[WRC] News & Rumours 2019

[racerx1979]

https://www.kahawatungu.com/2019/05/...-championship/

[denkimi]

Yes. In a way those roads work when the idea is to drive 1000 km in one day - you need to keep up the speed on the smooth sections and know when to slow down for the bad places not to break the car. But it doesn't work for a rally where you fight for tenths of seconds. The average speeds on the national private R5's has been as high as 120 km/h - the WRC's could probably go up to 140 km/h. Let's see if they start putting chicanes on those stages...

If they use longer gears i suspect we could see even much higher average speeds than that.

It's about time for mr. Rilli to check whether his export licence is still valid...

On a more serious note, in some twisted way I almost like the idea of 500kms of these roads that don't seemingly make any sense to be used in WRC rally. In a way that would make the championship's return to Africa even more unique, i.e. to make the rally differ as much as possible from other events. Maybe we'll end up having the most boring rally ever, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Those roads would only make sense in something like dakar, where there is no reconnaissance en navigations plays a big part. Just because it would be unique doesn't mean its usefull.

[the sniper]

I wouldn't say this for any other 'new' rally really, but given how relatively unique the Safari will be if it does indeed return for 2020, would there not be a reasonably substantial benefit to any of the WRC guys in taking part in the 2019 candidate event? Even if it were only in an R5?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Does a return to Africa have to be a 'Safari-style' event anyway ?

Rally Chile was new but its roads and itinerary were comparable with many current events. Chile is even a location for the modern Dakar but no-one said its WRC event should use such areas...

[tommeke_B]

Chile is even a location for the modern Dakar but no-one said its WRC event should use such areas...

Was a location for Dakar last time in 2015. And the closest point they got to the current rally location is roughly 1300kms... So what's the point of what you are saying?

[Hartusvuori]

Jari Huttunen will do two Finnish Championship events in an i20 Coupe WRC. The organizers of Pohjanmaa-ralli, held in mid June, confirmed the team is coming. The first start will be this weekend in Riihimäki-ralli.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Was a location for Dakar last time in 2015. And the closest point they got to the current rally location is roughly 1300kms... So what's the point of what you are saying?

Exactly that - WRC Chile wasnt using any of it's previous Dakar route, type of 'roads' or big distances.

So why does a WRC rally in Kenya have to be like the old Safari ie. extra long and tough ?

A 'normal' gravel rally held there would still be good as it would put WRC back on that continent.

[jbmarcus21]

Today M-Sport continues the test with new Ford Fiesta R5 and Eric Camilli
Here the video ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjzt-rgDFY0&t=6s

[AnttiL]

Exactly that - WRC Chile wasnt using any of it's previous Dakar route, type of 'roads' or big distances.

So why does a WRC rally in Kenya have to be like the old Safari ie. extra long and tough ?

A 'normal' gravel rally held there would still be good as it would put WRC back on that continent.

Chile has a long tradition of normal rallying on the roads we saw a week ago. Why should they have suddenly used a Dakar element? Kenya has similarly arranged rallies on the roads similar to the candidate event for years.

Besides, I don’t think Kenya has much road types to choose from.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

WALES RALLY GB:
Just revealed - the route for @WalesRallyGB 2019 (3-6 October). More information here https://t.co/Gzogf7R9yW

and here: https://www.walesrallygb.com/innovat...o-new-heights/