[WRC] News & rumours (part IV) 2016

[pantealex]

Any news about Suninen? I think he should drive a WRC next year. A partial program maybe...

Timo Jouhki is his manager and for sure he is making some kind of deal...

I would say 95% chance for WRC drive and 5% to factory WRC2 deal.

[BleAivano]

I listened to VF Bilsport motorsport podcast earlier today and Rally Sweden was given some fair amount of time.
Regarding RS the situation seems to be the same as last week, RS still have not accumulated enough guarantees of accommodation availability.
The podcasters, reporter Johan Hedlund and race driver Jan "Flash" Nilsson came to the conclusion that most of the rooms in the area of Torsby and
Sunne are likely to have already been "booked. The situation is likely to be the same in Sälen and Åre/Österund for the weeks around the time of RS,
sometimes rooms need to be booked 1-2' years in advance for certain weeks.

http://www.vf.se/sport/bilsport/moto...lytta%E2%80%9D

So if that is a correct assumption, where does that leave RS? They cannot continue to use Karlstad/southern Värmland since it isn't snow safe and
further North there are no accommodation available.

Interesting report from SMHI regarding snow depth and changes through the years. http://www.smhi.se/polopoly_fs/1.846...rologi_158.pdf
In large parts of Sweden the amount of days with a snow cover have decreased with between 10 and 30 days. in the RS area, the change is about -17 days/winter.
The comparison is how much it changed for the period 1990/91 – 2013/14 compared 1960/61 – 1989/90.

[EstWRC]

Lappi confirms his exit from Skoda. things starting to get moving now...


https://translate.google.ee/translat...da-de-skoda%2F

[pantealex]

Lappi confirms his exit from Skoda. things starting to get moving now...


https://translate.google.ee/translat...da-de-skoda%2F

I see no confirmation on that, just story from some unofficial source, let´s wait his own pressrelease.

[EstWRC]

i understand the story is taken from motorsport news (credited below) which should be reliable.

[Rallyper]

I listened to VF Bilsport motorsport podcast earlier today and Rally Sweden was given some fair amount of time.
Regarding RS the situation seems to be the same as last week, RS still have not accumulated enough guarantees of accommodation availability.
The podcasters, reporter Johan Hedlund and race driver Jan "Flash" Nilsson came to the conclusion that most of the rooms in the area of Torsby and
Sunne are likely to have already been "booked. The situation is likely to be the same in Sälen and Åre/Österund for the weeks around the time of RS,
sometimes rooms need to be booked 1-2' years in advance for certain weeks.

http://www.vf.se/sport/bilsport/moto...lytta%E2%80%9D

So if that is a correct assumption, where does that leave RS? They cannot continue to use Karlstad/southern Värmland since it isn't snow safe and
further North there are no accommodation available.

Interesting report from SMHI regarding snow depth and changes through the years. http://www.smhi.se/polopoly_fs/1.846...rologi_158.pdf
In large parts of Sweden the amount of days with a snow cover have decreased with between 10 and 30 days. in the RS area, the change is about -17 days/winter.
The comparison is how much it changed for the period 1990/91 – 2013/14 compared 1960/61 – 1989/90.

For me Falun could be the answer. Northern Dalarna and Värmland can still be used for stages. And also north of Falun is pretty snowsafe even last years.

[Simmi]

i understand the story is taken from motorsport news (credited below) which should be reliable.

This is correct. Direct quotes from Lappi's mouth in MN saying after four and a half years at Skoda it is time to leave. Also admits he's been to the Toyota workshop but HASN'T driven the car. But he would say that haha.

[BleAivano]

For me Falun could be the answer. Northern Dalarna and Värmland can still be used for stages. And also north of Falun is pretty snowsafe even last years.

Well I don't agree with that, at least not 100%. In my experience central Dalarna, like Falun, Leksand, Borlänge, Malung are far from snow safe.
Last winter that area didn't have any snow either or had very little snow during the Swedish rally. The mountains are usually snow safe
but there accommodations are already booked.

[Rallyper]

Well I don't agree with that, at least not 100%. In my experience central Dalarna, like Falun, Leksand, Borlänge, Malung are far from snow safe.
Last winter that area didn't have any snow either or had very little snow during the Swedish rally. The mountains are usually snow safe
but there accommodations are already booked.

Mountains not needed. Falun can host 50000 spectators on Long-ski WC. And last year lots of snow north of Gävle which means also in the region from Gävle to Falun.

[KiwiWRCfan]

Italian website reports that Sven Smeets is the replacement of Jost Capito at VW
He joins Yves Matton as a team principal from Belgium https://carlocanovarallye.org/2016/0...vw-motorsport/