To Jost Capito: Regarding the layout of the WRC

[AndyRAC]

Why does WRC need any change? For me the sport, as it is, is perfect. The main problem FIA should work on is not the "content", the problem is the "package". Capito wants to make WRC a TV-event, in my opinion this is not possible, it's not F1. It can be a great TV sport, in the way Eurosport did with IRC (remember Monte Carlo). But that requires some effort. In stead of destroying our sport by changing the fundamentals, the promotor should work on its job! I remember the time on this forum where everyone complained there "still" was no promotor for WRC. Now we have a promotor for more than a year, nothing has changed...

I'd agree. The only thing that needs to change is the promotion - it's been pretty much nothing. It seems all promoters want to do is put it on 'Pay TV', and that is their job done.

I saw plenty of tweets today from various RedBull accounts about the WingsForLife World Run event - why don't they do similar when there is a WRC event?

They need to pull their finger out and get promoting; the 'new' WRC website is still rubbish.... Simply not good enough.

[Rallyper]

Or formula one making the last lap fastest time the winner...

To be honest. WRC as today isn´t the same as for 10-20 years ago. The time doesn´t stand still. Neither the development, nor media or spectators. Today so may other sports are competitiors to rallying. Changes should be done, more in the way the promotor shows the events. But it costs money and they seems not have any to develop.

So many thing can be done in this area.

[wrc1600]

Why does WRC need any change? For me the sport, as it is, is perfect. The main problem FIA should work on is not the "content", the problem is the "package". Capito wants to make WRC a TV-event, in my opinion this is not possible, it's not F1. It can be a great TV sport, in the way Eurosport did with IRC (remember Monte Carlo). But that requires some effort. In stead of destroying our sport by changing the fundamentals, the promotor should work on its job! I remember the time on this forum where everyone complained there "still" was no promotor for WRC. Now we have a promotor for more than a year, nothing has changed...

Agree, content is perfect, package is none existing in some rallies but that is promoter problem. Somehow Eurosport managed to bring the best of WRC even without live/power stages. If Redbull media can't cope with it maybe they shouldn't do it.

[Doon]

I'm not a fan of changing the format at all, and really despise the idea of the final stage shootout. If there is to be a compromise then this may work;

At the end of the penultimate stage, the overall deficits are divided by 5. i.e. if for example;

1. Ogier
2. Latvala +3.5
3. Hirvonen +10.0
4. Meeke +15.5
5. Ostberg +38.5

Going into the final stage the times would become;

1.Ogier
2. Latvala +0.7
3. Hirvonen +2.0
4. Meeke +3.1
5. Osberg +7.7

The final stage will be run twice and they will be the only stages run on the last day. The top 20 will run in reverse. They will be +20Km each ( +40Km in total), live on TV, full of fans. It means a driver who has dropped a minute in the previous 2 days can still win as they only have 12s to make up.

It was used in X Games Rally in 2006, I thought it was a stupid idea at the time, but it did make the final stage exciting and I'd much prefer that to the final stage shootout.

One thing that worries me in the shootout, is for example if 2nd and 3rd place crash out, will the 4th placed car only get 3rd as that was the car that they were competing against? Does 2nd still keep 2nd? Or is it a DNF? So much CAN happen on a final stage, lets not ruin that, but we can enhance the excitement.

[Doon]

^ the final stage shootout doesn't reward the best driver who has build up a lead throughout the event. This format does give the leader an advantage going into the final 2 stages, plus it gives the driver in 3rd/5th/7th etc a chance to gain places, whereas in the shootout all they can do is loose points!

Just imagine, 2 stages and 40km to run, with the top 5 split by 10s, all live on TV. Now that does sound exciting!

[makinen_fan]

One thing that worries me in the shootout, is for example if 2nd and 3rd place crash out, will the 4th placed car only get 3rd as that was the car that they were competing against? Does 2nd still keep 2nd? Or is it a DNF? So much CAN happen on a final stage, lets not ruin that, but we can enhance the excitement.

This is the least of my worries. I agree that a lot can happen in the last stage but with the current format, 3 points does not worth risking 15 points to push the VWs for stage win. But if it kept as a separate event (as someone proposed above) I think most of the drivers will be keen to push more and have some more action going on (for those that want crashes drama etc).

