There's been a bit of discussion about the state of WRC in the Red Bull thread - no idea why - but i'd like to post my view here where it's actually ON-topic.

Post from 2ms below is in relevance to the Japanese manufacturors quitting.



No, the origins of their leaving were when the FIA moved away from production-based vehicles to 'frankenstein-spec' World Rally Cars... circa 2001.

Subaru & Mitsubishi were interested when their competition cars had direct link to their top-spec road machines, in this case the STi & Evo. Once the move to non-production based vehicles began - to placate the european carmakers, frankly - the STi/22B, Escort, & Evo-based machines rapidly became uncompetitive. And that's a shame for all of us who loved and owned those homologated vehicles and enjoyed the direct link to the rally cars.

With a reasonable budget, a Group A engine could be slotted straight into your Evo 6 and with some bracing, braking, and suspension modifications you could build a pretty good replica of a WRC machine that could be immediately on the pace at any national rally in any county of the world.

Now it's all going full circle. Mark my words - these Super 2000 cars will NOT save rally from getting smaller and smaller, and less relevent. Only a move back to 4WD turbo cars based on production homologated vehicles, that manufacturors can then hang their marketing efforts on, will see rally return to it's glory days. The public want to see FAST cars with turbo blow off valves and anti-lag providing the aural sensations it always gave us.

There is no doubt, that 2litre Turbo Charged cars have been the thing that people have enjoyed watching and I fully agree that the shift to non manufactured WRC cars, i.e. you cannot go and buy a Citroen C4 Turbo 4x4 in the showrooms, was indeed the turning point for World Championship Rallying. I discuss this in much more detail in my World Rallying State of the Union thread.

Unfortunately, the WRC started to become steered by Citroen, who had Rallying's golden boy in Loeb and M-Sport, who finally convinced Ford to give their operation proper support and bingo.... you have two manufacturers starting to go head to head.. while as you say, Subaru and Mitsubishi felt that a WRC machine was now becoming far too specialist. Unfortunately, the organisers of the championship did not have the balls to turn to the last two manufacturers and say...'we thank you for your support...but the championship is dying, here's what we are going to do in 5 years time'. Instead the idiots at ISC/NOS allowed the current two manufacturers to become too powerful and have too much say it how the championship runs (to suit them) with unfortunately, very little intervention by Morrie Chandler at the FIA.

What we now have, are the same groups looking after their best interests YET again and using the championship as their own personal play thing, something which fortunately Jean Todt has spotted and seems intent on changing.

If you look at all the comments made by Simon Long and Neil Duncanson at the start of the year in Monaco....pretty much most of it was shot down recently with some very well chosen words by Jean Todt and suddenly, the comical duo have been extremely quiet in their statements as they have been proven to not have a single clue as to what they are doing and practically been given a public 'slap' as such by the new FIA boss.

The 1.6 Litre Turbo engine debarcle is frankly astonishing. No one has any reservations that a smaller engine is the way to go for the future, but it was the timing of introduction next year that was staggering.... WHY? Because Citroen/PSA and M-Sport/Ford had already done a deal that this should be the way forward, with support coming from Dave Richards saying...yes we will be there with the Mini programme....but that still only makes 3 manufacturers total...

This is the greatest concern of Jean Todt and from what I understand, unless the WRC organisers can secure another manufacturer (they are hoping on Skoda/VW) then it maybe that the plans for 1600cc Turbo's will be pushed back and rightly so. From what I understand, VW prefers the idea of 1400cc Turbo's or sticking with 2Litre Turbo but running on Gas/Biofuel. Alfa Romeo are also reported to be interested in a 1400cc Turbo engine series, along with Fiat. Opel would seem the natural group to join the fray with a 1600cc Turbo WRC car, but they are practically broke and why join a championship to make up the numbers and make your cars look inferior just because you do not have development budget to truly compete....aka Suzuki with the failed SX4 WRC car and the Skoda Fabia WRC car. The other manufacturer who have declared their interest in 1600cc Turbo engines is Proton, with a new engine designed and built with Lotus input, due to be released in 2011. It may be that MEM can turn the S2000 Satria Neo into a 1600cc Turbo WRC car relatively easily and maybe a comittment as such from the Malaysian firm, along with the Mini entry...will be enough to seal the 1600T formula....

