The WRC 2012 Thread

[Emeye]

Just found out about the WRC tv rights mess!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97333

Not good, but interesting that ITV4 was due to show WRC, probably highlights, before the recent problems started.

Edited to correct incorrect URL

Edited by Emeye on Monday 6th February 16:04

[touring fan]

Emeye said:

Just found out about the WRC tv rights mess!

http://t.co/II69dJYf

Not good, but interesting that ITV4 was due to show WRC, probably highlights, before the recent problems started.

Internet links are not really your forte?

[matt3001]

Allyc85 said:

TankRS said:

I hate you!

Hate is such a harsh word

Might do Germany as well if I can afford it!

We are all set to do Germany, staying in Trier for 4 days!

[Emeye]

touring fan said:

Internet links are not really your forte?

Whoops, that's what comes from trying to use a so called smartphone to post

ETA Correct URL aboout TV mess.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97333

Edited by Emeye on Monday 6th February 16:05

[guerilla radio]

Prodrive have lost their works status.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97361

[TankRS]

matt3001 said:

Allyc85 said:

TankRS said:

I hate you!

Hate is such a harsh word

Might do Germany as well if I can afford it!

We are all set to do Germany, staying in Trier for 4 days!

enjoy mate! get loads of pics!!

[Emeye]

guerilla radio said:

Prodrive have lost their works status.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97361

Any idea why? Seems strange after their success.

So will the Motorsport Italia-run WRC Team Mini Portugal (weird combination) use the original Prodrive developed cars and develop them further, or have BMW or Motorsport Government Deficits developed their own WRC Mini?

Unfortunately WRC seems to be in a huge messy state at the moment.

Edited by Emeye on Monday 6th February 17:17

[guerilla radio]

I think the motorsport italia team will use the mini's they've got now which I think are a prodrive built cars.

[TankRS]

the WRC is in such a sorry state right now

the mini's competing in the WRC and S2000 class are as far as i know Prodrive built.
Prodrive losing the BMW factory backing is a blow, but they have already sold quite a few cars and will continue to offer support to those customers.
this could be the nail in Meekes WRC career coffin now too
Prodrive are now effectively the same as M-Sport with regards to manufacturer status and Citroen remain as the only Full Works entry in the championship.

Rally Sweden Organisers are furiously battling behind the scenes to secure a TV promoter to show coverage of WR C Sweden, but nothing much is coming out news wise regarding that.

If things keep going like this i wouldn’t be surprised to see VW pull out of next years championship, save themselves a small fortune and convince Ogier to work with them elsewhere.

[Emeye]

SO what have Prodrive done to lose BMW backing?

[Allyc85]

I'm trying to think of something vaguely constructive about this, but I'm seriously struggling, what a joke!

Armindo Araujo and Paulo Nobre to score points? They wont score fk all unless 90% of the field drops out! Is this effort to have a manufacturer team so that they keep the homoligation of the car, or could they all run as privateers as they all might as well do!

[havard01]

Sorry to correct you TankRS but Prodrive won't be the same as the Ford team's status; M-Sport are classed as the Ford 'Works' team, despite the cars not being built at a Ford facility.

If Prodrive continue to enter cars this season they will be effectively the same as the "Go-Fast" Ford team, as they will not be scoring points for the manufacturer, although they may not have registered as an M2 team.

The reason seems to be over money as is often the case.

[TankRS]

Emeye said:

SO what have Prodrive done to lose BMW backing?

nothing as far as i know.

the reports wil likely blame the global financial downturn, and the fact that they have signed up for an assault on the DTM which for a German car maker is more important for sales than for a rally championship thats only visiting the home country for a weekend.

Now if they had convinced Prodrive to make something like a 1-Series WRC they may have kept financing it, but as its the Mini name getting all the credit, even tho its really all bmw tech, theres nothing in it marketing wise.

The Countryman the WRC car is based on is a pig and wont get any more sales out of its involvement in the WRC. If they had used the Cooper S as a base they may have gained more sales via clever sales and special editions etc, i may even have been interested! But the countyman is going to be sold to school run mums mainly and they are no way interested in sporty versions.

[Allyc85]

No mention of Meeke at all in this...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97364

Wonder what is in his contract and if he would be able to get some kind of pay off maybe?

[TankRS]

havard01 said:

Sorry to correct you TankRS

correct away dude! i'm more than happy to be put right

[TankRS]

Allyc85 said:

No mention of Meeke at all in this...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97364

Wonder what is in his contract and if he would be able to get some kind of pay off maybe?

autosport said:

"There is no question that Dani remains in the team with us and it is our intention to compete with him for the rest of this season."

roughly translated as -

Dani has money behind him, so were more than happy to keep milking it from him to run the rest of the season.


Matt Wilson is out of sweden with a broken ankle. Meeke would fill that seat and show up other drivers. His contract seriously needs looking at by legal boffins to see if he can get out of it. but he will need to sort somewhere to go first otherwise he will get stuck in WRC limbo.

[CO2000]

What was the thinking behind the diagonal tyre choices on the Monte ?

Saw this on the tube from a test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLQ08ZBjys0&fea...
Great driving & looks nice in all white.

[Emeye]

CO2000 said:

What was the thinking behind the diagonal tyre choices on the Monte ?

Saw this on the tube from a test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLQ08ZBjys0&fea...
Great driving & looks nice in all white.

I was wondering how the diagonal tyres would affect the handling.

Nice video, compare it to this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GUn8NT5WzM&fea...

I know the Citroen test in on a tighter course, but the Ford was sliding around beautifully, the DS hardly moves - is this precision driving, whilst not as exciting to watch, the reason Loeb is so quick on Tarmac? Oh and once again the Fiesta looks and sounds much better!

[dtrump]

Emeye said:

CO2000 said:

What was the thinking behind the diagonal tyre choices on the Monte ?

Saw this on the tube from a test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLQ08ZBjys0&fea...
Great driving & looks nice in all white.

I was wondering how the diagonal tyres would affect the handling.

Nice video, compare it to this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GUn8NT5WzM&fea...

I know the Citroen test in on a tighter course, but the Ford was sliding around beautifully, the DS hardly moves - is this precision driving, whilst not as exciting to watch, the reason Loeb is so quick on Tarmac? Oh and once again the Fiesta looks and sounds much better!

Didn't think that there would be that much of a difference, but that Citroen looks visibly faster. It just puts its power down and goes doesn't it

Fiesta looks and sounds more hardcore though

[pixelpimp]

All clear then.