But whatever the format, their coverage would suck and be just as boring as it is at the moment. Personally I find it better to hear the radio than watching their TV coverage, there is no passion in their commentary in contrast with Colin Clark that transfers the stage atmosphere as it happens. Viewing the stage in mexico live I just wanted Paul King to shut up because the only thing he cared to comment was how far they were jumping and if they were flat on the jump. And who is that woman doing the end of stage interviews? She has no clue what is going on.
Also they really have to work hard on their camera positioning and the selected spots they choose and the overall review format. Is there any other sport in the world where fans prefer watching amateur youtube videos than the official coverage of the promoter...?

When they solve these things among others (see website, timing, twitter updates) and understand what is special about our sport, then they can start fiddling with the format.

[Toyoda]

This idea is better than the final stage shoot out, nice one, all though change for changes sake?

We could also consider a v8 super car format

So each event is a round and there is a winner of the overall round

More points for the large race winner (in this case a 2 day rally)

Then two smaller races (2 single super special stages (or power stages) on the final day )
Road position dictated by the 2 day rally

Perhaps half the points of the 2 day rally/race for each of the sss stages/races.

Seems wrong to use the word race in rally...but you get the idea...

[Eli]

god i just heard his interview with Collin, he's such an idiot,what a stupid and complicated idea, when will he realize that the Internet is the way forward!!!!! i mean look at rallycross -Online f***ing live!!! streaming!!!

[Jack4688`]

I've also seen a suggestion to follow the example of FiS Cross Country ski-ing; I'm not sure that would work. But it would be better than this 'shoot out' concept.

And what would that be? Please enlighten us

[Lundefaret]

I come from a medium size country with a population so scarce the words "neighbour" and "city", in their general European understanding, really are not relevant.
In this country we are absolutly mad about sports. Since the climate is off the kind that only apeals to the true enusiast of frost bite and the following gangrene, sports involving the word "ski" is on the top of the interest curve.
But we have exceptions to the rule. Number one is soccer. Even tough the green grass is only visible from beneeth the snow every fourth year - or there abouts.
But we also have other exeptions, of a more exeptional nature. Sports that really should not appeal to the general public, atleast not as a TV-sport, but does - beqause of a set of circomstanses (that word cant be spelled corectly?. Petter Solberg helped bring rallying not only in the newspapers, but on to the front page. But we have even better examples, and the best one, the sport that really takes off on television in Norway right now, is the extremly not entertaining game of Chess!
Yep - Chess is one of the biggest successes in Norway the last couple of years.
Well... Since the sport is not called Chess-skiing, the answer to the question "WHY THE HELL????!!!" must be something else.
Well, in Magnus Carlsen we have the new world champion in chess. This helps. But the young Mr. Carlsen, tough not completly without a sence of houmor, is what You can describe as an (extremly) introvert person. He is not the person to come out of the TV-screen and touch the audience, to put it mildly.
But, VG, wich is the largest newspaper in Norway, and has the largest internet-site, has taken chess under its wings, and made it to something special. Something that reaches far beyond the viewers this sport really desserves, if You only look at what it really consists of. To men sitting downat a table thinking really hard. And making small movements every half hour or so.
Well, how has Norways largest and most tabloid newspaper made this into a viewing frenzy?
Have they done it by dumbing it down? Showing chess "for the masses" by comenting really simple so everybody should understand?
No!
They have done the complete oposite. They have taken the nerd-factor to elleven!
VGs own commentator is a chess fan, this helps, but the real stroke of genious comes from how they have picked their expert commentator.
(Follow this link to see a picture of him: http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Olav_Lahlum)
He is a super nerd, in the best possible meaning of the term, and has a genious level of competence and knowledge.

This - I believe - is the true challenge of Rallying. We need the expert commentators, and the expert angle, to make the sport interesting. We should not think of the audience being stupid, we should smarten up!

I have earlier described rallying as chess at 200 km/h. There are so many factors You can bring forward to make the viewing more interesting.
- Ingeneering
- Tactics
- Driving technique
- Strategy
- Pace notes
- etc

But You should do it the nerd way, not the superficial way. Go deep!
Stage end commentators should know enough to answer the right questions.
The teams should be forced to openness.
The engineers should be interviewed regularly.
The audience should be let in to the deepest aspects, team meetings, etc etc.

And regarding broadcasting, a combination of internett and TV would be the perfect one.