Quote Originally Posted by AnttiL View Post
This sounds like a lot of petrolhead logic. It feels like I'm talking to walls, but I'm repeating my points which I've already said in previous posts.
- Developing, renting and selling Rally2 cars is business of the racing departments, which doesn't require budget from the manufacturer, like running a whole WRC season would
- The drivers in WRC2 teams are mostly bringing budget in, not being paid by the manufacturer (not sure about Řstberg though)
- Skoda and Citroen just quit their factory teams in rallying. What makes you believe they would return?
- I don't believe that the manufacturers want to put money in marketing their ICE cars in rallying
- Even if we slap on hybrid systems onto the Rally2 cars, it's a problem for the manufacturers that the street models of these cars are mostly not hybrid.
Sorry mate, but you're missing the most important point: motorsport budgets are being slashed by the manus and each series must make overall costs more competitive and attractive.

For sure some expenses (staff, logistics, consumable) will cost more or less the same no matter what car is used, but the development and running costs (way higher than drivers salaries) are directly linked to the tech level of the cars.

High-tech Rally1 cars costing over €600k (their hybrid system alone was priced around 150k) will certainly make manus think twice when compared to Rally2 cars price (largely below 300k).

Btw, mild hybrids are becoming current in any car segment.