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2022 Rally Thread


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#1 BRG

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Posted 26 December 2021 - 17:52

With 2021 fast running out, time to look forward to 2022.

 

At the top table, some changes - hybrid cars, M-Sport upping their game with the return of Loeb, FIA chief Matton & champion Ogier leaving (or is he?).  The calendar is interesting with a welcome return to New Zealand, but apparently no Rally GB.  There is a gap in late August for Rally TBA which might (I hope) be for Ypres or will it be a Northern Ireland version of Rally GB?  Heaven knows how they would sort out the post-Brexit protocol issues...

 

WRC 2022

Monte Carlo Rally (January 20-23)
Rally Sweden (February 24-27)
Croatia Rally (April 21-24)
Rally Portugal (May 19-22)
Rally Italy (June 2-5)
Safari Rally Kenya (June 23-26)
Rally Estonia (July 14-17)
Rally Finland (August 4-7)
TBC (August 18-21)
Acropolis Rally (September 8-11)
Rally New Zealand (September 29-October 2)
Rally Spain (October 20-23)
Rally Japan (November 10-13)

 

In a flash-back to last year's will it, won't it? will Omicron scupper the Monte?  France is heavily restricted and us scummy Brits are forbidden to enter.  Will the current good snow survive two months to allow a proper Swedish Rally?  No sign of a fall-back Lapland #2 option this year.  And will Japan ever happen?  November is a long way off, but I remember saying that last year....

 

ERC 2022

Round 1: Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras (Portugal, gravel), March 12-13, 2022
Round 2: Azores Rallye (Gravel), March 26-27, 2022
Round 3: Rally Islas Canarias (Asphalt), May 13-14, 2022
Round 4: Rally Poland (Gravel), June 11-12, 2022
Round 5: Rally Latvia (Gravel), July 2-3, 2022
Round 6: Rally di Roma Capitale (Italy, asphalt), July 23-24, 2022
Round 7: Barum Czech Rally Zlín (Asphalt), August 27-28, 2022
Round 8: TBC

 

So no real change there, except that the WRC Promoter has taken over.  No rounds in France, Belgium, Finland or Ireland but what do those countries know about rallying after all!  :rolleyes:   Better to have a quarter of the rounds on distant off-shore islands...

 

Elsewhere, the increasingly irrelevant Dakar Rally will be trundling around Saudi Arabia between 1-14 January, if you are interested.  I am not, as you may have guessed!

 

Any other rallying news, comments or debates are welcome in this thread.  It isn't all about the WRC!


Edited by BRG, 26 December 2021 - 19:57.


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#2 Secretariat

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Posted 27 December 2021 - 13:51

WRC- I do hope Loeb eventually runs a significant part of the schedule and wish Ogier would stay around for a full schedule. I guess Rovanpera will be interesting to watch. As for other news, perhaps we should keep an eye out for the Baja 1000 later in 2022.



#3 ArnageWRC

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Posted 27 December 2021 - 15:48

The more events get hidden behind a paywall (which means WRC, ERC, World RX) the less interest we will see. These rallying threads are the perfect example; they disappear off the first page so quickly, that it's usually on page 4-5 after a day of inactivity. 

 

Agree about the the ERC, it needs a refresh, with some decent prestigious events, and should be a viable option to teams/ drivers....

 

I think it's interesting that the FIM/FiA have combined for the Rallye Raid World Championship - of which the Dakar is a round.



#4 BRG

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Posted 27 December 2021 - 16:07

True about paywalls.  We still get (I hope again in 2022) highlights on terrestrial TV but the ERC has been left in Eurosport's hands to wither on the vine.  Their hit and miss coverage has been tough to even keep up with - day 1 at 11pm, day 2 maybe on Tuesday at midnight.  Anything else takes precedence in the schedules - live synchronised dressage or the N. Yorkshire shove-halfpenny championship.

 

Mercifully, rallying is still strongly about the competitors, and the hardy spectators along the stages rather than the usual big commercial players.

