[WRC] News & Rumours (part V) 2017

[Andre Oliveira]

And the running order

[Simmi]

And the running order

But Ogier's road position has improved due to the regulations, yet from a pure numbers perspective he's gone down.

[Allez Andruet]

But Ogier's road position has improved due to the regulations, yet from a pure numbers perspective he's gone down.

Well the road position never should've been any worse than it is now. It was a complete joke to run two days in championship order (something no other world champ ever had to face). And it's a bit harsh to say he's "gone down". Yes, he won fewer stages this season than ever before, but he still defended his championship title. As long as he reigns, it's hard say he'd be any worse than in 2013, 2014, 2015 or 2016.

[jbmarcus21]

Maybe announcement on 28th november during M-Sport celebration in Cumbria ?

[mknight]

Some credit to Ogier not being so superior as before must go to WRC+ with everyone being able to study him and the stages.

(don't know precisely how long WRC+ has had onboards but for sure from at least mid 2016)


Now before start of Australia Breen was saying on press conference how he has never been there before and other drivers laughed that he surely was watching a lot of WRC+ vids.

It was also mentioned by other drivers many times trough the year how they watch vids and shown in different instagram/twitter pics.

Yet I do distinctively remember how I was laughed at on this forum sometimes around Poland/Finland when I dared to suggest that drivers remember most of the stages from vids.

I also do remember how numerous forum members keep claiming that Ogier lied when he said he remembered that the corner where he drove into the field in Monte was quite "safe" for an off.

Ohh well.

[AnttiL]

(don't know precisely how long WRC+ has had onboards but for sure from at least mid 2016)


Now before start of Australia Breen was saying on press conference how he has never been there before and other drivers laughed that he surely was watching a lot of WRC+ vids.

It was also mentioned by other drivers many times trough the year how they watch vids and shown in different instagram/twitter pics.

Yet I do distinctively remember how I was laughed at on this forum sometimes around Poland/Finland when I dared to suggest that drivers remember most of the stages from vids.

I also do remember how numerous forum members keep claiming that Ogier lied when he said he remembered that the corner where he drove into the field in Monte was quite "safe" for an off.

Ohh well.

There has been other onboards than just WRC+. Not sure if the teams have had access to the full onboard footage earlier, but at least there have been "recce videos" shot in traffic on a road car. Kris Meeke said in 2016 after winning Ouninpohja that he woke up an hour early to study an onboard video. That year, the stage was reversed and the last time it was competitively driven in that direction was 1994, so he must have had some other type of onboard.

[Barreis]

Makinen's statement...
http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/133216

[SubaruNorway]

(don't know precisely how long WRC+ has had onboards but for sure from at least mid 2016)

Since Poland 2014.
I guess they could buy onboards before but it would be very expensive, not sure if you could buy from another driver though.

[jbmarcus21]

Kajetanowicz will drive Ford Fiesta #WRC 2017 in Poland for Rally Barbórka → http://bit.ly/2A3aIzD

[Simmi]

Yet I do distinctively remember how I was laughed at on this forum sometimes around Poland/Finland when I dared to suggest that drivers remember most of the stages from vids.

Not sure why you would have been laughed at. This is common knowledge that drivers are eye-deep in onboards whenever possible. I reckon it's possible to memorise a rally now.

Even when Breen lost his intercom in Corsica this year he said he still knew most of the stage from memory. The stuff you often see Latvala doing on WRC TV where he's memorising the stages. The vast majority of the top drivers could do the same thing.

Regardless of WRC+, surely crews have been filming their reccy for years on end now.