Now to me....Logic would say....OK...lets push the 1600cc Turbo regs back to ideally 2013 (but 2012 could work)....run S2000 regs from 2011 till then. However it were down to me, I would also announce that the Junior World Championship and J-WRC cars would become 1400cc Turbo machines and propose to National championships that they adopt the 1400cc Turbo formula as their primary championship level, leaving the WRC the clear pinnacle of the sport at 1600cc Turbo.

This would then enable IRC to switch to the 1400cc Turbo regs as well, all the while maintaining Group N4 for the likes of Subaru and Mitubishi, however I can see both manufacturers coming back to the WRC with smaller cars in the future (which we might be able to buy) once the engine regs have been finally sorted.

The fact is, the WRC/ISC/NOS, M-Sport and Kronos Citroen 'CIRCUS' known as the WRC, were caught offguard at the support that the IRC suddenly started attracting and suddenly their plans were thrown into doubt, when another International Championship can claim greater manufacturer support, coupled with a new FIA President who actually remembers the true glory days of the World Rally Championship and not this 'sham' claim by Neil Duncanson at NOS that the championship is at fantastic levels of popularity. I suspect someone at the FIA will be tasked with telling Mr Duncanson that he needs to shut up, as he is clearly not on the same wavelength at Mr Todt.

BUT................

All of that said...........

I truly am extremely happy and genuinely excited that Jean Todt has made such a public pledge to get the WRC back to where it should be and I actually believe that in 3 years time, we may be looking at a popularity once again, at levels of days gone by.... but that will be NOTHING to do with North One Sport and EVERYTHING to do with Jean Todt and his team of guys lead by Juha Kankkunen, to help steer the rudderless ship to much calmer and safer waters.

Until then... Lock Neil Duncanson in a broom closet somewhere and tape his mouth and advise Mr Long....that he is LONGGGGGGGGG overdue to retire from a role in Rallying!

As to this year... Ken Block will add some colour.... Kimi Raikkonen will bring some much needed fan interest...and Sebastien will once again just win the title from Hirvonen for the 7th title of his career.... bit parts and cameo roles will be had by Marcus Gronholm in the Stobart Focus and Petter Solberg in his own run Citroen C4 team.... all of which will claimed as 'Incredible, Fantastic, Better than ever, Awesome, An amazing new look and feel brought to you by NOS', etc, etc, etc......

Role on Rally Sweden.... my podium prediction....

1: Loeb
2: Latvala
3: Gronholm

followed by:
4: Hirvonen (will have been leading but pushing with his new 'aggresion' will cost him)
5: Sordo
6: Solberg P
7: Ogier
8: Raikkonen

FlatOverCrest, my dear rallying friend, how do you rate Hirvonen's chances this season?

I guess it's an indictment of the lack of competition in WRC to say he's probably the only threat to Loeb this year, but do you believe he has the momentum behind him to clinch his first title, whereas Loeb is merely clinging on to his perch? Hirvonen was ultra-consistent last year and was on the podium on all rallies bar Argentina (due to mechanical failure?) whilst Loeb had that mid-season blip?

I think if Hirvonen can hit the ground running this year, he has the best chance ever of clinching the title - or is this a case of my glass being half-full rather than half-empty?

I would agree sir....BUT...

He has stated that he needs to be more aggresive and assertive this year...which as we know, in rallying terms means taking bigger risks! I suspect he may well be faster this year, but I also expect him to go out of a few more events due this slight increase in 'assertiveness' However with such little true competition...its there for the taking with probably just one guy to beat! He just happens to be a 6 time world champion!

Post #119 was an excellent summary of events, FOC.

Kimi Swedish Rally preview in Finnish:

A SNOWY PREMIERE

Isn't it so in the theater that after a bad dress rehearsal you have a good premiere. Hopefully the same applies to me on the rally-stage.

Our practice - the Arctic Rally - didn't go that bad but there was that one blunder which should not happen again in Sweden.

It's really cool to go racing and start the season. You always enjoy it and it's what I've always wanted to do most.

My feelings are terribly great as always before the season's opening race. When you are a racer all you want to do is race. It's great that the rally season starts now while in F1 you had to wait for one month longer.

I know I don't have too much of rally experience but out of the five rallies I've raced three on snow. That's why it's good that the first WRC-rally is the same element.

But the snow isn't any easy surface. You have to drive very precisely in a clean driving line so there won't be any extra program.

