Wrc 2/3 2021

[er88]

With the massive ruts, some of the advantage of any leftover cleaning Lukyanuk got, will have been negated a bit in other stages that cut up badly.

To be a proper paid wrc driver again, instead of someone who brings budget, Mikkelsen isn't doing enough this year. Look at Ostberg, Mads just simply winning WRC2 "class" isn't going to get him employed by a WRC team again if he is slogging it out with younger up-and-coming drivers, who are far from their peak. When Lappi has stepped back he has shown a better level and that's maybe helped him supposedly get another chance at Toyota.

Andreas has already had 5yrs at rally and championship winning teams. Maybe to you, people are seeming harsh/ hard on him, but that's because the expectation was he was using this year to prove he was "cut above" the likes of Ostberg, Gryazin, Breen, Lukyanuk and younger guys like Solberg and Fourmaux etc.

And let's not change the goalposts now Andreas is failing to deliver on what he said......; " I have one aim next year: that is to dominate every rally that I am doing,” he said. “That means winning every ERC round and winning every WRC round as well. I have the car to do it – Skoda has the best R5 car. For me, there is no question about that. I love the car and getting the chance to spend even more time in it I will perform even better than I did in 2020".

So far the only domination I've seen is against Mikkelsen. Lappi dominated Andreas in Artic, Lukyanuk comfortably beat him in Poland from same road position, and Gryazin was faster in Liepaja to win there. And now the aging Russian, in a new (equal) car with new co driver and same tyres, has taken the domination to a whole new level. Even rolling his car and still having enough time in hand to limp over the line and beat Mikkelsen.

A distant 2nd in R5 and a wrc2 class win is better than crashing like in Croatia and Sardinia, or being beaten in the ERC, but it's still hardly a result that's going to enhance his reputation or wow team bosses which was his season aim. People on here including me (and Mikkelsen himself) clearly expected more. That's why he gets criticised, and because of his seemingly arrogant comments.