Quote Originally Posted by Mirek View Post
Nice theory but just a theory.

Why do you think you can always make things cheaper? By magic wand? R5 rules managed to keep the cost same for some 7 years already. That's huge achievement alone. R5 rules work. Just don't fix what is not broken, please.



Guys, You really miss the bigger picture. The problem really isn't in few carbon wings. That's not why manufacturers leave. Citroën leaves because they don't win and because they don't gain much from the brand's involvement. In fact quite the opposite. If Ogier leaves it damages the brand because it shows them as incompetent. That really isn't about few thousand Euros for aero, active center diff or whatever. The carmakers have enough money to invest in the sport if they see it as worth the investment - but they have to do it right.

The last thing is IMHO what was wrong on Citroën side. It's actually the same thing like our never ending discussions about cheaper but slower cars (R4 thread for example). If you invest into something which is not good enough you throw the money out of the window. And that is what was wrong with Citroën. They invested a lot of money but not enough to be fully committed - ultimately they failed just like they had to, simply because the others have shown higher level of commitment. Look at VW or Toyota, or Škoda in WRC2. It's the same. If you decide to join you have to commit fully and be prepared to raise your game if others do that. Otherwise you are bound to fail and in that case all your investment goes in vain.
I have not read the finacial report from PSA, but I am guessing they do not make as much money as planned. When planning ahead, they must cut where it is easy. Motorsport is a low hanging fruite. If the sport activity does not give the wanted effect, commercially or development wise, you cut the activity from the budget. It has happened before, and it will happen again.

New technology is coming in the car industry, hybrid, electric and fuelcell is coming first, and the tech development will continue. The combustion engine has been more or less the same for a very long time, and have made great progress. This goes both for petrol and diesel engines, to a certain degree also the rotary wankel engine.

the manufacturers gets most from rally, since it gives them a very good testbed, better than track racing.

Back to the future of WRC. I share Mireks view on the R5 success. Clear concise rules, with only a few jokers have kept the development, and by that cost spiralling has been the basis for succes. The same rules have been used in R4, but it is too early to say if that class will blossom, the price difference in buying it might be too small up to R5, even after the price drop of the kit from Oreca.

I mean that R5 or Rally 2 will be a good gap filler from 2020 until the new tech rules for the top class of world rally are finalized, maybe for the 2022 season. But then the strict R5 rules must be kept by FIA, or cost will sky rocket. And I mean the tech rules should be tha same for all Rally 2 cars, no special rules for manufacurers. The best drivers will still win, but some times the results will give room for young and old talent, to make rallies even more exiting!