2024 WRC News & Rumours

[PLuto]

IMHO this way of thinking is fundamentally wrong.

You don't create a successful plan by cutting costs because the cost is very relative term absolutely relevant to the value. In other words a bad product is never cheap enough and a good product is never too expensive. FIA absolutely must work on the value of the product not trying to improve the cost of a bad one.

I know that my talk is cheap but I stand my ground that the WRC can not survive as a major sport without a radical redesign even when that will not be liked by part of its core fans.

But there is question, if there will be so drastical changes, if it will still be rally (not only by name). And also there is a question if this radical changes will help or kill it definitely...

[Myrvold]

If these clowns ran the WEC, they'd have panicked when it was just Toyota - we'd have few manufacturers, 3-4 hour identikit races, they'd drop Le Mans as it's too long, expensive for teams, fans, etc....and award points for a final hour fastest lap......

While I get your point. When WEC became the Toyota-Cup in the 18/19 season (yes, there were a fine number of privateers, but that's like having one manufacturer and 10 Bertelli and Serderidis in Rally1. Numbers would be slightly higher than today, in reality the manufacturer wins every day. Which Toyota did, except for their DQ).
Anyway. It was Toyota - some privateers, Le Mans and a heap of identical 6hour races. Except for Sebring, where WEC in reality was a support race for the 12 hours of Sebring.
What did they do after that? They had a couple of 8 hour races, and a couple of 4 hour races. So there wouldn't be more driving to drive up costs for the following year.

What do we see in 2024? Qatar get a special length race because... money? Bahrain have an 8hr race. Le Mans in 24hrs and the rest? Identical 6hr races.

Again, I do get your point, but WEC is mainly a series consisting of loads of identical races and a couple of outliers.

[Mirek]

But there is question, if there will be so drastical changes, if it will still be rally (not only by name). And also there is a question if this radical changes will help or kill it definitely...

Well, the original rally was closest to the Gumball...

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I've come across some of these "Reaction videos" recently, featuring rallying. If people get to see WRC they are blown away.

https://youtu.be/i-j7kgpfKMI?si=Zn4cMmS-_N-b6O7R

[jacko]

New date for Rally Central European: 17-20 october 2024

[Eli]

New date for Rally Central European: 17-20 October 2024

Any source?

[Mirek]

Any source?

I hope it's true. The original date was potentially very problematic in Czechia.

[wyler]

Any source?

reported also on italian media + a slightly change of rally hq/ or even service park to Bad Griesbach Im Rottal (looks strange to me)

[Eli]

I later checked and saw this: https://www.rallye-magazin.de/wrc/ar...leuropa-51333/

[Kenneth]

It was in the calendar of 2024 published by Czech Auto Club like 2 weeks ago.

But maybe ACCR had it wrong and all of the reports had them as a source.