[WRC] FORUM8 Rally Japan 2024

[Sergiow]

“It is difficult, it is clearly painful for every single team member – just like I’m sure it was painful for them {Ott and Martin Jarveoja],” Abiteboul added when asked about Tanak’s crash and its impact on the manufacturers' battle.

“I’m going to be honest: I still struggle to measure to what extent [the drivers] know the risk level they are taking in these cars. It is not circuit racing where lap after lap you can say I need to go one tenth faster or one tenth slower, it is not like that. They have a green light to go and then they are alone.

“We are in a time of massive connectivity and an amount of data but there is none of that, and sometimes what is obvious to us looking at the split – it was obvious to me that he was way too quick. It is obvious to me but is it obvious to him? I don’t know.

“The message was clear. We said that we needed to be P3 and P5 [on Sunday], not P1 or P2. There was no necessity to be on a crazy push like that, but the key question is: to what extent do they know they are on such a big push?

“He was starting last and I think there was phone coverage of the stage, but having said that, there is not split information in the car. I have to excuse myself for still lacking experience in knowing their ability to assess.
https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/...feat/10676584/

[meh]

Tänak said that the slippy conditions in the corner came as a surprise. So, it is most likely the mistake from the recce and/or from the gravel crew. If the obvious mistake was made there, I'm not sure the result of pushing just-a-bit-less would make any difference. This is rallying and this kind of stuff happens.

This was the closest and at that moment the most understandable points-loss from the season to lose the manus title. If to take only this rally - why we don't talk about technical issues with Neuvilles car, how many points were lost with that? Why we don't talk about Mikkelsen crashing out, how many points were lost with that? Why we don't talk about Mikkelsen's driving mistake on PS? This was just this rally - how many of these kinds of situations we can find from the season?

[AndersX]

I say the same: Mr. A has to look in the mirror first. Who was that genius who decided that Mikkelsen is very safe and good choice on the tarmac? If they would have done smart choices over the entire season, they would have won it long before Japan.

Btw, check the very interesting mr. Abiteboul's beef with Horner re: engines in the very first season of DtS - how different their carriers have gone afterwards.

[TypeR]

Can't criticize them.. you know.

Don't like that oh no, he was pushing sooo hard..
He wasn't like 5sec up on the splits.. far from it..

What if he was pushing and taking it easy at the same time(Abibubu logic) and losing +7-10sec to lead split time and still slipped in that corner..

Then it would have been bad luck?

[AE1WRC]

I say the same: Mr. A has to look in the mirror first. Who was that genius who decided that Mikkelsen is very safe and good choice on the tarmac? If they would have done smart choices over the entire season, they would have won it long before Japan.

Btw, check the very interesting mr. Abiteboul's beef with Horner re: engines in the very first season of DtS - how different their carriers have gone afterwards.

Bruh taking Mikkelsen for TARMAC rallies was one of the most stupid decisions I have ever seen. Whoever made that decision needs to get drug tested lol

[trykmann]

I'll say this though: I don't know how much Tanak was overpushing and how much it was the notes' fault for not warning about the tricky muddy corner.

This crash seems to be a strange one. I looked his onboard and tried to compare it with other drivers. Evans was more careful there, but Ogier seemed to carry more speed through this corner. It seems the corner got muddier with each passing car and they didn't notice it during recce.

NB! This is my amateur understanding and in reality it might be complete rubbish.

[Eli]

I say the same: Mr. A has to look in the mirror first. Who was that genius who decided that Mikkelsen is very safe and good choice on the tarmac? If they would have done smart choices over the entire season, they would have won it long before Japan.

Btw, check the very interesting mr. Abiteboul's beef with Horner re: engines in the very first season of DtS - how different their carriers have gone afterwards.

I know I'm gonna be bacxlashed for this but hell, even Lappi, JUST for Japan would've been a safer bet, he was the only Hyundai driver to finish last year, and in 4th.
Now imagine Lappi say was 4th going into Sunday, even with Ott's mistake he'd now be 3rd.... a long way up from where Mikkelsen finished, where did Mikelsen finish?
This isn't to say Tänak didn't make a silly mistake (to say the least), but this is rally, sh*t happens, (Catalunya 2021 anyone?), I'm sure he's kicking himself about it and will be for sometime. The best thing to do now is to go with a freshmindset in 2025, starting again with 0 points, and NOT go off, puncture them Hankook tyres on the second stage of the rally and finish with a solid point scoring finish.

[PLuto]

So, it is most likely the mistake from the recce and/or from the gravel crew.

It is nice how everybody notices gravel crew. But dont forget that he was starting as last Rally1 car, so there were plenty of cars before him which can bring the gravel or any dirt to the road in front of him. There are drivers who are cutting to bring more gravel on the road for other drivers...

[mknight]

Yep, just as expected here.

Tanak makes a championship deciding completely stupid mistake when under no pressure and with instructions NOT to push.

But the estonian fanclub here blames Mikkelsen for losing 2 points on PS (which didn't matter as long as Neuville got beaten by Ogier) or bring up Lappi who last year (in a completely different point system) managed 4th with super-slow safe driving after many retired and crashing out completely on first day/stages both rallies before.

BB

[mknight]

I know I'm gonna be bacxlashed for this but hell, even Lappi, JUST for Japan would've been a safer bet, he was the only Hyundai driver to finish last year, and in 4th.
Now imagine Lappi say was 4th going into Sunday, even with Ott's mistake he'd now be 3rd.... a long way up from where Mikkelsen finished, where did Mikelsen finish?
This isn't to say Tänak didn't make a silly mistake (to say the least), but this is rally, sh*t happens, (Catalunya 2021 anyone?), I'm sure he's kicking himself about it and will be for sometime. The best thing to do now is to go with a freshmindset in 2025, starting again with 0 points, and NOT go off, puncture them Hankook tyres on the second stage of the rally and finish with a solid point scoring finish.

Comparing completely uncomparable. Point system, manu champs (all decided, due to Lappi and Suninen crashes last year).

This year on Friday Mikkelsen was told to push on a dirty road because of Neuville issues. Last year Lappi was told to drive as safe as possible to get to finish after Sordo and then Neuville crashed.

Btw. you did notice Lappi was actually behind Mikkelsen in Rally2 car most of Friday last year ?