WRC 2022

davecoupe

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The Dakar has started so the Monte is imminent. Time for a 2022 thread.

The biggest change in rallying regulations in 26 years with the introduction of Rally1. Only 3 manufacturers but some of them running 4 cars at the Monte.

Predictions?
 

cauld1

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My predictions for Monte:

Greensmith to be last out of the Rally 1 cars.

Evans to be on a flyer.

Neuville and or Tanak to bin it.

Breen to be on podium.

For the year, will see how the new cars are. Some spectators or marshals to get a nasty shock off a car at some stage (hopefully not, but could see it happening).
 

davecoupe

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I think that M-sport will be good out of the box. Historically, they fair very well when new regulations are brought in and they have the experience of Breen and Loeb involved in the development of the car. They also seem to have more Ford support than in previous seasons.
This is how the hybrid systems will be deployed on stage.

B06DF6E8-33E3-4216-B021-21828AC9C945.jpeg
5E0BDE57-49EA-4A65-BDD7-DC22D564C3E6.jpeg
 

flushcut

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Looks to be a great year on the technical side of things, even if am not a fan of hybrids, but have to adapt ehhh
 

Nazor

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New cars certainly look to be a good bit slower through the tighter stuff and I believe that is due to the hybrid system. Still going like stink though! Looking forward to seeing Breen do well (despite him falling out with me on rallyforums years ago 😂). Few wins would be great
 

DC.

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Breen’s best bet is to hit the ground running before Toyota and Hyundai find their feet.
 

gpaevo

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New cars certainly look to be a good bit slower through the tighter stuff and I believe that is due to the hybrid system. Still going like stink though! Looking forward to seeing Breen do well (despite him falling out with me on rallyforums years ago 😂). Few wins would be great
5 speed box and no active centre diff will make a considerable difference to speed. Also, simplified suspension and no more water cooled brakes.
 

RallyCiaran

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The cost of the WRC cars is way too high, it is destroying the sport.
The cost leaves it a closed shop. At best 2 drivers from each team are in the title hunt. 6 potential winners isn't really much of a championship fight.
 

PaulYDP

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I see Breen rolled the Puma this morning in testing. Crew ok but he went 10 - 15m down a revine.
 

davecoupe

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The incident is at the end of this vid. Clips a bridge on the inside of a left hander, spins and goes down the embankment.


Such a small mistake too but better to do it now than during Monte itself
Has to find the limits at some stage.

Better to do it now in testing.
 

davecoupe

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46E3A590-9302-4ABC-8C48-1B94DA35ABF3.jpeg


Yup, that’s her heading back out for its first test this morning.

Impressive work indeed.

All in vain as Greensmith will just make ***** of it this afternoon again anyway 🤭
 

DC.

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Purple just doesn’t work. I hope it’s fast and I hope it’s reliable but it doesn’t look the part to me.
 

davecoupe

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Love the M-Sport livery.

The other 2 are boring as ****. I get that they are the factory colours for Toyota and Hyundai but at least show some imagination for a totally new era of car.

3E0913FA-C6F2-4F8B-A62F-1C549C6F95D1.jpeg


Aside from M-Sports purple livery, the Toyota “wing”-mirrors and aero were the other big talking point from the weekend. Guess we know now why they have been running without them in testing.

76F0F791-763D-4207-AAE4-8D5D8E1AFAF0.jpeg


It’s also interesting that M-Sport and Toyota turned up to the season launch with actual rally cars. Hyundai turned up with a mule/show car with heavily tinted windows and basically no interior (no dash, no cage etc).

Recce started for the Rally1 teams today, really looking forward to the weekend. Gives it to be dry but very cold so maybe not a typical snowy and icy monte.
 

davecoupe

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New cars certainly look to be a good bit slower through the tighter stuff and I believe that is due to the hybrid system. Still going like stink though! Looking forward to seeing Breen do well (despite him falling out with me on rallyforums years ago 😂). Few wins would be great
Was just reading today that the FIA have dropped the smaller restrictor rule for 2017+ World cars. They were going to reduce the restrictor size by 3mm to take 30bhp out of them to ensure they were slower than the Rally1 cars.

Must mean the new cars have proved to be faster in testing than expected, maybe even faster than the last gen cars.
 
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