Quote Originally Posted by AndyRAC View Post
Unpopular view; What does the WRC, teams, manufacturers, etc get out of their visit to the UK? Would they be really disappointed if it was dropped?
It comes and goes without much fanfare - and is pretty much ignored by mainstream media. There must be other countries were their media would be all over a WRC event. And Manufacturers are in the sport primarily to sell cars - and for that they need publicity.
Other than Estonia and Belgium, I don't imagine there are many countries where there will be great mainstream media engagement that don't already have a WRC round (like Finland) or are already set to get one (Kenya, maybe Japan or NZ?).

If anything I'd say this Rally GB actually proves that there is still a market for rallying in this country. It amazes me that so many tens of thousands of people make the effort we do to watch this sport. I totally understand why a few hardcore fans like us on here get up at 4:30am and finish the day after 9pm, day after day, in the rain, many being ripped off by MSUK, but there were loads of people up for this. What other sport demands so much of spectators? There's still an audience here, but it's poorly served. To me, this is as much if not more the fault of WRC Promoter for failing to get better broadcast deals for the sport here.

The comparisons with the end of the south Wales era are poor to me, because to me there are clearly far more spectators out on the stages now then there were in the 'dark days' of the end of the south Wales era, when the numbers had vastly dropped.