The 2014 WRC Thread

[Allyc85]

Ogier leading a V-dub 1-2-3 at the moment, its close though!

Man of the rally so far is Tanak who is up in 4th and doing a brilliant job after a year out! I do wonder if he can keep it out of the scenry though!

Hyundais are showing decent pace, which is encouraging to see!

Leading positions after SS7:

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Sebastien Ogier VW 39m56.5s
2. Andreas Mikkelsen VW +5.8s
3. Jari-Matti Latvala VW +12.2s
4. Ott Tanak M-Sport Ford +14.8s
5. Mads Ostberg Citroen +22.5s
6. Mikko Hirvonen M-Sport Ford +22.5s
7. Thierry Neuville Hyundai +32.0s
8. Juho Hanninen Hyundai +42.0s
9. Pontus Tidemand M-Sport Ford +44.6s
10. Kris Meeke Citroen +46.6s

Leg 1 - 2014 WRC Rally Sweden - Best-of-RallyLive.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psq8uSXEaVk

[YorkshirePudding]

Not a bad event so far with 18 WRC cars entered and no retirements as yet, a bit lacking in snow bit thats not the organisers fault.

[Allyc85]

Ogier loses 4 minutes in a snow bank! Latvala V Mikkelsen for the lead!

[Allyc85]

Which Latvala keeps as Mikkelsen is more concerned about getting his first podium.

Mean while the Brits carry on their snow (Though mostly gravel) experience gaining mission, and Kubica keeps on getting stuck in the snow banks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpace1ohVBU

And I know the adrenaline is pumping, but Prokop is a prick for the following incident. He is st, and never has a chance of winning!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWZ2Xd3thBw

Leading positions after SS15:

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Jari-Matti Latvala VW 1h47m09.7s
2. Andreas Mikkelsen VW +4.8s
3. Mads Ostberg Citroen +42.3s
4. Mikko Hirvonen M-Sport Ford +1m00.3s
5. Ott Tanak M-Sport Ford +1m06.5s
6. Kris Meeke Citroen +2m28.0s
7. Pontus Tidemand M-Sport Ford +2m43.7s
8. Henning Solberg Solberg Ford +2m46.1s
9. Elfyn Evans M-Sport Ford +3m36.7s
10. Sebastien Ogier VW +3m39.1s

[Allyc85]

Who would have thought that Jari-crashy would be the only one not to get stuck in a snow bank this weekend!

Not that anyone gives a toss

[MG CHRIS]

Allyc85 said:

Who would have thought that Jari-crashy would be the only one not to get stuck in a snow bank this weekend!

Not that anyone gives a toss

Will watch tonight good that jari kept it on the road and another good result for vw. When did it change that the last day is on the sat not the sunday and starting the rally on the Wednesday.

[Emeye]

I like Jari. He really shares his passion.

I'm liking Kris Meekes too.

[interloper]

MG CHRIS said:

When did it change that the last day is on the sat not the sunday and starting the rally on the Wednesday.

Its so everyone can get hammered Saturday night! It makes a bit more sense than starting Sunday and finish mid week, like it did in the good old days.

[SAGTAFF]

Such a shame to see Elfyn Evans crash out on the last stage.

The live coverage was pretty good but why do they so shots of spectators standing around when there are several cars on stage? At one point they went from some blinding in car footage from Ogier (egde of the seat stuff) to showing some guy starring at a bonfire. Nuts.

[Slippydiff]

Pleased for JML, probably won't be too many more occasions this year when SO throws an event away. But all the same a good boost for JML mentally as it's beginning to look like the Loeb/Hirvonen scenario within VW.
JML seems to struggle with car set up, as I've said before, the Polo is clearly designed around SO and JML seems to like his car set up differently. Once he's got the car set up to the point he's confident in it, he's blindingly fast.

There are very few (if any) commentators that really get up my nose, and yes, I can live with the cameras panning to spectators starring at fires if the commentary is decent, but please please please get rid of that tt Jon Desperate. He may have made a reasonable anchorman for the C4 rally coverage, but as a commentator he's utterly ste.

