2022 WRC News & Rumours

[mknight]

They're a business, not a charity.

Rally cars cost money to build and run - who knew?

Yep, they are business who's primary goal is to be profitable, not to win or perform well.

Results are just a requirement for
a) Ford to keep supporting them in some way (is it really?, seems like Ford doesn't care much about results as long as it's "MSport WRT").
b) Customers to keep paying them (and not go to Hyundai like Loubet and Veiby did, or rather drive WRC2 in a competitive car like Lappi, Mikkelsen and Suninen all did this year)
But part of their business model is also in raising and "selling" drivers, like Tanak and Evans. Hard to sell anyone if they only get non-competitive drivers.

Personally my long term issue with them is when they try to pretend otherwise (not only in press releases but also in interviews).

My long term issue with some fans is when they defend how this is great. It might be better than one less team, but only to a certain point. If it's as bad as this year they might as well have left for my part. (For someone standing on the road-side of a stage it is still better than less WRC cars for sure).

In either case any real fan of MSport should want them to be better and be able to compete, not defend how well they make money.

If the 'talent' hasn't got the money to run, the car stays at Dovenby Hall. It's not like the guy with €1 more steals the car away from them.

You know it's not like that. A talent like Huttunen surely has some sponsors that can pay say 70% of the price, doesn't get him a drive when MSport doesn't want to use any own money.
Would the car still stay in a garage if Huttunen with half the money was the only option (for example due to some rules, as was suggest when 2017 cars started)?

See also the above comment. A talent like Huttunen can potentially bring future profits, which is why MSport might "invest" in them and run them for less money as they have done with many drivers before.

Also bear in mind that such gentelman drivers will be able to compete in 2021 WRC cars in 2022

That article mentions Puma specifically.