 

perhaps we should keep an eye out for the Baja 1000 later in 2022.

Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to keep us informed!



#5 Myrvold

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Posted 27 December 2021 - 16:56

The more events get hidden behind a paywall (which means WRC, ERC, World RX) the less interest we will see. These rallying threads are the perfect example; they disappear off the first page so quickly, that it's usually on page 4-5 after a day of inactivity.

Agree about the the ERC, it needs a refresh, with some decent prestigious events, and should be a viable option to teams/ drivers....

I think it's interesting that the FIM/FiA have combined for the Rallye Raid World Championship - of which the Dakar is a round.


The one "positive" now is that WRC and ERC will be on the same online-sub.
Just too bad they dont throw WRX/ERX in the same.

#6 noikeee

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Posted 27 December 2021 - 18:47

We're in sort of a weird transitional limbo aren't we. Ogier is still the best, keeps threatening to retire but never does, Tanak did win one and was looking like the challenger but had an off year (will he repeat it?), and the real next big thing Rovanpera isn't quite there yet. Meanwhile Evans has become a tidy driver but probably not quite fast enough, Neuville is fast enough but doesn't look like he'll ever learn to handle pressure, and somehow resurrecting Loeb now seems to be the answer.

We're just waiting for Rovanpera to become the next dominant guy aren't we. Or for the WRC to finally collapse.

#7 messy

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Posted 27 December 2021 - 18:47

I think the WRC will probably be reasonably open in 2022 and it’ll be nice to see the likes of Tanak, Neuville and Evans going head to head without Ogier to worry about. I don’t want Ogier to do much. His domination has been a major issue, mainly I think that his unspectacular, ‘keep it pointing the right way and collect’ style didn’t exactly stir the emotions. And nobody else really did because he cleaned up and nobody else really got the chance to be successful enough to stir the emotions. And Hyundai stockpiling Tanak and Neuville then giving them a car held together with elastic bands and pritt stick didn’t help either. Hopefully things will improve this year but the WRC really needs to take a step back to move forward and I’m not sure it will.

I really don’t think the cars need to be particularly crazy. I mean, look at the WRC’s last real ‘golden era’ in the late 90s and early 00s. Kids had posters on their bedroom walls of some of the most boring cars known to man. I mean, a Mitsubishi Lancer, a Toyota Corolla, a Ford Focus? It’s like the BTCC in that era. The cars were absolutely tedious, workmanlike fare but with the right liveries, a few spoilers, some exciting drivers and the right balance to the competition, those cars looked absolutely awesome. Time will tell if these new ones do the same thing.

I’m gutted about the lack of Rally GB though. I really, really hope it’ll come back. Sure, people lamented the loss of Kielder Forest etc 20 years ago or whatever it was, but Wales was just as good for me, in the end. Maybe it’s just because I’m a Brit and I grew up tramping through muddy woods in Northumberland but there’s something so special about that even in October or November and I really wish they’d find a way to restore it to the calendar. WRC without Rally GB is like F1 without Spa. It’s tolerable for one season but such a miss long term.

Anyway, I’m suck to death of being so negative about the modern day WRC. I’m boring myself stupid. Sorry.

#8 ArnageWRC

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Posted 27 December 2021 - 20:23

The whole point of the WRCar formula was to cut costs, and attract more manufacturers - who didn't have to build expensive 'homologation specials'. And with the promise of better media coverage with the centralised servicing, etc we saw a lot of manufacturers sign up. Great......but sadly, almost inevitably, they let it slip away. Extra rounds, and the promised better media coverage never materialised. And it's never really recovered.....the 2017 WRCars were an expensive mistake, despite them being spectacular. And the new hybrid cars aren't making me overly optimistic. 

 

As for Rally GB, i'm conflicted; it needs to be late autumn in the forests. However, it's all on MSUK, for its issues. I'd far rather they sort the sport in the UK before they try to organise a WRC round.....



