

I know this is not very much popular but I would rather prefer 25 good cars with good drivers and more variety than going always in the same roads with the same stages run for decades.
Of course iconic events have a unique allure and I'm the first one to love them but we can't run the same 13/14 events for ever.

Oh, yes we can. However you have a point that events can be boring if organizers don´t run enough new stages every year. And there´s still possible to run maybe one new event a year.

[Rally Power]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...calendar-slots 13!!! Rotation system, here we go again...

Autosport text it’s quite close with last week Motorsport Monday article. But it misses one crucial point: the promoter said to MM that their rotation plan it’s based on a 3 years on 3 years off system, in order to ensure that new events would get an easier financial planning.

It’s hard to believe that rotation is the way to develop WRC, as the previous experiences have shown (based in one year leaves), but this eventual 3 year cycle seems the right way to destroy it!

In a 14 events calendar like the one we got, there’s room for some improving rearrangements (with NZ comeback on top of the list), and none of the current events should be forever granted if organizers flaws became evident, but this new rotation scheme seems more a fast way to get money than an honest answer to fix WRC media coverage problem.

[Eli]

Autosport text it’s quite close with last week Motorsport Monday article. But it misses one crucial point: the promoter said to MM that their rotation plan it’s based on a 3 years on 3 years off system, in order to ensure that new events would get an easier financial planning.

It’s hard to believe that rotation is the way to develop WRC, as the previous experiences have shown (based in one year leaves), but this eventual 3 year cycle seems the right way to destroy it!

In a 14 events calendar like the one we got, there’s room for some improving rearrangements (with NZ comeback on top of the list), and none of the current events should be forever granted if organizers flaws became evident, but this new rotation scheme seems more a fast way to get money than an honest answer to fix WRC media coverage problem.

They should start by letting go of John Desbrough..ehm...ehm..

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[tommeke_B]

http://www.autonews-magazine.com/blognl/?p=28230

Sven Smeets replaces Jost Capito as sporting director for WRC at Volkswagen Motorsport. I'm sure we aren't going to read and hear much rubbish from Smeets as we did from Capito. Always better to see a former driver or codriver in such position than some manager who comes from circuit racing and has no idea about rallying...

[Mirek]

The sad thing about it is that the manager from circuits managed to crush all the traditional teams like they were just a bunch of amateurs...

[CWJ]

But JC is still "motorsport director" and ceo so its just another structure and a new post "sporting director" now.

[seb_sh]

But JC is still "motorsport director" and ceo so its just another structure and a new post "sporting director" now.

Nope, JC is going to McLaren in F1. He just stayed with VW until a suitable replacement could be found, so I guess he'll be handing things over and be on his way in a few months.

[AndyRAC]

They're depressingly predictable, aren't they? They never learn, and once again are chasing the money, just like F1. Except, F1 is far more global - the reason the WRC is Euro-centric is because that is were the most interest is.

The WRC needs 12-13 proper 'events' that sell/ promote the sport; rather than the identikit events we get now. But they won't change it. You reap what you sow.