Rally 3 class

[Mirek]

Can this fiesta R3 do testrallies before it is homologation next year ?

For sure they can negotiate to drive as VIP or zero cars somewhere.

[RS]

How come minimum weight on these is lower than R5/Rally2? Do R5 carry ballast?

[Steve Boyd]

Can this fiesta R3 do testrallies before it is homologation next year ?

Nothing to stop them doing National Rallies, as long as the car complies with the technical rules of the country concerned. I'm pretty sure they'd be OK on a National event in the UK, if they hadn't been stopped because of Covid.

[pantealex]

Can this fiesta R3 do testrallies before it is homologation next year ?

Yes. Finland (and few other countries) have class for "Future FIA cars"

[pantealex]

How come minimum weight on these is lower than R5/Rally2? Do R5 carry ballast?

R5/Rally2 is 1.6L
Fiesta Rally3 is 1.5L (and Renault/PSA probably 1.2L)

There are probably also some "tecnical parts" which add minimum weigh
(in past paddle shift was +50kg etc)

My question:
Is Rally3 using 18" tarmac wheels or smaller like Rally4 is using?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Anyone who cant/hasnt listened to the AR Podcast, there was a consensus that the Rally3 car doesnt really make sense for the following reasons:

1. The rally 'ladder' isnt really used - no-one really goes up this step by step.
2. A top impressive young driver can go from (old class) R2 2wd to R5 4wd car quite easily, no need to adapt before
3. Such drivers, or rich gentlemen drivers', just want to get in an R5 asap as this is the class to be seen in and with the extra power
4. Money-wise people would also rather have a used R5 than a new Rally3
5. What is the competition in Rally3 without other manufacturer's

[PLuto]

Anyone who cant/hasnt listened to the AR Podcast, there was a consensus that the Rally3 car doesnt really make sense for the following reasons:

1. The rally 'ladder' isnt really used - no-one really goes up this step by step.
2. A top impressive young driver can go from (old class) R2 2wd to R5 4wd car quite easily, no need to adapt before
3. Such drivers, or rich gentlemen drivers', just want to get in an R5 asap as this is the class to be seen in and with the extra power
4. Money-wise people would also rather have a used R5 than a new Rally3
5. What is the competition in Rally3 without other manufacturer's

It has the sense when JWRC will be done with Rally3 cars... And of course there will be other manufacturers too, only Ford is first again.

[Mirek]

Exactly, the car is made for JWRC and it seems that it has a potential to bring the JWRC championship to a whole new level similar to what was known 15 years ago. Except for that it can work in gravel countries but I don't expect it to be very popular in asphalt ones.

[AnttiL]

2. A top impressive young driver can go from (old class) R2 2wd to R5 4wd car quite easily, no need to adapt before

I think this is a weird argument considering they've repeated for years that R5's are too expensive for national leagues and that's why BRC has too low entry numbers.

When you go from Rally4 (R2) to Rally2 (R5) not only the budgets get much higher, but the cars also start going a lot faster, and you also need to learn driving 4WD and setting up the car at the same time (Rally4 cars have very limited setup capabilities, which will be similar in Rally3).

Especially if we start having Rally3 as common cars in the second tier national and ERC leagues, I see them very useful. Nowadays these second tier leagues are still filled with Evo's and Imprezas, which are quite outdated by now. I would also assume Rally3 is closer to Rally2 in feeling, compared to N4/R4 cars with bigger chassises and engines.

[pantealex]

I see (used) Rally3 as replacement for Mitsu/Subaru on national level.