#9 Silverstone96

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Posted 27 December 2021 - 21:04

I really think before GB can get a WRC round back they need to build back with something from the ashes, maybe using the baseline of the Roger Albert Clark historic rally but start out from scratch again with an event for R5 and historic cars, build it up, perhaps get it to then run as an ERC event and then if it works it might then be sustainable as a WRC event.

#10 BRG

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Posted 28 December 2021 - 10:31

A Happy Birthday to Elfyn Evans who is 33 today!

 

Could this be his year, assuming Ogier is really gone or at least only doing a partial season?   With Tanak apparently having lost his mojo or something and Neuville seemingly unable to manage a real challenge - and both saddled with a fragile car - it looks like Rovanpera might be the real opposition.  As long as Loeb isn't back in full strength and Ogier...as above.  And there isn't anyone else which says all about the WRC and its daft manufacturer-focussed, all-excusive formula which shuts out 99.99999% of the rally crews of the world.  Insanity.

 

An Evans/Rovanpera fight would be the battle of the 'Sons Of' as both have fathers with WRC heritage, and both have already outshone their dads.  Which is nice but again is an indictment of the closed world of the WRC.  Are the very best rally drivers in the world REALLY only drawn from the ranks of former WRC drivers?


Edited by BRG, 28 December 2021 - 10:32.


#11 messy

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Posted 28 December 2021 - 10:58

I always think of Evans as a young "up and coming" driver, to think he's 33! In fact, all of this 'next generation' lot (Evans, Neuville, Tanak) are early to mid thirties now! I think they've been stuck in the 'up and coming' in in my head for so long because, largely, they've been in suspended animation while they wait for French drivers called Sebastien to bugger off and let them have a go!!

I really want Tanak to get his mojo back. I thought he was pretty good in flashes in 2020 but quite weak by his standards this year. He needs to rediscover his form, Neuville needs to learn how to keep it out of a ditch and we might have a head to head for the ages. Otherwise, I think Evans will probably ease it, Ogier style. He learnt from the best.

#12 ArnageWRC

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Posted 28 December 2021 - 11:26

 

An Evans/Rovanpera fight would be the battle of the 'Sons Of' as both have fathers with WRC heritage, and both have already outshone their dads.  Which is nice but again is an indictment of the closed world of the WRC.  Are the very best rally drivers in the world REALLY only drawn from the ranks of former WRC drivers?

 

And don't forget young Solberg, so that's 3 'sons of'; which when there are so few seats isn't great. Obviously, talent is the first criteria, but it's not enough. You need money, and also connections. Evans didn't quite make the same progress as them two, as he started off in a Micra, and worked his way up....and suffered set backs, but he's now in a position to challenge/win the title.

 

Rovanpera reminds me of both Marquez & Verstappen; it's almost been planned since he could walk and everything has landed in his lap due to talent/ connections. No, struggling to put a budget together to get a car for a limited campaign in his case; even a Red Bull helmet from early in his career. And he's delivered, and is a World Champion in waiting....it's about gaining experience and knowing when to back off.

 

I find it interesting that two other sons of WRC champions have careers in motorsport, but not rallying. Sainz & Blomqvist; both have gone down the circuit path, as it probably offers more opportunities. Sainz now wIth a Ferrari drive, and Blomqvist combining GT/ LMP Sportscars, Formula E......



#13 ArnageWRC

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Posted 28 December 2021 - 11:35

I really think before GB can get a WRC round back they need to build back with something from the ashes, maybe using the baseline of the Roger Albert Clark historic rally but start out from scratch again with an event for R5 and historic cars, build it up, perhaps get it to then run as an ERC event and then if it works it might then be sustainable as a WRC event.

 

They need to convince potential sponsors that their event is a good promotional tool..........they haven't done a good job with that solely relying on Welsh backing.....which was bound to end at some point. 

 

It's bad enough RallyGB is no longer in the WRC, what makes it even worse is not even running it as a shortened national/BRC event, it's now set up as WRC only event....



#14 Hrco42

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Posted 28 December 2021 - 12:37

Is Loeb back full time or just a few rallies?



