WRC Calendar 2023

[Eli]

The FIA and the new president seem to be getting themselves in a bit of a mess with their halo product so think the WRC wont be their main focus just now.

With the way the WRC is being treated it seems (from the outside) the WRC has never been their main focus.

[AndyRAC]

With the way the WRC is being treated it seems (from the outside) the WRC has never been their main focus.

No it isn't. I recall Honda pulling out of F1 at the end of 2008, and Max Mosley stating he would try his best to salvage the situation.....When within a matter of days Suzuki, then Subaru pulled their WRC effort.....and nothing from the FiA. So 2009 started in Ireland with only Ford & Citroen.....

[Eli]

No it isn't. I recall Honda pulling out of F1 at the end of 2008, and Max Mosley stating he would try his best to salvage the situation.....When within a matter of days Suzuki, then Subaru pulled their WRC effort.....and nothing from the FiA. So 2009 started in Ireland with only Ford & Citroen.....

And I wouldn't be surprised if the same would happen in 2024 with only Toyota & M-Sport keeping the light, hell I'd go as far as saying the championship could die altogether, and everyone would be quietly about their business.

[Eli]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1398...57719274545248

Apparently this is the WRC calendar for 2023 that will be presented officially next week in the WMSC meeting, know this was a long time coming but still annoyed by the fact we have Saudi Arabia as the season finale and not have NZ instead (in the calendar, not as season finale), or even Australia for that matter (again doesn't have to be season finale).

[djip]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1398...57719274545248

Apparently this is the WRC calendar for 2023 that will be presented officially next week in the WMSC meeting, know this was a long time coming but still annoyed by the fact we have Saudi Arabia as the season finale and not have NZ instead (in the calendar, not as season finale), or even Australia for that matter (again doesn't have to be season finale).

Money talks ... At the same time, a WRC in the middle east in general and in Saudi Arabia in particular is not a bad idea - definitely not as bad as the (asian) winter olympics to be held over there (!).
I buy the idea of WRC being truly "W", with events on each continents. So binning one EU event (Estonia - sorry estonain friends - as so similar to Finland ? Sardinia as lacking its own character/history ?) in favor of NZ would have been almost perfect ...
The risk here, just as it is in F1, is that running after the money may lead to a loss of all iconic events - hence the WRC heritage which cannot be dismissed from the marketing standpoint. At least we got Acropolis and Safari (albeit a shadow of it former self) back in ...

[Tauri_J]

I just dont get it why there cant be two fast gravel rallies in calendar. Right now we have a lot more slow to medium gravel rallies. Pre-Covid was even worse, only Finland and 5-6 slower gravel events. Two fast gravel rallies is absolutely fine. Rather ditch Sardegna for San Remo.

[er88]

San Remo can unfortunately never return due to crowds. However I agree, Sardinia really lacks a lot compared to other events we could have - Australia, NZ, GB, Argentina, Spain, an Italian tarmac event on the mainland, or a new event in the US/Canada/Brazil/China/India etc

[skarderud]

And I wouldn't be surprised if the same would happen in 2024 with only Toyota & M-Sport keeping the light, hell I'd go as far as saying the championship could die altogether, and everyone would be quietly about their business.

Then its time to skip rally1, and have rally2 as top class.

Sent fra min SM-G950F via Tapatalk

[djip]

Then its time to skip rally1, and have rally2 as top class.

Sent fra min SM-G950F via Tapatalk

I'm for it ! When privateers can fight against manus with same machinery (of course in the end the manus always win because of the best drivers, the best set up, etc ...) . But at least it's a fair field and if you make a mistake, you're down the pecking order, not just losing 2 spots...
Lately i was lookiong at the entrey list for SanRemo 2001 - the day where "everyone" could afford an Impreza, Escort, or Corolla. In addition to the 20 works cars, there were close to another 20 other WRC cars, dealers or privateers, some with pretty good drivers (Rovanpera, Jean-Joseph, Hagsstrom, Lundgaard, Carlsson, Longhi ...) - Somehow very similar with today's WRC2 !

[J4MIE]

I'm for it ! When privateers can fight against manus with same machinery (of course in the end the manus always win because of the best drivers, the best set up, etc ...) . But at least it's a fair field and if you make a mistake, you're down the pecking order, not just losing 2 spots...
Lately i was lookiong at the entrey list for SanRemo 2001 - the day where "everyone" could afford an Impreza, Escort, or Corolla. In addition to the 20 works cars, there were close to another 20 other WRC cars, dealers or privateers, some with pretty good drivers (Rovanpera, Jean-Joseph, Hagsstrom, Lundgaard, Carlsson, Longhi ...) - Somehow very similar with today's WRC2 !

But how many were allowed to beat the manufacturer teams?