[WRC] COPEC Rally Chile 2019

[eib1]

#Tyre Info - Day 2 afternoon
Toyota/Hyundai/MSport/Lappi: 5 MICHELIN LTX Force Hard (H4)
Ogier: 3H4 + 2 Medium (M6)

[dimviii]

[AnttiL]

So Mikkelsen's resurrection lasted only two weeks? Huge contrast between the brilliant performance in Argentina and this.

It's been the same last year as well. Completetely off the pace in rallies like Finland, Germany, Corsica and Spain, but leading many gravel rallies and finishing on the podium in Sweden.

[mknight]

It's been the same last year as well. Completetely off the pace in rallies like Finland, Germany, Corsica and Spain, but leading many gravel rallies and finishing on the podium in Sweden.

There is some difference, last year he was not on top pace in Mexico and Argentina while this year he was on both.

Chile so far is like a mix of (wet) GB and Finland and Mikkelsen was slow on wet friday in GB and in Finland, so in that sense it fits.

[er88]

You can understand a driver being a bit off the pace if his confidence is flaky, or the car isn't perfect. But with Mikkelsen, I can't understand HOW slow he can be at times. His times are a disaster, and the car has been on the pace as proved by Neuville and Loeb (who hasn't driven on gravel like this in like 6/7yrs). Mikkelsen said he'd be better today but even Suninen and Lappi have left him behind.

It's going to come to the point where if Mikkelsen can only do well with Hyundai on certain rallies, they'll only offer him a partial campaign for next year or nothing at all. I said his manager should do everything he can do get him to Msport regardless of whether Hyundai offer him an extension, because he can't compete with Neuville anyway and it's now rightly Neuville's team in the same way VW was Ogier's. Mikkelsen and Hyundai both had eyes on him fighting with Thierry for championships titles when he first got the contract, he was never meant to be just a points collector and backup...

[mknight]

You can understand a driver being a bit off the pace if his confidence is flaky, or the car isn't perfect. But with Mikkelsen, I can't understand HOW slow he can be at times. His times are a disaster, and the car has been on the pace as proved by Neuville and Loeb (who hasn't driven on gravel like this in like 6/7yrs). Mikkelsen said he'd be better today but even Suninen and Lappi have left him behind.

It's going to come to the point where if Mikkelsen can only do well with Hyundai on certain rallies, they'll only offer him a partial campaign for next year or nothing at all. I said his manager should do everything he can do get him to Msport regardless of whether Hyundai offer him an extension, because he can't compete with Neuville anyway and it's now rightly Neuville's team in the same way VW was Ogier's. Mikkelsen and Hyundai both had eyes on him fighting with Thierry for championships titles when he first got the contract, he was never meant to be just a points collector and backup...

Well it is indeed huge contrast between on/off, there is like nothing in between. Either he is up there on not at all. While basically all drivers have good and bad rallies this is extreme. On the other hand the only driver that is so far constantly fast in I20 is Neuville. Sordo isn't and it got him kicked from the rallies where he wasn't allready in 2017 (SWE, FIN, GB), Paddon wasn't either and also got him kicked from the rallies and then the whole team. Loeb isn't yet (SWE, COR), though maybe he can be, early to tell.

I agree that for Mikkelsen it would be better to go somewhere else (Citroen/Ford), especially given the tarmac performance. Only question is how the I20 will drive like after the supposedly big upgrade that should come before Finland.

[AnttiL]

Mikkelsen and Lappi are now more equal. Mikkelsen is even a bit faster.

[mknight]

Mikkelsen and Lappi are now more equal

Nah Mikkelsen was faster than both all the way until he went into the ditch before last split on first pass, so this is no change.

[eib1]

[mknight]

Btw. hearing Lappi, haven't seen this mentioned:

Michelin Motorsport
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#Tyre Info - Day 2 afternoon

Toyota/Hyundai/MSport/Lappi: 5 MICHELIN LTX Force Hard (H4)
Ogier: 3H4 + 2 Medium (M6)

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Might be a mistake from Ogier.