#15 BRG

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Posted 28 December 2021 - 16:12

It sounds like it is just for the Monte.  But if he did well there, who knows?



#16 BRG

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Posted 02 January 2022 - 16:35

2022 brings us a new formula at the top of the WRC tree.  The old World Rally Car category is retired and replaced by Rally1

 

What are the implications of this?

 

1) There is a mandatory hybrid system for the Rally1s.  This is a standard spec unit supplied to the teams. With this comes a requirement to run on electric power only in service areas and in certain parts of the route (ie towns and villages).  But there will also be a tactical element of when to deploy the power to best effect.  How this will pan ut remains to be seen.  With more and more road cars having hybrid systems, this may have been forced onto the FIA.  How it will filter down to Rally2 and Rally3 is another question. 

 

2) The new cars are no longer based on production models.  A spec safety cage cum spaceframe is now mandated to which you can add your chosen bodywork.  This is said to be for greater safety - which you cannot argue with, even if there does not seem to have been any issues that demanded it.  If this reduces costs, then fine, but I am not happy about moving from real production cars as a basis to essentially a silhouette formula.  Rallying has always been about using the car in your garage rather than building some special competition vehicle.

 

3) Transmissions:  differentials will now be solely mechanical with no electro-magnetic wizardry in the diffs.   Gearboxes will now be a sequentially shifted 5 speed, rather than the paddle operated 6 speeders of the WR Car.  This is very good news and will cut costs as well as making the drivers' job more demanding.

 

4)  Aero has been reduced and much of the WR Car's little aero fol-de-rols are banned.  Again a VERY good thing - aero and downforce have no place in rallying and it was a waste of money, time and resources pursuing this pointless dead-end.

 

So some very positive stuff although I still think they could have done all this with the existing production cars rather than going all NASCAR silhouette.  And I would still prefer Rally 2 (the former R5) to be the top category so that everybody could come and play instead of such an artificially restricted and favoured few.



#17 AlexPrime

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Posted 02 January 2022 - 16:39

largely, they've been in suspended animation while they wait for French drivers called Sebastien to bugger off and let them have a go!!

That's why I am happy that Ogier is not doing a full season. I want one of these guys to become champion of the world.



#18 ArnageWRC

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Posted 03 January 2022 - 12:57

Anything that cuts costs is a good thing, especially in rallying which needs to be as cost effective as possible - and offer manufacturers/sponsors as much value for money as possible. Making the technology simpler is also a good thing. Though the new hybrids may be a fly in the ointment, but they were seemingly a MUST.

 

Moving away from production cars and introducing what are basically silhouettes/ prototypes is NOT a good thing. And neither is the failure to attract a single new manufacturer (and no serious rumours of any kind)  - a massive failure in my book. 

 

The WRCar era (1997-2021) was in my opinion, a missed opportunity for the sport; it started off so promising with plenty of manufacturer interest, but from the mid 00s it declined. Lessons don't seem to have been learned at all. 


Edited by ArnageWRC, 03 January 2022 - 12:59.


#19 SpatialTech

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Posted 03 January 2022 - 13:40

Very much looking forward to this season; rallying was always my first love, and a short foray into stage rallying with one of my brothers is still one of my best memories. So yes, looking forward to watching a bit more, and attending some too.

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#20 SpatialTech

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Posted 03 January 2022 - 13:42

It sounds like it is just for the Monte. But if he did well there, who knows?

He’s still committed to the season with Xtreme E and X44 isn’t he?

He could fit them in around those races quite easy though.

Edited by SpatialTech, 03 January 2022 - 14:56.


#21 Dolph

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Posted 03 January 2022 - 14:00

It sounds like it is just for the Monte.  But if he did well there, who knows?

 

 

Any idea who his co-driver will be? The relationship with Elena is mendable?



