Hyundai WRT

[mknight]

Also, I think that they have to do something with their car. It seems that it can be driven only from Neuville. I've never believed that Mikkelsen has became all of a sudden a mediocre driver. Paddon had his own problems for sure but he was a better driver before new i20. Also Loeb seems not much comfortable.
It would be ok if Neuville won championships but he isn't...

But you can read into this latest decision in two ways

1. Let's keep on swapping drivers and saying the car is fine (this was certainly Nandan's policy, both in words and in not introducing any changes on tarmac for a year even after 2017 Spain and 2018 Corsica). Neuville started to get vocal against this when Loeb was signed.

2. We need to change the car and in the meantime have to maximize points (=Sordo in "old" car)

[denkimi]

I stick to my idea that all those changes will not bring any good.
Lineup changes make sense only in some cases (like for example if you have a half program for some rookie), otherwise you only affect the confidence of drivers, you give them even more pressure and sense of precariety, don't give them time or means to learn from mistakes.
Last but not least, I can't recall any swapping-lineup team winning anything in the last 10 years and I fear they could be more.

Also, I think that they have to do something with their car. It seems that it can be driven only from Neuville. I've never believed that Mikkelsen has became all of a sudden a mediocre driver. Paddon had his own problems for sure but he was a better driver before new i20. Also Loeb seems not much comfortable.
It would be ok if Neuville won championships but he isn't...

Ogier could win in the fiesta, evans couldn't. Tanak can win in the yaris, latvala and the others can't. Neuville can win in the i20, the others can't.
Is it really about the car? Or are mikkelsen and sordo indeed mediocre, and is loeb getting too old?

If hyundai wanted to be sure of the championship, they should have hired ogier or tanak. Their failure to do that and create a dreamteam can only be blamed on themself.

[EstWRC]

wow, clearly didnt see this decision to come on so early

[mknight]

Ogier could win in the fiesta, evans couldn't. Tanak can win in the yaris, latvala and the others can't. Neuville can win in the i20, the others can't.
Is it really about the car? Or are mikkelsen and sordo indeed mediocre, and is loeb getting too old?

Evans won in the Fiesta, almost 2nd rally as well. Latvala won 2 rallies in Yaris, including one before Tanak even joined. Lappi won in it as well.

In fact I20 is the only one of the 4 WRC cars that only has 1 driver that ever won with it. Fiesta has 3, Yaris 3, C3 2.

There are cars that fit only some drivers, Mitsubishi Evo gr A with Makinen is the perfect example. Other recent one is Peugeot 307 where everyone except Gronholm stuggled (Martin best reference), seems like Nandan was the main engineer there too.

If hyundai wanted to be sure of the championship, they should have hired ogier or tanak. Their failure to do that and create a dreamteam can only be blamed on themself.

They did hire Loeb, the guy that won the last rally before he was hired. Kicking Neuville and getting Ogier instead in summer 2018 is an interesting idea, but somehow I think Ogier would pick Citroen either way. Tanak was hired when Neuville was dominating (june/july 2017) and at that time still didn't win a tarmac rally.

The cycle here is indeed interesting
2017 -> Sordo and Paddon struggling (each on different events) => hire Mikkelsen and reduce Sordo and Paddon starts
2018 -> Mikkelsen is struggling => hire Loeb, kick Paddon, reduce Sordo (Monte) and Mikkelsen (Corsica) starts
2019 -> ?

[AL14]

Ogier could win in the fiesta, evans couldn't. Tanak can win in the yaris, latvala and the others can't. Neuville can win in the i20, the others can't.
Is it really about the car? Or are mikkelsen and sordo indeed mediocre, and is loeb getting too old?

If hyundai wanted to be sure of the championship, they should have hired ogier or tanak. Their failure to do that and create a dreamteam can only be blamed on themself.

You have a point. Especially when you talk about hiring ogier or tanak. When Ogier left VW they had a golden opportunity and they didn't take it because they had already contracts and wanted to preserve balance. But they are there to win championships not to preserve balance among the team...

Regarding the car normally I agree with you but in this very case we should also consider that every driver beside Neuville struggles in that seat. Sordo is somewhat decent but nothing special. Paddon was rising to become a champion with the previous generation of cars and Mikkelsen was a rally winner. Now in tarmac he is slower than r5 sometimes. I think that it is too big difference and that car has something that suits Neuville and dont' suits other, preventing them to get at least manufacturers points.

[Lead]

I think Mikkelsen will be gone from Hyundai at the end of the season (if not even faster). As it is clear this coorperation isnt working both ways.

[AnttiL]

In fact I20 is the only one of the 4 WRC cars that only has 1 driver that ever won with it. Fiesta has 3, Yaris 3, C3 2.

Meeke, Loeb and Ogier won in a C3

[mknight]

Meeke, Loeb and Ogier won in a C3

Lol, I forgot Ogier...

Then it's 3 different winners for all 3 other cars but only 1 for i20.

[Tarmop]

But if you take Tänak, Ogier and Neuville out of the equation, how many events have others really won (and won before, during the previous era)?
2017 Sweden- Latvala won, but Neuville unbeatable until his off
2017 Mexico- Meeke took it fair and square, though Citroen was the only car without cooling issues i believe? + road order
2017 Finland- Well, Toyota at its home event was pretty much unbeatable, like in 2018. Latvala with tech. issues, Ogier off early, Tänak with issues, Hyundai with issues like every year. Perfect chance for Lappi.
2017 RACC- Meeke took it, again great roadposition on Friday, combined with speed
2017 GB- home event of Evans, car, driver, tyres...
2018 RACC- Loeb enjoying a good starting position, takes it after Tänak has issues
2018 Australia- Latvala takes it after a massive fight for the title between the top 3, ended in the bushes for Tänak and Neuville, Ogier cleaning himself from 11th to 5th.

A win is a win, but there`s also that a huge amount of luck in those mentioned wins... and bad luck/road order for others... Also have to remember that after those wins all of them have been lost for some time, some even several times (except for Loeb ofc ).

Only one pattern comes out and that clearly shows that when everything goes according to plan for the top 3, the only ones who can beat them, are their fellow two rivals. And even not then always.

[mknight]

Finland 2017 for Toyota (fastest 2) and Spain 2017 for Citroen count for me. Yes Toyota is fast in Finland no matter the driver, but that is precisely the point. In 2017 Spain Meeke gained so much on tarmac that the gravel gains were irrelevant.

Anyway after reading further comments from Adamo it sounds like his bosses are loosing patience. First two rallies and no win with only 2 podiums and notably slower performance from all drivers than last year. Changing drivers shows he does "something". For Hyundais sake let's hope they also do some development.