I've got to be honest, I feel like now is almost* the most despondent I've felt about the future of the WRC. At least in 2009 the only way was up! Back then everyone knew the WRC was in trouble, now it feels like they're sleep walking into a worse situation. Back then we had two manufacturers. Now we essentially have two manufacturers, with M-Sport increasingly feeling like a zombie manufacturer team. But unlike 2009, the two manufactures seem more selfish in a way now. The future WRC car regulations don't seem to be being crafted sensibly given the current circumstances. At least in 2009 there seemed to be more of an understanding of the necessity to support the running of more WRC cars for the benefit of the sport. Back then I didn't feel like M-Sport or Citroen would disappear, but Hyundai seem uncertain to me. I know a lot has gone on this year, but Adamo seemed weird this weekend. M-Sport seemed rather detached from proceedings. Lappi's casual announcement at the end of the Power Stage that he wouldn't be back, though not unpredictable news, was quite striking to me a way.

Listening to Julian Porter talking glowingly about having a few more rallies like Rally Monza was depressing. Rally Monza was a good idea under the circumstances of this year/Covid, which ended up being made much better by unplannable weather intervention. If Porter is as usually on message as anyone on WRC+, the official mouth piece of WRC Promoter, I fear this is the direction the WRC wishes to go. As if that is a surprise. We've already lost so many of the classic rallies. Rallies are getting shorter still. Now we're aspirationally looking at what would once have been considered a joke, WRC rounds becoming glorified single venue events... How low can the WRC go? Is anybody interested in protecting the integrity of the WRC or has that ship long sailed?

This is the first time in a decade that I've felt underwhelmed by the prospect of the following season.

*The main difference between 2009 and now, there's a lot of talented young guys now that could flourish in a revived WRC. Whereas, in 2009, there was only one name, Sebastien... It almost makes the situation worse now though, as we could see so much talent wasted...