In Arctic I got a good feeling of snow and we got to compare our pace to Dani Sordo's pace. Well, Sordo went but that's how it was supposed to go when the guy is driving in a gang of the four best in the world.

We know with Lindström's Kaitsu where the difference came from. Now we have excercised with those things and tried to get the package in as good shape as possible for Sweden.

I need to get the car more comfortable to drive so that I know how it behaves and how it turns. Of course I also have to adapt my own driving style at the same time.

In Arctic rally our advantage was that we got to drive the rally with the same tyres we will use in Sweden.

People ask me all the time about what's my goal. I don't want to start acting rashly with those things because it's useless. We just try to get some good rallies in the beginning and start to lift the pace as soon as there's a possibility for it.

I'm going into an unfamiliar world now. All rallies except Jyväskylä are completely new experiences for me. That's why I have so much to learn and I have no idea of my own pace at this point.

We have been hashing over this but the truth is that the rally gang is much more laid-back than the people on the F1-paddock are. These guys like to do everything together and we talk much more freely about driving.

If I don't find the pace it's for sure not because others don't want to advice me and help a newbie.

(Translation courtesy of Nicole)

Do some one know what was the gap between gronholm and Solberg in the recent rally they did together, and after how many kilometers?

thanks

Kimi's car has sustained some damage at the front wheel area, because a private car drove into him at a crossing. The accident wasn't Kimi's fault, but because of the damage to his car, he has lost some time to make pacenotes.

http://nwt.se/sport/rally/article657431.ece

Thats a bit of bad luck, it sounds like he was driving a recce car, i guess thats not the car used in the event ?

Yeah, looks like a white Lancer Evolution they use for the recce. Still, no pace notes is going to hurt quite a bit.

Great. Just great. How unlucky does this guy have to be..
Im betting the guy who hit him doesnt exactly feel like Einstein at this time.

Well he may not have lost too much recce time. And it could be possible for Kaj to translate any missing parts from one of the other Citroen teams maybe.

Oh, yeah, I didn't mean they were going to have a huge gap of no notes. Definitely get some notes from Loeb or Sordo or whatever. But, still, it wouldn't be HIS own notes so he might not be totally confident in them.

Yep Xaus, its something he could have done without, I wonder if he'll get another opportunity, I thought they had more than one pass to compile the notes, though i'm not sure, my rally is a bit rusty.

Desdi, it looks like the gods aren't making it easy for him, but i'm sure he'll cope with it, and as with the off in Finland, better to have the accidents now than on a stage, at least it sounds like he's blameless in this instance. Fingers crossed that it's the last unanticipated "event".

Things happen in racing, especially rally.

SVULLY RALLY DAHBI RESULTS

1. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills (N/GB) Citroen C4 WRC 1:14.29,3
2. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen (FIN) Subaru Impreza WRX STI N14 +5.30,6

But as you see...Gronholm was using a VERY basic Subaru Challenge spec Group N car...so no real comparison could be had versus a full WRC machine.

Hope that helps.

The season full of events. Loeb to give a ride to Kimi? Great guy Great champion. I love the guy. He sure believing that Loeb is faster than Kimi i Sweden...

I knew he was on a group N.
I saw his interview where he was very happy of his performance there and it helps to guess his level in sweden.

If I had to give my top 8, I would put H Solberg in the top 8, thus removing KR, and I would put P Solberg in front of Sordo and Gronholm (compare to your predictions)

I hope Mikko won't crash due to his new aggressivity

New points system for the WRC: http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&a...ints+allocation

What's the point? (see what I did there?)

This makes sense in F1, but in a championship where there's barely 10 serious competitors...?

Maybe the idea is exactly to attract more cars.

Pretty stupid indeed. Hopefully it will be useful in the future with more drivers around, but it is completely unnecessary this year.

I accept the principle that FIA World Championships have similar point-scoring systems, but this is pretty silly. They should have waited for 1-2 years and see, if there are more cars to compete for those points. I would rather have returned to 10-6-4-3-2-1 in situation we have 4 cars that can challenge for top spots.

Maybe the idea behind the new points system is to help ensure that the non-rallying press will have a better chance of leading with a ''Raikonnen scores points on WRC debut'' headline?

