Subaru Quits WRC
Another blow to the sport after second manufacturer quits this week
Carmakers are under serious pressure to reduce spending and motorsport is one of the more obvious cost-cutting measures, although the sudden departures of two manufacturers will be a serious blow for rallying. Subaru has been involved with the sport since the nineties and built much of its reputation for road cars on its rallying glory.
It is a blow for Prodrive, which has led the Subaru team to six world titles. The Banbury-based company said it will look to redeploy as many of the rally team as possible in other areas of its business operations.
Prodrive chairman, David Richards, said: ‘Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over. Although this decision closes a significant chapter in Prodrive’s history, our focus now turns to the future.’
I was hopefull of seeing Solberg return to winning form with the new car next year.Motorsport in general seems to now be really suffering from the global downturn, it's going to be all privateers soon with no manufacturers, can see ford pulling out as well
but there will always be the desire for a wrc - perhaps the sport will go back to its roots
lots of works teams is interesting, just a few is poor really.
They havent really addressed the gap between rally cars and road equivalents (except subaru). Privateers can be more fun, especially if cars end up more like their road cousins (or brothers even).
Endless power* doesnt make good drivers or sport, maybe fuel economy regs are introduced to add into the tech challenge mix.
- yes group b was ace but times have changed.
A reinvention back to wilder looking concepts with a bit more noise and danger would be a welcome spectacle, and needn't cost the earth.
It would be good to see rallying back to more road car related cars - I know you can buy a Subaru WRC with some of the same tech as the rally cars, but they are the only current entrant for whom this is the case. Maybe it would result in more rwd road cars too! Same comments really apply to BTCC - cars are too far removed from those we can buy.
Bad day though.
Goodbye to the days of spectators squashed into tiny areas 200 yards from the actual stage, £20 per person to go into public forest and 3 stages per leg in daylight because you can't see the sponsorship at night.
Fingers crossed this will bring less expensive cars (RWD) which are more spectacular to watch and sound far better (no turbos).
Dare I say it, we may even see the cars driving on stages covered with ice even if they haven't had 6months to test on it first!
It would be like running the 100 metres with Usain Bolt absent and winning - would you really be the best?
Slow and painful death of top level motorsport.
Can't be long before some football teams go the same way too - reducing wages in the first instance.
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