WRC 2019: All chat here

svensktoppen

RMS Regular
Messages
32,751
Drives
FK2 CTR
Did see Wales on the list still. Also saw Japan and Kenya in there, both those should be great! And Sweden back at the start of the year. Actually looked like a really good set of rounds for next year.

Watched the rally last night on Ch 5. Might be the only one I've managed to follow this year, lol.

Was pretty good I thought, cracking job by Elfyn there, and Chris did well too until the inevitable team orders kicked in.

But boy is it a small show now. Really just Toyota and Hyundai totally committed, with Citroen and Ford really just taking part. And then nobody else.

And Solberg able to win WRC2 as a privateer, lol. That alone says a lot about the state of the sport.
 

cauld1

RMS Regular
Messages
5,325
Drives
BMW E34
I'd say the sport is in a better state than it has been for a good while. Actual battles between 4 different teams each with drivers capable of winning events.

The live coverage is bloody good, consistently this year I've made a point of watching as much of it as I can.
 

svensktoppen

RMS Regular
Messages
32,751
Drives
FK2 CTR
Really just two teams in it though, and realistically only two drivers. Which I guess is an improvement from just the one car and one driver but still not that great? Maybe the season as a whole has been more enjoyable than just the one race?
 

cauld1

RMS Regular
Messages
5,325
Drives
BMW E34
I wouldn't agree with that considering all four teams are capable of winning (despite Citroen being *******s and the car a relative heap). Three drivers still with a chance of winning the championship too.

It's been really good the past year and last year really. The fresh off the stage interviews are belters too, unfiltered and in the heat of the moment.
 

DC.

RMS Regular
Messages
11,357
Drives
VW Golf GTI
One more manufacturer would really help but with them(FIA) being so undecided about the move to hybrid power I can’t see one joining until that is sorted.
 

RallyCiaran

RMS Regular
Messages
1,623
Location
Ballymena
Drives
Nova 1600 8v
The WRC has been great since they brought in the 2017 cars. The cars are all very close performance wise.

I think the cars are too expensive though. They need to bring the costs down.
And it seems almost impossible for new drivers to break into the top level. They have to be there a couple of years before they find their feet.
I say bring the costs down and make each team run 4 cars so that there are more seats available for the young drivers.

I remember the days when a local hotshot would be able to put a deal together to use a WRC car in their local WRC round and they could show their talent against the WRC regulars, I think we need to go back to that.
 

DC.

RMS Regular
Messages
11,357
Drives
VW Golf GTI
Unfortunately they will only get more expensive and elusive with the introduction of hybrid tech.

R5 category is fantastic for anyone wanting to make a name for themselves, gone are the days when Ireland was full of the latest-spec WR cars and a local could step up to the world stages.

2 years after the newest spec WR cars where launched and not a sniff of one here yet there have been at least 3 new VW Polo GTI R5’s arrive in the last number of weeks (Marty McCormac, Donagh Kelly and the Moffett brothers)
 

svensktoppen

RMS Regular
Messages
32,751
Drives
FK2 CTR
Hybrid in WRC will surely be the nail in the coffin?

Only four manufacturers as it stands, and two of them are only there to make up the numbers and only hanging on in there by their finger nails. The only reason Citroen is in with a shout this year is Ogier, not Citroen, and even then he'll need a bit of luck on top.

Hybrid will surely cut that back to two. For no reason other than pointless marketing...

Or do they have additional big money manufacturer teams waiting in the wings, lined up to stump up the mega £££ to develop and run hybrid rally cars?

Look at the disaster that is F1 hybrids...
 
  • Like
Reactions: DC.

DC.

RMS Regular
Messages
11,357
Drives
VW Golf GTI
Depends who you listen to…some think it’s the perfect proving ground for hybrid in a ‘production’ vehicle, showcasing the possibilities of being able to race through frozen forests in Scandinavia, deserts of Africa and everything else in between.

Others think it will ruin the sport and the emotions it stirs. We could lose the unmistakable noise of the cars echoing, popping, banging and whistling through forests and mountain passes then we could lose the smell of the cars passing the spectators and also at the stop line.

The cars have to change to stay relevant but I hope they don’t become unrecognisable.
 

cauld1

RMS Regular
Messages
5,325
Drives
BMW E34
Full electric would be an issue in fairness. But I don't see how hybrid would ruin the spectacle to be honest. They will still have an internal combustion engine, so noise, fuel etc still part of it.

The bigger issue I can see is isolating the hybrid energy parts in the event of an accident for spectator/marshal/crew safety. But then necessity is the mother of invention.
 

weeloaney

RMS Regular
OP
weeloaney
Messages
19,046
Location
Fermanagh
Drives
Mazda 3 MPS AERO
Given the high chance of big unpredictable accidents in remote locations I’d be surprised to see the decision to bring hybrid technology into WRC. Between trees, walls rocks, buildings and the he fact rally accidents can involve rolling into any of these and possibility of landing in rivers and other bodies of water.
In rally and the type of crashes that can happen surely ruptured High voltage battery lines and fuel lines being so close together is just a disaster waiting to happen.

In circuit racing where the loads of set safety/fire points round a track, a big number of marshals and ease of emergency equipment etc can get to a car if something went wrong. And then to have flat metal barriers and tyre barriers the likely hood of fuel and electric cable ruptures is extremely low.



They are bringing Hybrid technology into BTCC in 2022 which will be interesting as it is just a add on to the existing engines and power do nothing is being taken away from the internal combustion engine.

I’d also imagine world rally cross would be a better proving ground for it before WRC would be. Tho they are already looking into full electric which although is very fast is boring as heck with no noise.
 

cauld1

RMS Regular
Messages
5,325
Drives
BMW E34
Spain this weekend. Ogiers car had no power steering. His championship is gone.

His wife's Twitter (real) says it all 😂

 

FM155

RMS Regular
Messages
8,653
Drives
Alfa 155
Saw the two of them out working at the car after SS2, not good at all. He had the pace in the first stage though so it could have been a good result. At that level, that type of issue shouldn't really happen although failures can catch out the best prepared cars.
 

weeloaney

RMS Regular
OP
weeloaney
Messages
19,046
Location
Fermanagh
Drives
Mazda 3 MPS AERO
:-#

1EFA1A40-F8FC-466E-9792-1A88A7727C5F.png
 

svensktoppen

RMS Regular
Messages
32,751
Drives
FK2 CTR
Ott moving is interesting. Will be some interesting team dynamics at Hyundai next year 😇

Would Ogier move to Finland? Or contracted already?
 

Sam.

RMS Regular
Messages
713
Ott moving is interesting. Will be some interesting team dynamics at Hyundai next year 😇

Would Ogier move to Finland? Or contracted already?
He's contracted to Citroen but there's silly season rumours of him going to Toyota anyway if Tanak is out. AFAIK Kalle Rovanpera is the only driver to have a deal with Toyota for 2020 so far.
 

cauld1

RMS Regular
Messages
5,325
Drives
BMW E34
Well, well, Tanak confirmed for Hyundai next year.

I see Neuville posted wishing people a happy Halloween on Twitter with the location on. Came up as Finland... allegedly Hirvonens wife manages him and left her location on... allegedly...
 
Top