2022 WRC News & Rumours

[Danny0405]

Is there something wrong about how works teams choose new drivers these days? First Katsuta and Arai at Toyota, then Lefebvre and Camilli, now Fourmaux... Have they ever won anything important before joining works teams?

For example, if you look at WRC2 results from Croatia, both Lefebvre and Camilli were beaten by Rossel, Kajto, Lindholm, Gryazin and Ingram quite easily:
https://rally-base.com/2022/croatia-...61&ssGroupId=1

Arai and Katsuta can't even win a single ERC event, but were chosen for works drivers...

Not sure your comparison is right: don’t forget than since 2016 (as you’re evoking Camilli), drivers such as Rovanpera and Lappi has been launched in WRC also. Breen also.
And Camilli and Suninen were in the best drivers in WRC-2 when they were competing there (same for Tidemand). Hanninen was also a good RC2 driver even if he is a special case.

Don’t also forget that the dominant drivers in RC2 are Ostberg and Mikkelsen in the last years.
+ Arai has never been a RC1 driver, he was fired at the RC2 level after dropping in form (especially after Katsuta won WRC-2 Sweden). And we know why Katsuta has a works drive.
And also, the context was not the same when Lefebvre and Camilli were launched (an increase in the number of works seat so there was a lack of drivers whereas it is the contrary now).

Also the example you’re taking about Croatia is not good has Camilli and Lefebvre had issues and punctures (as in Monte-Carlo, they were among the best in terms of pure speed).

The only point I really agree with you is that there is at least two drivers that are clearly interesting for having a chance at RC1 level for next year if they confirm their potential in 2022: Rossel and Lindholm. Before end of last year, they were a little short in terms of rhythm for Rossel and consistency for Lindholm but, now, they seem much better. So clearly I hope they can obtain at least a 6-7 rounds RC1 program next year.
Other drivers sound not that convincing comparing with their experience (Gryazin, Ingram, ...) or too much of a prospect (Cais, Linnamae, ...). I don’t talk about Kajto who is too old (and not the best RC2 driver).