#22 BRG

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Posted 03 January 2022 - 15:02

From the ACM website:-

 

"For the first time, the French Driver will be teamed up with Benjamin Veillas, who will take the place of Julien Ingrassia just retired from rallying. "

 

Veillas has plenty of WRC experience as co-driver for Eric Camilli.  Daniel Elena was of course Loeb's co-driver but whether he will be alongside Sebastian L. is yet to be announced.  Apparently Neuville's co-driver is also not known as the new guy Wydaeghe has injured himself in testing.  Official entry list is out on 10 January.



#23 Silberpfeil

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Posted 03 January 2022 - 16:38

Any idea who his co-driver will be? The relationship with Elena is mendable?

 


Elena has recently retired from (professional) co-driving. Loeb has apparently been testing with Isabelle Galmiche, but there doesn’t seem to be any firm announcement for the Monte. Wydaeghe, OTOH, should be ready to be in the car with Neuville, barring exceptional circumstances. The recovery time from his injury was estimated to be four weeks, and those are pretty much over now.

#24 Silverstone96

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Posted 05 January 2022 - 10:12

Interesting dirtfish podcast with new fia president, reading between the lines I think the new rally1 regs are already doomed as he’s clearly not impressed with the low manufacturer entries

#25 ArnageWRC

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Posted 05 January 2022 - 10:25

I think he said something similar shortly after he was elected - but it got lost in the post Abu Dhabi mess (as of course, that is his No 1 priority..... :rolleyes: ).  A new set of regs will always be a opportunity for new manufacturers to come and join; yet I can't recall any strong rumours of new manufacturers, apart from wishful thinking from fans/ optimistic media.  It's not good, and the excuse that it's a difficult economic environment for car makers falls down when another FiA World Championship is collecting them all the time......

 

 

Make it attractive for manufacturers, it's obviously not - so do something about it; as long as it's not dumbing it down even further.



#26 AlexPrime

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Posted 05 January 2022 - 10:32

Interesting dirtfish podcast with new fia president, reading between the lines I think the new rally1 regs are already doomed as he’s clearly not impressed with the low manufacturer entries

I think that he is a R5 fan  :)



#27 BRG

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Posted 05 January 2022 - 10:56

I think that he is a R5 fan  :)

I hope he is.  Certainly his comments suggest that.  So make Rally 2 (ex-R5) into the top class, fit them with the spec hybrid system to keep the manufacturers sweet,open up the WRC to all-comers, not just a select few, and off we go to a new Golden Age.

 

Well, that would also need some major changes to the rallies themselves, but you know what I mean!

 

Go, President Mo!



#28 ArnageWRC

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Posted 06 January 2022 - 15:25

https://dirtfish.com...rs-ben-sulayem/



#29 Silverstone96

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Posted 06 January 2022 - 15:53

R5 plus is certainly the way to go but imagine the 2.5 existing manufacturers wouldn’t be happy to ditch rally1 after a year or two!

#30 FLB

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Posted 06 January 2022 - 16:01

R5 plus is certainly the way to go but imagine the 2.5 existing manufacturers wouldn’t be happy to ditch rally1 after a year or two!

Group S was ditched in 1986 even as cars were being developed for 1987 (Audi, Lancia, Toyota, etc.), so it would not be unprecedented.



#31 BRG

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Posted 06 January 2022 - 18:22

R5 plus is certainly the way to go but imagine the 2.5 existing manufacturers wouldn’t be happy to ditch rally1 after a year or two!

True, but it would bring in FIAT, Skoda, Peugeot, Citroen, VW & Proton, as well as Ford, Toyota and Hyundai.  Wouldn't that be great?  If people were allowed to enter individual rallies rather than the whole championship, we might see 20 or 30 crews fighting out for each win and maybe more on some events.



#32 ClubmanGT

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Posted 06 January 2022 - 19:08

True, but it would bring in FIAT, Skoda, Peugeot, Citroen, VW & Proton, as well as Ford, Toyota and Hyundai.  Wouldn't that be great?  If people were allowed to enter individual rallies rather than the whole championship, we might see 20 or 30 crews fighting out for each win and maybe more on some events.

