Gambit
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WRC 2017 : All Chat Here
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Nope, few of our group know them but haven't met them here
So Citroen took a year away from the WRC and seems they still haven't got the car right! Both Meeke and Breen saying they have a lot of work to do with the car.
It seems unpredictable and it doesn't ride the bumps well. Personally I don't think the aero looks as good as the others either!
Meeke managed to grab some power stage points but I'm sure it's not what the team hoped for after 2 rallies.
Great rally from Latvala and happy to see him winning it, also grabbing the power stage after others saved tyres all day is a great statement!
It seems unpredictable and it doesn't ride the bumps well. Personally I don't think the aero looks as good as the others either!
Meeke managed to grab some power stage points but I'm sure it's not what the team hoped for after 2 rallies.
Great rally from Latvala and happy to see him winning it, also grabbing the power stage after others saved tyres all day is a great statement!
Neil Kirkpatrick
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I felt the emotion for him. What a start for him and Toyota
DC.
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What a start to the 2017 season; Ogier winning Monte on his debut for M Sport & now Jari-Matti giving Toyota their first win since Didier Auriol in 1999.
Unbelievable to think the Citroen was billed as the car to beat before Monte Carlo and now, dare I say, it looks the worst of the lot?!
Only positive for Citroen is the performance on Craig Breen on both events so far.
Mexico should be interesting as it's the first proper gravel rally.
Unbelievable to think the Citroen was billed as the car to beat before Monte Carlo and now, dare I say, it looks the worst of the lot?!
Only positive for Citroen is the performance on Craig Breen on both events so far.
Mexico should be interesting as it's the first proper gravel rally.
Graham
RMS Photographer
Could the sever lack of grip on the C3's been caused by aero changes due to snow and ice building up on various parts?
Is the aero so highly strung that any unforseen change due to conditions could throw it out by miles ?
Is the aero so highly strung that any unforseen change due to conditions could throw it out by miles ?
Graham
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Citroen In Trouble:
It had been a suspicion in Monte Carlo but things became clear in Sweden. Citroen is in trouble with their C3 WRC. It all came to a head on the Saturday afternoon as their drivers explained.
Talking after his eight minute off-road delay, Kris Meeke said: “It felt quite odd. I was really struggling in the stage, right from the first corner, I had a big big moment on the first corner, the first lefthander up the hill. I was really struggling to keep the rear in line and I was conscious of that and really just trying to protect where I was and not to do anything stupid and I went a slight right over a crest and the rear stepped out and I went completely 90 degrees to the road on an entry to a left-hander so I couldn’t make the corner. We take every kilometre to try and learn. We’ll see what we do tomorrow”.
Trouble continued on the Sunday by when he stopped talking to the media. Teammate Craig Breen was in no better form but happily he kept the car on the road...
“Struggled to get a feel with the rear of the car. I can’t keep it in line and it’s given me a lot of frights. On some stages it’s not so bad and I can manage it but on other stages it’ll just catch you by surprise. I’m so afraid to do something silly."
Kris is meanwhile hurting under the stories that he has now had four crashes in rally or test cars in three weeks.
Source: Martin Holmes | Pacenotes Rally Magazine Facebook
It had been a suspicion in Monte Carlo but things became clear in Sweden. Citroen is in trouble with their C3 WRC. It all came to a head on the Saturday afternoon as their drivers explained.
Talking after his eight minute off-road delay, Kris Meeke said: “It felt quite odd. I was really struggling in the stage, right from the first corner, I had a big big moment on the first corner, the first lefthander up the hill. I was really struggling to keep the rear in line and I was conscious of that and really just trying to protect where I was and not to do anything stupid and I went a slight right over a crest and the rear stepped out and I went completely 90 degrees to the road on an entry to a left-hander so I couldn’t make the corner. We take every kilometre to try and learn. We’ll see what we do tomorrow”.
Trouble continued on the Sunday by when he stopped talking to the media. Teammate Craig Breen was in no better form but happily he kept the car on the road...
“Struggled to get a feel with the rear of the car. I can’t keep it in line and it’s given me a lot of frights. On some stages it’s not so bad and I can manage it but on other stages it’ll just catch you by surprise. I’m so afraid to do something silly."
Kris is meanwhile hurting under the stories that he has now had four crashes in rally or test cars in three weeks.
