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  1. #771
    Senior Member Allez Andruet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC View Post
    As I understand it, Ford Performance are still to carry on supporting M-Sport with the car. Just maybe not as much as Ogier wanted.

    They have never been paying driver wages so that isnt any different.

    Evans is a Red Bull athlete, so is Suninen. They are sponsored independently from the M-Sport team deal.

    I agree a new headline sponsor will probably be important to continue, but they have competed without one before..
    They have, but back then the overall business was better (if I understood correctly what mr. Wilson meant). I don't think the driver salaries have been anything to worry about on any post-factory-era M-Sport line-up not including one Seb Ogier. Now that the champ's gone, it would be obvious that the factory is cutting also its support (which was said to be increased for 2018) towards the WRC program, but we'll see. I hope I'm wrong. It's just that seven-figure amount that is budgeted somewhere under "operations" that worries me.
    ku ois neljä pyörää ku vetäis ni ois vähän eri sekunnit kyllä pätkillä, sen mä takaan

  2. #772
    Senior Member er88's Avatar
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    It's perhaps too early for Kalle, but Malcolm has taken chances before when there's been no other big names available. So i hope/ wouldn't be surprised if he's on the phone trying to sort something with Timo Jouhki for Kalle. He has a 2+1 contract at Skoda atm, but it has a break clause if a WRC drive is offered...

    Kalle, Suninen and Breen at Msport next year would be exciting. All 3 are at different stages of their development but all 3 have potential to go far in the sport. Evans time is probably up and rumours are that he's out the door anyway.

    Developing young talent is what Malcolm has done best and with less pressure at a private team, Kalle could learn at the top end of the sport for 2/3yrs, before Toyota/Hyundai/Citroen want to hand him a massive contract. It doesn't even matter if he struggles for a year or two given his age, and he won't be as bad as the likes of Camilli anyway.

    The media interest would be bigger for Msport as well, instead of going for a dull line-up with Evans, Ostberg etc. Probably just wishful thinking from me though.

  3. #773
    Senior Member Fast Eddie WRC's Avatar
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    I wonder when the new Mk8 Fiesta R5 is due ? It could give M-Sport a big lift in sales income.

    BTW, a friend of mine has suggested M-Sport may withdraw from the Manu's WRC so they dont have to do the long-haul events. They could then just run cars for 'their' driver's on European rounds...

  4. #774
    Senior Member Allez Andruet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by er88 View Post
    He has a 2+1 contract at Skoda atm, but it has a break clause if a WRC drive is offered...
    That clause only becomes applicable for 2020.
    ku ois neljä pyörää ku vetäis ni ois vähän eri sekunnit kyllä pätkillä, sen mä takaan

  5. Likes: AnttiL (10th October 2018),BobJones (10th October 2018),pantealex (10th October 2018)
  6. #775
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC View Post
    BTW, a friend of mine has suggested M-Sport may withdraw from the Manu's WRC so they dont have to do the long-haul events. They could then just run cars for 'their' driver's on European rounds...
    Is this just your mate's idea, or is your friend somehow connected to M-Sport?

  7. #776
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    While out and about on WRGB I heard a few bits and pieces regarding a few of the topics, I don't know any of them to be fact, but here they are none the less.
    Lappi fell out personally with Makinen over him leaving a test early for personal reasons, which was not authorised. Apparently at one stage end on WRGB he was handed a cap, looked at it and it had TMR logo on, so he threw it away.
    I spoke to a guy who was at the Ogier test in Aberhirnant, and as the test concluded a friend of the chap approached the team about giving this guy a ride as he has been following rally since the 60's and it would be a lifelong ambition, and they said it was Ogier's test, so it was entirely up to him what he did. Ogier being a gent happily gave him a ride on his final run. He also said he asked what he had thought of the Citroen, and Ogier replied "Needs a lot of work".
    The M-Sport pulling out rumour was quite 'strong' with a few of the guys I speak with, but personally I am quite sceptical about this as WRC is M-Sports DNA. I would think if they can financially be there, they will be.
    The Meeke/Toyota thing was being talked about as fact, and it seems this was correct from the news this week.

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  9. #777
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    Speaking of which how will ogier fair as a development driver to develop the c3? Has he done any before. I know with the polo but was that not largely carried out by sainz? Just could be interesting

  10. #778
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    Well C3 is getting podiums this year with Østberg and Breen and fighting in top 3 with Loeb, in GB it was fighting for 3rd all the way to sunday, can't exactly be rubbish.

    Might have as much to do with Ogier being perfectionist.
    Last edited by mknight; 10th October 2018 at 22:44.

  11. #779
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    Thats actually a point, the C3 was so inconsistent on WRGB. Friday it was Ok, Saturday it was good, and Sunday it was awful. I'm sure road position had an influence on it, but not to the extent we saw in the times. They both looked positively dreadful on Sunday where I was (Gwydir) yet the previous day they looked good (Myherin), and for Ostberg to set fastest time through Sweet Lamb/Hafren it must have been working well, road position advantage or not.

  12. #780
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    I20 was similarly inconsistent. (or actually even more)

    Anyway Breen was on almost exacly same time as Ogier (who was fighting for win) first stage on Sunday.. on second he got in the ditch and damaged front. Hard to measure times after that.

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