 

I'm now 100% sure the next WRC class has to be whatever the R5 equivalent is but with a more generous restrictor and for that to basically be it. 

 

Imagine a field of local drivers who are one restrictor or software tweak away from having a machine they can take on the top-level drivers? If that didn't reinvigorate rallying then I don't know what would. 


Edited by ClubmanGT, 06 January 2022 - 19:09.


#33 Silverstone96

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Posted 06 January 2022 - 19:37

True, but it would bring in FIAT, Skoda, Peugeot, Citroen, VW & Proton, as well as Ford, Toyota and Hyundai. Wouldn't that be great? If people were allowed to enter individual rallies rather than the whole championship, we might see 20 or 30 crews fighting out for each win and maybe more on some events.


It would be fantastic, but it’s so frustrating that Todt didn’t choose this route costing the existing teams so much unnecessary money.

I’m a big fan of R5 but I fear the moment may have gone and the next regs will be electric.

#34 noikeee

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Posted 06 January 2022 - 19:49

Group S was ditched in 1986 even as cars were being developed for 1987 (Audi, Lancia, Toyota, etc.), so it would not be unprecedented.


Yeah but that was a very special context...

#35 BRG

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Posted 14 January 2022 - 12:07

The Arctic Lapland Rally is underway, getting the major rally season going.  But something odd seems to have happened on stage 1.  The first 25 cars covered it in about 3 mins, then from car 26 (Jari-Matti Latvala, no less) everyone has taken around 12 minutes.  I wonder what caused this as it has destroyed the chances of most of the entry. 

 

What is the snow situation?  Presumably adequate for that rally, but will coverage be OK in Sweden in February?  

 

And the Monte Carlo starts shortly.  Testing has shown some snow cover but how widespread is it?  Of course changeable conditions have always been the Monte Carlo trademark, so they will cope with whatever the rally brings.



#36 Silverstone96

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Posted 14 January 2022 - 12:11

According to dirtfish podcast the forecast for Monte is relatively mild

#37 ArnageWRC

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Posted 15 January 2022 - 11:18

Even when there is little snow, it's never quite a pure tarmac event - and with new cars/hybrid systems it could be unpredictable; apart from Ogier winning.

 

The season is unveiled tonight at the Red Bull Hangar in Salzburg at 18:00 CET (17:00 UK). Live on various social media platforms, and You Tube.



#38 ArnageWRC

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Posted 15 January 2022 - 15:07

https://dirtfish.com...-manufacturers/



#39 Silverstone96

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Posted 15 January 2022 - 20:42

Striking new livery from M-Sport! I can see them starting the season off with a bang but see Toyota having too much for them over the course of the season.

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#40 OvDrone

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Posted 15 January 2022 - 23:46

Thank you for sharing that y'all - I enjoying giving some attention to the WRC on Youtube no less.

Desperately hoping this great series gets the boost it deserves.



#41 ARTGP

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Posted 16 January 2022 - 02:00

It would be fantastic, but it’s so frustrating that Todt didn’t choose this route costing the existing teams so much unnecessary money.

I’m a big fan of R5 but I fear the moment may have gone and the next regs will be electric.

 

It's interesting how rally hasn't gone fully electric already. The rally stage format is tailor made for electric vehicles. Fast charging between stages. 

 

From a technological standpoint, it seems ready, but realistically I would miss the combustion engine noises. 


Edited by ARTGP, 16 January 2022 - 02:12.


#42 Silverstone96

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Posted 16 January 2022 - 11:26

It's interesting how rally hasn't gone fully electric already. The rally stage format is tailor made for electric vehicles. Fast charging between stages.

From a technological standpoint, it seems ready, but realistically I would miss the combustion engine noises.


The comments from the new Fia president about getting more manufacturers makes me think this rally1 car will only get a couple of years before they write electric regs

#43 BRG

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Posted 16 January 2022 - 11:48

It's interesting how rally hasn't gone fully electric already. The rally stage format is tailor made for electric vehicles. Fast charging between stages. 

