[WRC] News & Rumours (part V) 2017

[Lundefaret]

One solution to speed "problems": Use control tire with less grip (harder compounds, less space between threads)
Also better for roads (organisers) etc.

[Mirek]

Lunde, don't You think that it's just another ridiculous idea considering how much effort and money was put into the new aerodynamics, active diffs etc.?

What is happening now was bound to happen when the new regulations were introduced and everybody sane must have seen it coming. I'm sorry but I can't say anything non offensive about any new idea how to slow those things down. I just can't.

[Rally Power]

The new cars are fantastic (they are what the series needed for a long time), although a bit too fast in some special situations. If the FIA and the organizers manage to treat those special situations in a sensible way there’ll be no reason to complain. Finnish organizer comments seem to indicate they'll find a positive solution to this issue. IMO, biggest problem still is to allow those cars to be use by 2nd level drivers (Bertelli, Al-Rajhi, etc).

[jparker]

@Mirek, I think it's up to organizers to make sense of the new ruling. If they target the very fast sections, there might be positive effect in terms of safety. However, if they decide to just comply with the new ruling, yes, it's pointless.
I'm far away from being aerodynamics specialist, but even on lower speads good design should have positive effect.

[COD]

"We're keen to do this to try to avoid dragging concrete or whatever's needed for a chicane into a stage in the middle of nowhere.
!

The organizers have partly created the problem themselves. They want to use bigger roads, because they are cheaper to repair after the event. There would be smaller and slower roads in the area suitable for rally use should they want to use them. Would be hard to use those roads twice though, and that would add dificulties in finding more personnel for stages, if they used stages only once per event instead of double runs

[Hartusvuori]

Not a single crash have happened with 2017 cars in Finland. Close calls, yes, but no crashes. And they've been tested on numerous roads for numerous days.

I agree that organizers should've built the itinerary differently, had it been possible. This itinerary would be the fastest ever even with 2016 cars. I'm still sure they will come up with a sensible solution to keep FIA happy, drivers happy, spectators happy and forumers happy.

[Rallyper]

To keep forumers, the most logical people and fans, happy, isn´t possible the way FIA is ruling the sport in this matter. Maybe those who don´t understand the essential problem are going happy.
The problem was there long time ago, let´s say when GrB came up.

[sonnybobiche]

M-Sport steering wheel detail. 12 buttons, 2 rocker switches and 3 rotary switches.

Thank you!!!! I've been looking all over for detail shots of the various teams' steering wheels. This is the best shot of any by far.

[AL14]

Where is "call mommy's heli" button?

[sonnybobiche]

Can anyone tell me definitively whether Dani Sordo is actually a Red Bull-sponsored athlete?

He still wears his Red Bull hats in every interview and drives in a Red Bull branded helmet, but I cannot for the life of me find any mention of him on the official RB Athletes site, whereas Ogier, Mikkelsen, Neuville, Evans, and many others are on there.