WRC Testing

[Andre Oliveira]

https://www.facebook.com/pg/LaTulaSp...54429937785404

Ogier

[Andre Oliveira]

https://www.facebook.com/pg/CrisRPho...48429748548318

[Rally Power]

Took another ‘extended lunch break’, this time to see Hanninen, at the same spot Meeke tested last month (Toumilo). Good pace from Hanninen and good handling from the Yaris, even if the engine seemed to be the weaker from all the new cars.

After seeing Meeke, Neuville, Tanak and Haninen testing (I’m still trying to get the videos out from the damn phone…) in conditions that weren’t always similar, briefly I’d say that Meeke and the C3 were the most spectacular, but they lack Tanak’s Fiesta superior balance. Neuville’s i20 seemed close to Tanak/Fiesta level, while Hanninen and the Yaris looked overall a bit behind all competitors.

It’s just one fan opinion and many won’t surely agree, but what’s becoming obvious to everyone is that ’17 cars are the most fantastic cars WRC has known for a long time and they seriously can become a major boost for the series. For once, well done FIA!

[Kielder]

Toyota cancelled their test today due to rain.

[Kielder]

The test ended due to the degradatión of the track. Tanak had been there in friday, 70% of the track was shared. Spectator problems were at 15:15, at the begin of the track. It was because that part is dangerous enough, and the amount of arriving spectators made more safe told them to go on the other access. The organizers did a great job and elfyn tested again until the track was definitely out of order.

Of course organizers did a great job. However, from my point of view, it’s difficult to tell that the stage was so damaged to finish a test (just to clarify, I clearly heard by walkie-talkie an organizer saying that Evans was complaining about the spectators). It’s true that Tanak and Evans shared part of the track, but a year ago Ogier and Latvala also shared two days in a row part of the same track under harder conditions without any problem. Without going any further, last Saturday I walked the whole stage (5.5 km) used by Ogier, finding many places worse than the kilometre and a half that I could see on Monday. C’mon, Evans is coming from Argentina!
As you know, Martini, there is a Galician proverb which says that green wood and young people all is smoke. Security is always the main point, though I think this is a case where we can use the proverb.

[Kielder]

Took another ‘extended lunch break’, this time to see Hanninen, at the same spot Meeke tested last month (Toumilo). Good pace from Hanninen and good handling from the Yaris, even if the engine seemed to be the weaker from all the new cars.

After seeing Meeke, Neuville, Tanak and Haninen testing (I’m still trying to get the videos out from the damn phone…) in conditions that weren’t always similar, briefly I’d say that Meeke and the C3 were the most spectacular, but they lack Tanak’s Fiesta superior balance. Neuville’s i20 seemed close to Tanak/Fiesta level, while Hanninen and the Yaris looked overall a bit behind all competitors.

It’s just one fan opinion and many won’t surely agree, but what’s becoming obvious to everyone is that ’17 cars are the most fantastic cars WRC has known for a long time and they seriously can become a major boost for the series. For once, well done FIA!

Totally agree. However, the more I see the new cars the more I miss the Polo 2017. It was in another dimension. When I was last year watching Meeke testing with the C3, I had a talk with him. He had the same feelings, he expressed that no driver had a chance against that car.
After watching the new cars in a rally and testing, I searched to see again a video recorded the same day I saw the Polo for the first and last time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqlg...ature=youtu.be. As I said, miles away from the other ones.

[stefanvv]

Totally agree. However, the more I see the new cars the more I miss the Polo 2017. It was in another dimension. When I was last year watching Meeke testing with the C3, I had a talk with him. He had the same feelings, he expressed that no driver had a chance against that car.
After watching the new cars in a rally and testing, I searched to see again a video recorded the same day I saw the Polo for the first and last time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqlg...ature=youtu.be. As I said, miles away from the other ones.

I can see what You mean. I do remember some test videos of the pair Ogier/'17 Polo which blew my mind, but this one I see for the first time I think.

[Watson]

However, the more I see the new cars the more I miss the Polo 2017. It was in another dimension. When I was last year watching Meeke testing with the C3, I had a talk with him. He had the same feelings, he expressed that no driver had a chance against that car.

Seriously? After 9 years of complete domination by Loeb/Citroen (apart from the two Manufacturer titles of Ford) and 4 years of endless wins and titles by Ogier/VW the best thing that could happen was VW getting out. I don't care how great the Polo would have been I'm just glad to FINALLY seeing some competition again after 13 agonisingly long years. Imagine Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen in another superior car. That not happening is the reason why I got enthusiastic about the WRC again.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Breen starts Citroen test in Sardinia

[Andre Oliveira]

https://www.facebook.com/pg/dariobte...85607228182815

Skoda (Tidemand) and Toyota (Hänninen) yesterday