Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2014

[stefanvv]

Is it just mine impression, or Evans actually raised his pace after 1st day's disaster?
Congrats to the Winner of course, he is just collecting to fruits of his tallent and hard work without much troubles. The troubles other drivers are making themselves sometimes.

[Lundefaret]

While all the discussion about drivers and their talent is interesting, it is very polarised.

Most world class sports people will tell you that talent will only get you so far. The rest is self belief, commitment, and courage.

If your mind is not in the right space, all the talent in the world will not get you anywhere. Ogier believes he is entitled. That belief raises his enthusiasm, concentration, and courage.

You must believe you are a winner to be a winner.

If you want to believe modern science regarding what it takes to be a master of your field it states that you have to practice (with the correct practice) for at least 10.000 hours, wich is the same as 20 hours a week during a period of 10 years.
If you take the different aspects of rallying in account and do a simple categorisation, you will end up with something like this:
1) Driving technique
2) Pace notes
3) Startegy/risk management
4) Car set up

If you want to be a master of all these fields it would take about 40.000 hours, or 40 hours a week for 20 years. And all the practise has to be the correct practice.

This is almost impossible, and this again underlines that every driver has more potential, even Loeb, ans especially Ogier.

To put it this way, what would have the best effect speeding up Jari Matti Latvala:
1) Give him more belief in him self?
2) Give him more currage?
3) Give him more comitment?
4) Give him more enthusiasm?
5) Or give him more understanding/knowledge/competence in the four fields of driving technique, pace notes, startegy/risk management and car set up?

[AdvEvo]

Ogier and VW are playing with all the other contenders. It s just like Mercedes F1 now. Were all other drivers/teams needs to take very high risk and go to full 100% to even be close to VW. At VW the drivers can go 90% and still be faster then anybody else. You need to stay on the road of course. Ogier can win every rally, driving on 90%. Ford, Citroen and Hyundai needs much better cars and drivers who can stay on the road!

[Lundefaret]

To stefanvv:

I think that Evans comment on stage end of the power stage answers that. He said that the he in first part of the stage moved the car around to much, and that he drove better in the second part.

Important notices about this comment:
1) He reflects on his own inputs in the car, not the set up, tires etc. This is the correct attitude, and the only way to get faster.
- Your job as a driver is to improve your selvf.
- The job of improving the car is the responsability of the engineer.

2) He has an understanding that the car should not "move about" more than nessecary. The drivers are playing with a mass of about 1300 kg. It is a wise tought to move this heavy item in the optimal direction for the optimal amount of time. Every time this mass is heading in an unwanted direction you have to use energy to correct it. This will slow down the speed in the direction of travel, and will also lead to excessive component wear, including of course the tires.

To answer your question: Yes, Evans is picking up speed, and he is doing it beqause of all the right reasons. But he still has A LOT to learn.

[AdvEvo]

You should put rally drivers on a race track and learn how to drive clean. Slides costs time. Wheelspin costs time. Only slide when it s necessary to keep the nose in.

[stefanvv]

8! With @SebOgier’s win @rallydeportugal, #Volkswagen equal a #Citroën record with 8 #WRC victories in a row. #proud #PoloRWRC

I think VW will do at least twice of this, what do you think?

[Lundefaret]

Ogier and VW are playing with all the other contenders. It s just like Mercedes F1 now. Were all other drivers/teams needs to take very high risk and go to full 100% to even be close to VW. At VW the drivers can go 90% and still be faster then anybody else. You need to stay on the road of course. Ogier can win every rally, driving on 90%. Ford, Citroen and Hyundai needs much better cars and drivers who can stay on the road!

Ogier and VW are not playing with the other contenders. Ogier is, regardless of wich car he is in. If you take Ogier out of VW, VW is left wanting.

And no, rallydrivers can not drive like the "classic" racing driver, beqause they have to have risk management as a much higher priority. The latest rule changes regarding tires/downforce etc etc, has actually forced racing drivers to drive more like Loeb (Nose End First)
Race car driving is changing in the direction away from the classic "smooth line drivers" like Jenson Button, towards the Nose End First driving style.
In Formula 1/racing they call it "straight line driving", and "straight line accelerating", and the guru is Rob Wilson.

[Rallyper]

If you want to believe modern science regarding what it takes to be a master of your field it states that you have to practice (with the correct practice) for at least 10.000 hours, wich is the same as 20 hours a week during a period of 10 years.
If you take the different aspects of rallying in account and do a simple categorisation, you will end up with something like this:
1) Driving technique
2) Pace notes
3) Startegy/risk management


4) Car set up

If you want to be a master of all these fields it would take about 40.000 hours, or 40 hours a week for 20 years. And all the practise has to be the correct practice.

This is almost impossible, and this again underlines that every driver has more potential, even Loeb, ans especially Ogier.

To put it this way, what would have the best effect speeding up Jari Matti Latvala:
1) Give him more belief in him self?
2) Give him more currage?
3) Give him more comitment?
4) Give him more enthusiasm?
5) Or give him more understanding/knowledge/competence in the four fields of driving technique, pace notes, startegy/risk management and car set up?

What you forget is the most important besides all you counted up:

MONEY!!! (Or sponsors with money regardless you crash all the time) Without that all above isn´t counted for anything but maybe your home village rally once a year.

[stefanvv]

To stefanvv:

I think that Evans comment on stage end of the power stage answers that. He said that the he in first part of the stage moved the car around to much, and that he drove better in the second part.

Important notices about this comment:
1) He reflects on his own inputs in the car, not the set up, tires etc. This is the correct attitude, and the only way to get faster.
- Your job as a driver is to improve your selvf.
- The job of improving the car is the responsability of the engineer.

2) He has an understanding that the car should not "move about" more than nessecary. The drivers are playing with a mass of about 1300 kg. It is a wise tought to move this heavy item in the optimal direction for the optimal amount of time. Every time this mass is heading in an unwanted direction you have to use energy to correct it. This will slow down the speed in the direction of travel, and will also lead to excessive component wear, including of course the tires.

To answer your question: Yes, Evans is picking up speed, and he is doing it beqause of all the right reasons. But he still has A LOT to learn.

Yes, good for him realizes that on-time. In this way he can avoid mistakes (also improve himself, sure), like fresh example lets take JML's off.
Don't agree car development is responsibility of the engineers at all. Actually a driver dezines the car behaviour, the quality is then responsibility of the engineers. Sr. Sainz dezined Polo R WRC's behaviour (later Ogier - as fresh example, Loeb & Citroen are different "beers" from near past).

[Andre Oliveira]

Alongside WRC, on day 2, has Promotion with the 3 regionals championship: http://ewrc-results.com/foto.php?e=1...ocão-2014