[WRC] Rally Saudi Arabia 2025

[Rallyper]

Tänak started from 4th position and is currently fighting for the podium positions. At first I also thought that the last event should be less a lottery and more equal regarding the starting position, but my opinion is changing. If you are fighting for the championship and you know the last rally is full or surprises, then you have to keep that in mind and try to have a decent points advantage before this event.

So drivers DECIDE their points advantage? You have hundreds of different inputs in how to decide your season BEFORE going to the ultimate last round. I don´t buy your way of talking through the way things happen in SA.

[TypeR]

Tanak started 4th yesterday and is in the race.
Ogier and Evans are far behind because they hold back, chase points and title, not victory.

Much more interesting rally for final than Japan..
You have to maybe drive e-sim race to have 100% equal conditions and they should concentrate more on driving than whining about places.

[WRCStan]

Not completely sure of the focus for that message, but.. but.. but..

Well, I'm not really a fan of the situation where there is no equal playing field for everyone. Yes, it is part of the rally one way or another, but at the moment, if you are in the road position in the first 3-4 cars, you basically have zero chances to do anything meaningful for the entire rally.

We are also watching the title contenders "fighting" for places like 7 to 10. What kind of message does it send? How to explain it, and is it attractive to potential new fans and audience?

My statement was more about getting out of forests, particularly European, and rallying the world. It could have been clearer.

But I think only esports can truly offer an equal playing field. It is what it is. I remember when each team had sweeper cars go through, maybe they could bring that back? I'm not fussed. We have a good situation.

I also don't see getting punctures as a game of luck, I see not getting them as a game of luck. If we drive like this on roads like these ordinarily - we deserve punctures. I think there is a greater problem with expectations on the sport, show and tyre products. Too easy now to take the fastest time and think that's how it should be done (sweeping aside), when that is probably how it shouldn't be done but they got lucky.

Title contenders being 7-10th? So what. Football leagues can be won with a final game loss, World Cups on penalties etc. I don't think it sends any message. It's easy to see the championship is 14 rallies not one; points are given to ~10 cars; and it's not head-to-head matchplay or like tennis where it's winner goes through or something.A lLot of gimmicks could be thought up in trying to achieve something that doesn't matter.

[deephouse]

WRC is world championship. It should be hard for everyone everytime. And being fast, smart or consistent belongs beside that. Also a bit of luck, but tires can be destroyed sometimes by many impacts or just one. That's the part of sport because of the nature where this things run, everywhere and in every possible condition and weather. Maintaning and managing or choosing tires also play big part what your outcone of rally will be.

That's why sometimes (or many times) the title is decided by many of those factors and not just dominating stages, like we've been used with Loeb or Ogier before (or Kalle).

[trykmann]

So drivers DECIDE their points advantage? You have hundreds of different inputs in how to decide your season BEFORE going to the ultimate last round. I don´t buy your way of talking through the way things happen in SA.

Obviously they can't decide how much points they have before the last event. The season just consists of 14 events and all the title contenders had a chance to give their best in the first 13 events. It is a long term strategy to win a championship and the title contenders have to give their best to have a reasonable advantage before this event. It is no reason to complain if they weren't able to do that. It is a world rally championship, that has to include different surfaces and road conditions. Monte is also a full lottery, where sometimes the first runner has ice on the road and for later runners it has already melted.

[Rallyper]

Obviously they can't decide how much points they have before the last event. The season just consists of 14 events and all the title contenders had a chance to give their best in the first 13 events. It is a long term strategy to win a championship and the title contenders have to give their best to have a reasonable advantage before this event. It is no reason to complain if they weren't able to do that. It is a world rally championship, that has to include different surfaces and road conditions. Monte is also a full lottery, where sometimes the first runner has ice on the road and for later runners it has already melted.

Strategy but not deciding, I buy that. Still strategy can be blown out by two punctures instead of one... or none...

[Negaiss]

OK. At this point top 3 has understood, that win might be actually possible. And Tanak is also in fight and will push like crazy. So top 4 will tell at stage interviews, that they control the pace, but actually they all know, that they do not controll anything but are pushing way over the risk limit. I would say, that two cars out of top 4 wont make it to the end of this day. I personally hope, that Sesks will stay in fight, but to be honest he is the one who is most likely to do the mistake first. Fourmaux has a small adavatige, because he will be able to slow down after hearing or seeing competitor on the side of the road.

[CeskyOndra]

The sand just doesnt suit Evans so much. Same as Sardegna or Greece.

[TypeR]

How did Katsuta get off these massive rocks.. unbelievable

[TypeR]

Ogier FR puncture, but just at the end of stage

E: without red alert, it would have been unnoticed by regular eye..
Nothing bad