Rally1 hybrid cars (2022-)

[AnttiL]

I have to say the competitive element of the hybrid box has vanished a lot since the start of the season. In Monte it was exciting to watch the graphics and see when they load and when use the boost, then in Sweden we had some failures on hybrid units, but ever since Croatia I've completely forgotten that the cars are hybrid...the drivers don't talk about it in the interviews, there's no tactics with different mappings etc.

[EstWRC]

I have to say the competitive element of the hybrid box has vanished a lot since the start of the season. In Monte it was exciting to watch the graphics and see when they load and when use the boost, then in Sweden we had some failures on hybrid units, but ever since Croatia I've completely forgotten that the cars are hybrid...the drivers don't talk about it in the interviews, there's no tactics with different mappings etc.

Agreed. Same here. Often times I forgot it’s there this season

How did Tänak say during one rally: ”useless extra weight” or something like that

[AnttiL]

Agreed. Same here. Often times I forgot it’s there this season

How did Tänak say during one rally: ”useless extra weight” or something like that

I mean obviously it increases the performance of the cars but it's not visible to the spectators.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

It seems like many of us suspected, the hybrid element is pure lip-service and green-washing. All it's really done is make the cars faster with the extra e-motor boost and there's never a sight of the cars in electric-only mode.

[rallyfiend]

It seems like many of us suspected, the hybrid element is pure lip-service and green-washing. All it's really done is make the cars faster with the extra e-motor boost and there's never a sight of the cars in electric-only mode.

ha ha ha.

Two sentences. And you manage to contradict yourself. That's genuinely impressive.

Sentence 1: Hybrid has done nothing

Sentence 2: Hybrid has made the cars faster

[WRCStan]

Agreed it's not what I imagined around strategies etc either, but not sure it's a bad thing if it just increases the amount of yeah-buts and what-ifs. Could be it's a testament to the equipment that we can forget about it, the conversations about how hard they will have to brake and whether the battery will hold its charge being answered. Still, shame that hybrid telem is not on the onboards for a nerd to compile and compare.

It's not pretty watching them struggle to move the cars in the service park so not surprised we don't see them much. Has there even been any zones on the road as was canvassed?

[J4MIE]

Agreed it's not what I imagined around strategies etc either, but not sure it's a bad thing if it just increases the amount of yeah-buts and what-ifs. Could be it's a testament to the equipment that we can forget about it, the conversations about how hard they will have to brake and whether the battery will hold its charge being answered. Still, shame that hybrid telem is not on the onboards for a nerd to compile and compare.

It's not pretty watching them struggle to move the cars in the service park so not surprised we don't see them much. Has there even been any zones on the road as was canvassed?

Only extremely minimal distances, often around eg service area or power stage podium. Usually not very far, think Safari had about 3km per loop or thereabouts, which was distance out of and return to service.

Far far from what I was expecting when the cars were announced. They didn’t need to be faster.

[DoN_cz]

For example on Sardinia, the Rally1 cars were arriving into the Media zone in HEV mode. I mean not only inside the Media zone, but already in the street before it (I suppose the last few hundred meters). Have to say, it didn't look (and sound) good. The top class of motorsport cars arriving nearly without anyone noticing...the Rally2 cars caught more attention from random tourists...

[AnttiL]

It seems like many of us suspected, the hybrid element is pure lip-service and green-washing. All it's really done is make the cars faster with the extra e-motor boost and there's never a sight of the cars in electric-only mode.

I agree that it's a bit of greenwashing to try to convince the car manufacturers. But in reality the new fuel is the biggest "green" thing. And in theory the electricity for the batteries could be from wind power

The Rally1 rules originally had longer HEV liaisons. In Monte they were omitted and FIA said it was to give more breathing space for the teams who were there with new cars...but now we're halfway into the season and hybrid units have worked fine after Sweden, what's next?

[mknight]

I agree that it's a bit of greenwashing to try to convince the car manufacturers.

I dislike the misuse or terminology here.
Nobody is really pretending that the new hybrid units "save environment" / make the WRC more eco-friendly.

There is a small point with the electric only mode that is meant to not disturb neigbours (but you see here some people consider it bad that a rally car doesn't disturb everyone in the neigborhood on a road section, those should talk with rally organizers).

The main reason for the hybrid is so that manus can show that the car is "similar" to what they are trying to sell.
Problem is that hybrid (especially mild-hybrid) is now "old" established tech found in basically every car.