[WRC] News & Rumours 2019

[Mirek]

My opinion is that if whole thing would go in R5 direction than it is possible of new manufacturers coming since it would be a lot cheaper than it is now. Now you have Skoda, VW, Hyundai, Ford, Citroen with up to date cars. And I'm sure some would join that squad - like Toyota, Proton, Peugeot, maybe even Opel, Mitsubishi. Maybe some chinese companies.

The whole R5 class would get much more expensive for all those hundreds of privateers if WRC teams start to use R5. Keep it as it is for good, please.

The good thing in making R5 as the main class would be that there are a decent amount of rather equal cars, and no one has bothered to put ridiculous amounts of money into them, so even for newcomer manufacturers it might be a bit easier to catch. But as soon as it was made the main class, someone would be willing to put ridiculous amounts of money into them. And then they wouldn't be so cheap anymore. Of course, R5 has more limiting regulations, so the minimum cost of running a car might be a bit less, and the benefit from extra millions wouldn't be so big. But nevertheless, a main class that costs the same amount as R5 now just can't happen.

The idea that motorsport is next to the devil now, but making a few top cars electric would make it a saint is absolutely ridiculous. Of course, there are a lots of dumb people deciding about their own and others' money, so as a PR stunt it might be worth it. A huge majority of emissions from global motorsport comes from moving the circus from one place to another. And then there is the local low level motorsport, which won't be electric any time soon. These combined, the benefit of a few electric cars disappears like a fart into Sahara.

Basically agree except I don't believe that making R5 more expensive for all privateers is worth making them the top class.

I personally don't believe a top level of motorsport can be made cheap no matter the rules. The teams will alwas spend how much is worth the title - and that's the more the more audience is watching, i.e. with more expensive and more spectacular cars the teams can spend more than with boring cars nobody really likes to watch (i.e. British championship few years back).