 

From a technological standpoint, it seems ready, but realistically I would miss the combustion engine noises. 

There is a (one make) class in the ERC for Opel Corsa EVs so it is coming.

 

I agree that on paper, rallying might lend itself to EVs with loops of stages returning to a central service area.  But how would the charging be done?  If it takes, say, 20 mins to re-charge a car, you will need 20+ charging points in the service area to cater for cars running at one minute intervals.  How will they be provided and more importantly, how will they be supplied with power?  Perish the thought of each team charging their own car...using a mobile generator!

 

And it is too soon to move from ICEs.  



#44 Silverstone96

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Posted 16 January 2022 - 16:42

There is a (one make) class in the ERC for Opel Corsa EVs so it is coming.

I agree that on paper, rallying might lend itself to EVs with loops of stages returning to a central service area. But how would the charging be done? If it takes, say, 20 mins to re-charge a car, you will need 20+ charging points in the service area to cater for cars running at one minute intervals. How will they be provided and more importantly, how will they be supplied with power? Perish the thought of each team charging their own car...using a mobile generator!

And it is too soon to move from ICEs.


This in a nutshell is a good example of the bigger problem the world faces with electric cars, there’s just too many of us that have cars for there ever to be the infrastructure to cope

#45 ArnageWRC

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 09:35

https://dirtfish.com...happen-in-2022/

 

Not really a surprise, is it. How on earth have we managed to get to this situation? If you'd have told me 20 years ago we wouldn't have a WRC round for 3 successive years, I'd have thought you were mad - but at least I'd expect the event to still run. It can't even run as a BRC/ national event. Mismanagement on an epic scale......



#46 BRG

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 10:00

I agree.  Any event in the WRC ought to be underpinned by a viable and successful non-WRC rally.  Just concentrating on the few WRC regulars makes an event less financially sound and far more vulnerable.  Back in the day, the RAC Rally would run with more than 200 crews, nearly all of whom were just there to do THAT rally, not to chase any championship, be it world, regional or national. 

 

As for the N. Ireland option, I have no problem with a WRC round there, but it ought to be a all-Ireland event - a successor to the Circuit.  Rally GB is a gravel event in Great Britain and should remain so.  Why don't the promoters look at piggy-backing on a another existing (and viable) forest rally?

 

Anyway, on the bight(er) side, it opens the door for Ypres to take its rightful place in the WRC.  If the UK deserves to have a WRC round, so does Belgium.



#47 ArnageWRC

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 10:20

Yes, an all Irish Tarmac round gets a thumbs up from me. Ypres should be in the WRC, I wasn't massively enthused about the Sunday trip to Spa for 40kms of action, but I believe Liege were putting budget forward, so wanted action there.



#48 BRG

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 10:28

Belgian linguistic politics probably demands that a Belgian WRC rally takes in stages in both Flanders and Wallonia.  And a day of Ardennes stages can't be a bad thing, and nor can a trip to Spa-Franchorchamps   It is not as if Belgium is a huge country - a trip from one area to the other is hardly a marathon!



#49 Silverstone96

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 10:35

I’d agree with sentiments here, good for Ypres but a mess with GB.

Motorsport UK should forget about WRC for now and just focus on creating a new Rally GB from the ashes and building an event, start at national level but make it longer and bigger than other rounds of BRC to differentiate it.

If it works then perhaps it can make it onto ERC schedule and in time perhaps there is a route back to WRC but the event must stand alone on its own two feet like Ypres has regardless which championship it runs in.

#50 ArnageWRC

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 10:48


Motorsport UK should forget about WRC for now and just focus on creating a new Rally GB from the ashes and building an event, start at national level but make it longer and bigger than other rounds of BRC to differentiate it.

If it works then perhaps it can make it onto ERC schedule and in time perhaps there is a route back to WRC but the event must stand alone on its own two feet like Ypres has regardless which championship it runs in.

 

That's probably what should happen - so won't. They'll be hoping Bobby Willis can pull a rabbit out of a hat in finding a backer - and they'll be saved.....