WRC 2009 (mistakes guaranteed)
1. Loeb 229
2. Hirvonen 220
3. Sordo 151
4. Latvala 104
5. P.Solberg 86
6. H.Solberg 86
7. Wilson 76
8. Ogier 61
9. Villagra 44
10. Rautenbach 28
11. Østberg 22
12. al-Qassimi 22
13. Novikov 12
14= Atkinson 10
14= Rantanen 10
16. Hołowczyc 8
17. al-Attiya 7
18. Ketomaa 6
19. Aava 5
20. Araújo 5
21. Athanasulas 4
22= Boland 2
22= Sandell 2
22= Marchetto 2
22= Paddon 2
22= Brynildsen 2
27. Prokop 2
28= Ligato 1
28= Bebenek 1
28= Hänninen 1
28= Snobeck 1

I'm not sure what the big deal is? It's going back to the similar points system before it adopted the F1-style points. Right?

It's that this points system in its weighting of the merits of finishing in position X only is suitable for a series with enough depth of field, where competition down to the final point is tough. This will hold true for F1, but the last few years the WRC really has had such thin grids that awarding points only to the top six would have made more sense. Sadly.

It seems like the incident wasn't as bad as was first made out.

– Kimi was about to make a U-turn after taking the wrong road. That's when the other car crashed into him from the left side. The car was only slightly damaged according to Marek Nawarecki, publicist in Citroën Junior team.

According to Nawarecki it was another rally driver who crashed into Räikkönen and that's probably the reason why the police wasn't called.

– I think that they solved the problem together and Kimi was able to finish his pace notes without any problems.

(Translation thanks to Nicole)

Not the first time thats happened and wont be the last!

Unfortunately sense never really comes into any fia decisions.....

When the last points change (6 winners to 8) occured F1 followed soon after, it would appear that this time it's the other way around. Seems the FIA wants it's two 'flagship' series to be more in line with each other.

When is Sordo going to get his win?

I actually think he may have a chance in Mexico...

Whenever he enters a tarmac round of the irc.....

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81356

I wonder.

With one day left to the first round? I'm more and more alienated with motorsport, it's so sad to see

If you're quick enough, you can listen to Total Rally interviewing Marcus Gronholm right now: www.totalrally.com

Kimiiiii...... ma boy! b careful man. don't really like the sound of all these unnecessary crashes etc.

Shakedown times so far:

http://www.rallysweden.com/WordPress/wrc/w...shakedown01.pdf

Shakedown times update:

http://www.rallysweden.com/WordPress/wrc/w...shakedown02.pdf

I think Petter will surprise this year. I'm surprised Ford didn't help give him a 2010 Focus to challenge Loeb/Citroen. He's a true privateer this year, with the resources to make some noise, and I'll be cheering for him.

Ford DID give him the option of a 2010 Focus. In fact, Malcolm Wilson was quite vocal in trying to get Petter to switch to a Ford. But, Petter himself did tests in the C4 and decided that was the best car to go with.

http://www.rallysweden.com/WordPress/wrc/w...shakedown03.pdf

http://www.rallysweden.com/WordPress/wrc_e...shakedown04.pdf

Ogier's looking good already. Kimi will struggle to match him, although sub 2:00 ain't bad.

Run 1: 2:11.2
Run 2: 2:06.3
Run 3: 2:03.9
Run 4: 2:00.7
Run 5: 1:59.7

That looks very good actually.

Loeb
1. 2:02.4
2. 1:58.6
3. 1:55.3
He did only three runs?

Anyway, what we need to look atis Kimi's improvement rate. He is a newbie so absolute times are not important.

1. Sordo 1.54.8
2. Loeb 1.55.3
3. Latvala 1.55.8
4. Hirvonen 1.56.0
5. Gronholm 1.56.2
6. Solberg P. 1.56.3
7. Ogier 1.57.4
8. Solberg H. 1.57.6
9. Ostberg 1.59.0
10. Räikkönen 1.59.3
11. Wilson 1.59.4
12. Alqassimo 2.00.8

Looks impressive to me. Rate of improvement round about the same as Loeb's, and his 4th run faster than Loeb's 1st.

See he's 10th overall, in the ballpark straight away .

I was under the impression it was too expensive for him to buy - in fact, I don't think he's getting any help from Citroen either (Citroen Norway is a bit sponsor as far as I know). So, when it comes to spending your own money, I guess a 2010 car was not an option. Either way, he should be plenty competitive this year as opposed to last.

http://www.rallysweden.com/WordPress/wrc/w...shakedown05.pdf