The tt seems to think there's something vaguely amusing or clever about talking in riddles. Yesterday he started talking about the Varmland, and how if you'd been there you'd know it was the Varmland because of the temperatures there this weekend. FFS, give it a rest man

And breeeeeeath

Paul King, EVERYTHING is forgiven

[Slippydiff]

Annnnnnd, with that rant out of the way
A real shame for Elfyn Evans, as up until his last stage indiscretion, he'd made a lot of the veterans look like muppets.
Good to see Bobbica's learning fast. Not

[GravelBen]

Good to see Ogier isn't having it all his way this year - he won Monte by luck as much as skill after a few off-road excursions, and obviously fell off the road again this time.

Makes for a more interesting championship anyway!

[Jerry Can]

Slippydiff said:

Pleased for JML, probably won't be too many more occasions this year when SO throws an event away. But all the same a good boost for JML mentally as it's beginning to look like the Loeb/Hirvonen scenario within VW.
JML seems to struggle with car set up, as I've said before, the Polo is clearly designed around SO and JML seems to like his car set up differently. Once he's got the car set up to the point he's confident in it, he's blindingly fast.

There are very few (if any) commentators that really get up my nose, and yes, I can live with the cameras panning to spectators starring at fires if the commentary is decent, but please please please get rid of that tt Jon Desperate. He may have made a reasonable anchorman for the C4 rally coverage, but as a commentator he's utterly ste.

The tt seems to think there's something vaguely amusing or clever about talking in riddles. Yesterday he started talking about the Varmland, and how if you'd been there you'd know it was the Varmland because of the temperatures there this weekend. FFS, give it a rest man

And breeeeeeath

Paul King, EVERYTHING is forgiven

John Desperate is in no way as annoying as Beccsy bushpig and Julian Porter. They are virtually unintelligible on the Motors broadcast. Beccsy just talks utter inane drivel and Porter mumbles into his shoes.
FFS..

[Trophybloo]

interloper said:

MG CHRIS said:

When did it change that the last day is on the sat not the sunday and starting the rally on the Wednesday.

Its so everyone can get hammered Saturday night! It makes a bit more sense than starting Sunday and finish mid week, like it did in the good old days.

Nice theory, however this was a special dispensation from the WRC rules regarding format because of Sunday Winter Olympics coverage (apparently it's quite big in the Nordic countries and Hartlepool!)

[Slippydiff]

Jerry Can said:

John Desperate is in no way as annoying as Beccsy bushpig and Julian Porter. They are virtually unintelligible on the Motors broadcast. Beccsy just talks utter inane drivel and Porter mumbles into his shoes.
FFS..

I watched the Motors coverage last night, I don't mind JP, but you're right Beccsy is just token totty and talks bo**ocks most of the time, just like Jon Desperate. Who employs these idiots.

Footnote: We shouldn't complain really, at least we've got plentiful coverage of the WRC this year.

[interloper]

Slippydiff said:

Jerry Can said:

John Desperate is in no way as annoying as Beccsy bushpig and Julian Porter. They are virtually unintelligible on the Motors broadcast. Beccsy just talks utter inane drivel and Porter mumbles into his shoes.
FFS..

I watched the Motors coverage last night, I don't mind JP, but you're right Beccsy is just token totty and talks bo**ocks most of the time, just like Jon Desperate. Who employs these idiots.

Footnote: We shouldn't complain really, at least we've got plentiful coverage of the WRC this year.

I think Beccs is their just to pronounce difficult words, I dont mind JP at all, he sounds like a normal rally comentator to my ears unlike the others.

[Emeye]

I think Becs is great on WRC Radio. She knows what she is talking about and is passionate. Not watched the motors TV coverage for Sweden yet.

[Allyc85]

I think Becs is better at radio than she is at TV. Is it just my dodgy TV or is the sound quite muffled at times on the Motors coverage? As for Paul King being forgiven, that really is quite something!

Back to rally Sweden and it was a shame for Elfyn's rally to end like it did. As in the Monte he was doing another solid job learning in unfamiliar conditions! Also the same for Meeke, but both drivers can take consilation that pretty much every driver got stuck at some point!

ITV4 highlights in 10 minutes!

[Allyc85]

Anyone headint to Wyedean tomorrow? Great looking entry as normal, and conditions will be challenging to say the least!

[covmutley]

Yep, taking my 5 yr old son to the Chepstow park stage. Going to head for a nice sheltered corner.

I see chris Harris is doing it. Come on Monkey!!!!