2024 WRC News & Rumours

[becher]

Why?
Fourmaux's contract expires at years end, so there is nothing legally binding him to M-Sport.

Wilson has a management contract with him as well I guess. Taking a part of their salary when they move to another team is part of his business model I believe.

Regarding pay at M Sport vs Hyundai in Neuville's case I seem to remember an interview where he (or Gilsoul) said they didn't really earn anything in 2013 and moved back in with their parents.

[saco0o]

Rovanpera re-charged and ready for 2025 full-time return:

https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/...turn/10660781/

oh, he won races in the porsche series?? man i missed that news, just saw he posted a vlog on that. so cool, going to watch it later. that was a good news! how did i missed that
https://youtu.be/dnoeH57h480?feature=shared

[Rallyest]

I'm not so sure about that Fourmaux move to Hyundai thing. I think it is not a good news for us and for him himself.
The obvious thing is that that automatically close the door for Young Solberg and his chance to get a seat in Rally1 car which he truly deserves. Unfortunately I can't not see that he can drive for M-sport unless he ends his cooperation with Monster. Formoux however will than end up as no. 3 driver with a lot of pressure and I will take time for him to could challenge Tanak and Neuville as a no.1.

I mean the general problem is that there is nothing enough Rally1 cars on the top level and unless that changes the manufacturers always will take safe choices when it comes to drivers. In my opinion a WRC2 plus it is still the best way to go as a lot manufacturers has already finished developed chassies. It would also make it possible for privet teams to drive in the top class and top level as it was in the old days.
At least I hope tat a next gen Rally1 car won't have a tubular chassis wich is a complete nonsense.

I dont really believe in the Monster/Redbull clash in M-sport, i mean Serderidis and Sesks have been driving an puma withouth a single Redbull logo on their livery, why Solberg would be different?
Surely they can play it somehow different if there even is any discussion in getting Solberg into a puma.

[AndersX]

It changes the game only if MSport has the deal with RB as a team; but if RB logos and co-financing appear on Pumas only via Driver contracts, then there should not be an issue to run 3 or even 4 pumas on different liveries. I think Solbergs issue is different to RB/Monster - could be even Mikkelsen level matter, where Solberg family is not ready to pay for Olivers drive, as they know that he is fast and there is nothing to prove left. Maybe only matter of consistency can be questioned.

[turdzi]

It might be as with all M-sport youngsters that Malcolm will want his cut in the future for developing Oliver and Solbergs think tha it would be unfair and don't want to share with him. But if they miss Fourmaux then will need someone course Sesks and Munster won't do the job.

[mknight]

I also think that Solbergs would expect MSport to pay Oliver to drive, while Malcolm expects the opposite. But yes if Fourmaux leaves that might change things.

Olivers consistency on gravel improved a lot this year. But he needs to drive more tarmac if he aims for full seat.

On a related note it would be somewhat ironic if, after being hailed as best Rally2 an seemingly using lot of money on Solberg+testing, Skoda would end with no titles this year (no ERC or WRC2). Last time something like this happened was in 2020. (C3 won WRC2 and ERC, i20 won WRC3).

[deephouse]

On a related note it would be somewhat ironic if, after being hailed as best Rally2 an seemingly using lot of money on Solberg+testing, Skoda would end with no titles this year (no ERC or WRC2). Last time something like this happened was in 2020. (C3 won WRC2 and ERC, i20 won WRC3).

And how many did they won against others?

[mknight]

And how many did they won against others?

I think you mean how many titles Skoda won vs others?

Simple and somewhat stupid answer would be almost all of them as there is always someone doing most of the season in a different Rally2.

If you mean how many they won vs competition that really tried for championship it is still quite a few in the last few years, though Hyundai has a tendency to give up when results don't come early in the season

2023 - WRC2 vs Citroen (Rossel) and Hyundai (Lindholm, Suninen)
2022 - WRC2 vs Citroen (Rosser) and Hyundai (Suninen)
2021 - WRC2 vs Citroen (Østberg), MSport (Suninen and Hutunen) and Hyundai (Solberg) and ERC vs Citroen (Lukyanuk)

Though I do agree that some of the earlier years Skoda was doing as much or more testing as some teams in the top class while the other teams were all more client-style. But it was the Skoda dominance in that period (before 2020) that led those to run more "factory" like teams later.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Hybrid power could yet be dropped for 2025...

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/hybri...-for-wrc-2025/

[TypeR]

No hybrid, yes hybrid, no hybrid..

Weird that teams have to pay for faulty duracells..