Source: Martin Holmes | Pacenotes Rally Magazine Facebook
Neil Kirkpatrick
RMS Regular
There is def something not right with the Citroen C3. Wonder has it anything to do with the Electronic controlled diff too, as lot seem to be struggling with the setup of it as well
Hopefully it's an easy fix
The Hyundai has serious pace in the right hands.
It's still very early on with all the new cars, it will be interesting to see were things are in a few months.
Hopefully it's an easy fix
The Hyundai has serious pace in the right hands.
It's still very early on with all the new cars, it will be interesting to see were things are in a few months.
Graham
RMS Photographer
I thought they were active cars meaning fully mechanical diffs with the addition of a centre diff?
gpaevo
RMS Regular
Active front, centre and rear as per WR cars of mid 2000's but electronic this time rather than hydraulic/pneumatic I think.
Graham
RMS Photographer
Ah tight ok, o assumed they would be hydraulic
Neil Kirkpatrick
RMS Regular
I seen an interview with Haydon Paddon and he was really struggling with the set up. He had the G force meter set to as high as it could go. So it would mimic the diffs of last years cars as much as possible
cormac81
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Meeke got a small story on BBC Newsline there, maybe its a slow news day.
Been a great start to the season, cant wait for Mexico now.
Been a great start to the season, cant wait for Mexico now.
svensktoppen
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Just caught the highlights again, brilliant by Latvala and Toyota! Also nice to see Ogier cab be human, lol 
Have a feeling the Citroen will come into its own when we get to tarmac and smooth gravel. These two first rallies are a bit odd-ball after all.
The real star for me is still Hyundai, that car looks some way ahead of the rest. They must have learned something when going up against VW. Just a shame for Neuville again. So close. Ah well.
Have a feeling the Citroen will come into its own when we get to tarmac and smooth gravel. These two first rallies are a bit odd-ball after all.
The real star for me is still Hyundai, that car looks some way ahead of the rest. They must have learned something when going up against VW. Just a shame for Neuville again. So close. Ah well.
Pretty interesting article here on Citroen.
Citroen's WRC return: What troubled Meeke on Rally Sweden?
Explains why at the end of the penultimate stage Meeke refused to speak! Drove a lot of the stage in road mode the car was that bad....
Citroen's WRC return: What troubled Meeke on Rally Sweden?
Explains why at the end of the penultimate stage Meeke refused to speak! Drove a lot of the stage in road mode the car was that bad....
Sam.
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I watched the in-car on WRC+ from SS17. Lots of moments and "commentary" from Meeke as the article says. Night and day difference compared to the Yaris for instance (Who would've thought that a couple of months ago!).
cauld1
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Interesting article indeed. As bad as the car seems to be Meeke will need to try and not get totally weighed down with it, as difficult as that may be.
Very pleasantly surprised with Toyota, great to see Latvala on form. Do feel a bit sorry for Neuville from the past 2 events, he has been bloody good aside from the 2 costly mistakes.
Very pleasantly surprised with Toyota, great to see Latvala on form. Do feel a bit sorry for Neuville from the past 2 events, he has been bloody good aside from the 2 costly mistakes.
svensktoppen
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On the flip side Meeke has been developing that car for a year now... Somebody must have messed up this weekend.
Agreed @svensktoppen - it's not like this was his first time in the car so clearly something was different - the other thing is, he had just previously driven SS17 as it was a re-run of SS16 so I wonder why it was so bad the 2nd time through. I'd lean towards diff or suspension settings but it's the inconsistency with the characteristics I don't understand. Breen himself said in some stages it's fine.
Both Breen and Meeke's cars exhibited the same characteristics of the rear not being consistent and controllable and I can't see them running exactly the same set up on both cars as each driver has their own driving style, it's an odd one.
Both Breen and Meeke's cars exhibited the same characteristics of the rear not being consistent and controllable and I can't see them running exactly the same set up on both cars as each driver has their own driving style, it's an odd one.
you saw it in some of the shakedown footage as well. Setting it up coming into the corner... but the car just not 'turning back' as it where. A Scandinavian flick..... without the flick. Looked pretty fundamentally wrong... I'm not holding alot of hope for gravel events if the same issue is there, although as said, they've had plenty of testing and it must have been working at some point!
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