214 replies to this topic

[ezequiel]

No British round on the 2015 plan? A world championship without a race in the UK isn't worthy of the name.

 

Don't be so ethnocentric, please...

[chunder27]

To be utterly blunt

 

This is only a world champoinships by name.

 

it is still basically the ETCC, is run, promoted and screened by Eurosport who have been backed by Total for years and now a French manufacturer is dominating.

 

It is not as big over here as BTCC, never was even when Priaulx was winning and they troed to get crowds in at Brands.

 

Palmer isnt interested in anything but his own series and BSB, and Silverstone is struggling, which only leaves Donington and I would imagine, like most alleged world champioships, there are plety of countries willing to pay over the odds to have somewhere to publicise theri President on European telly.

 

No loss really is it

[BRG]

Don't be so ethnocentric, please...

Absolutely.  Britain is only the centre of world motor sport, no reason why it should have any world championship rounds when there are countries like Mongolia and Bhutan that have to be considered.

[chunder27]

To be even more blunt

 

It is onlt the centre of certain forms of motor racing.

 

If you want parts for ovalracing you go to America. If you want advice, yoou go there too.

 

I would suggest Scandinavia is the centre for rallycross and some aspects of rallying.  Germany for endurance racing with the WEC teams adn VLN form there.

 

Italy, Japan, Australia all have their little cottage areas.

 

But, in fairness a lot of them will be using British parts in them somewhere along the line.

 

But, as a fan of UK short oval racing, most of the tech there in the higest levels at least in V8 racing is from the USA.

[ezequiel]

López will continue with Citroën next season after rejecting, apparently, an offer from Mercedes-Benz DTM team. But, it seems, Citroën is seriously planning to enter the DTM on their own, perhaps in 2016 (I understand the rumour of Citroën entering DTM is not new at all and it has never materialized so far, but this time it could be for real). There are good chances he could also race the entire WEC season, but it's not known in which category or which team with. And there's is a chance he could work as test driver for some F1 team, managed by an old acquaintance and good friend of him, that he visited this year not only at the Belgian GP, but that he may have visited at their base not so long ago to test in their simulator (and impress with his work)...

[SenorSjon]

No British round on the 2015 plan? A world championship without a race in the UK isn't worthy of the name.

 

Which British brand would compete then? Rover?

[chunder27]

He is probably being paid more by Citroen I would imagine

 

Their budget seems to dwarf even DTM manufacturer ones.

 

Hence their winning is largely discredited in a lot of peoples eyes as they had a year headstart on a bunch of privateers!

[Disgrace]

It's probably more a question of manufacturer loyalty. Citroen clearly have the big bucks to spend in whichever series they choose. There's no sense in moving if he's got an idea of the future roadmap.

[chunder27]

I canty really see them competing in DTM.

 

But then again who would ahve thought Volvo would get into Aus v8, I guess the UTV market is so huge for the XC90 they are trying for that market.

 

Citroen make cheap family cars these days, their days of tech, fantasy are behind them.

 

DTM is for exectuive brands. And Citroen is very far from that.

[BRG]

Which British brand would compete then? Rover?

Which Argentinian brand is competing then?  Which Moroccan brand?  Which Hungarian brand? Which Portuguese brand?  Which Chinese brand?  Which Gulf States brand?

[TimRTC]

Fact is, Britain is a saturated market for car sales. I'm pretty sure most of the UK has heard of Citroen and the Honda Civics already run in the BTCC. You can't even buy the Lada in Britain so no point them racing here (although they do have British drivers  )

 

There is simply no need for the manufacturers to exhibit their wares in the UK. It is one of the main reasons the DTM left as well.

[chunder27]

I would also imagine the DTM were asking the track to pay a fee, and we all know Palmer is in the business of promoting his own series as much as anything else.

 

So I would guess tyhere was perhaps a bit of both going on there, he replaced it with his big American themed thing and got a massive crowd I recall?  Though not sure about this years event.

[ezequiel]

He is probably being paid more by Citroen I would imagine

 

 

That's for sure. López was earning more money racing in three different championships in Argentina until 2013 than racing this season exclusively with a works team in WTCC. In fact, the top drivers in Argentina have such good earnings that they are discouraged in following an international campaign.

[Doughnut King]

 

it is still basically the ETCC, is run, promoted and screened by Eurosport who have been backed by Total for years and now a French manufacturer is dominating.

 

Eurosport treat it poorly despite all this. I tried watching the highlights last Sunday afternoon. They missed the start and only showed one race.

 

I've read elsewhere that during the live broadcast they cut to the ads just as the grid was forming up, missing the start.

 

I, thankfully, chose to record the much more entertaining V8 Supercar race.

Edited by Doughnut King, 28 October 2014 - 23:36.

[Pablo Vignone]

That's for sure. López was earning more money racing in three different championships in Argentina until 2013 than racing this season exclusively with a works team in WTCC. In fact, the top drivers in Argentina have such good earnings that they are discouraged in following an international campaign.

 

Sorry, but your first statement is utterly wrong.