The 2014 WRC Thread

Author
Discussion

Jerry Can

4,424 posts

222 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
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Alex Langheck said:
It's not just the Rally fans who don't do anything; very few journalists kick up a stink. The sport has been watered down constantly over the last 10-15 years, and very few journos have grilled the top brass. What will it take for protests, or proper questions asked?
A one day/ single venue event???
you have to remember that the WRC pays the journo's wages. So they are not going to kick up too much of a stink.

i know the response to this will be that i am wrong and autosport pays David Evans, but actually it is the other way round. WRC pay Evans, to submit copy to autosport to print. The better the media outlet the more money the journo can command.

Alex Langheck

835 posts

128 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
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Well, yes, any negative writing and they’ll have their FiA media access withdrawn. It’s up to the non-WRC journos to take up the cudgel. They are out there – I’ve seen the comments on twitter; mainly disbelief at how the WRC is run.

Trophybloo

1,207 posts

186 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
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The journo's aren't just in the pocket of the FIA / WRC - the Teams also expect favourable press in return for the favours they bestow!
(ok maybe not booze and hookers but it makes the travelling much more bearable!)

Allyc85

Original Poster:

7,225 posts

185 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
quotequote all
Just sent my thoughts about the WRC and its shootout to the FIA and VW. Will try and forward it on to a few other people in the sport!

Edited by Allyc85 on Wednesday 15th October 18:27

RyanTank

2,850 posts

153 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
quotequote all
A protest/demo wont bring any clout to WRGB. however having stages not run due to pissing off the regular marshal team may have more of an effect on the event than a few banners and T-shirts!!!

I've been told that at least 3 stages are still under manned with a month to go now. one stage doesn't even have a timing team to run the clocks!!

We, the South Wales marshals, warned that this would happen if it moved north and stayed there. In reality the travel distance to cover stages still hasn't changed for marshal teams, Ok some now travel less but others now either travel further or like most use to, or not at all.
behind the scenes of WRGB it isn't all signing and all dancing and better than before as the media releases make out.

I cant point fingers and say exactly what's going on and tbh I haven't heard it from the horses mouth, but more of a stable mate.


this new fangled timing idea is just st! and I can tell you now that if its left to me to sort out as a finish line marshal then they're proper fked! I cant do easy maths at any time, never mind at stupid o'clock in the morning on a freezing welsh forest stage!
I do imagine its going to be sorted back at rally HQ though.


I gave up trying to explain the wrc to casual fans ages ago. and have no desire to even begin trying the new timing system and mickey mouse rules! rolleyes

Alex Langheck

835 posts

128 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
quotequote all
The organisers of RallyGB will do anything they're asked - they'll do anything to keep their WRC status. It still has a long way to go before it's a great event.

Why does the WRC always seem to attract the idiots with crazy ideas? I don't expect any of the Sportscar teams to moan about 6 hour or 24 hour races being boring - and have a 30 minute 'shoot out' at the end of the race. So why has this idea grown and will almost certainly be implemented?

A great sport run by fools...

ArnageWRC

2,050 posts

158 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
quotequote all
Allyc85 said:
Just sent my thoughts about the WRC and its shootout to the FIA and VW. Will try and forward it on to a few other people in the sport!

Edited by Allyc85 on Wednesday 15th October 18:27
You could also change your car? Can't be having a VW........ all for the good of the sport..... LOL

RyanTank

2,850 posts

153 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
quotequote all
Alex Langheck said:
I don't expect any of the Sportscar teams to moan about 6 hour or 24 hour races being boring
I don't imagine any team manager would openly state that the drivers don't matter either!! What a cockish thing to say by Capito. Imagine how long he'd keep his job if Ogier, JML & Mikelsen said " if we don't matter we'll fk off and leave you too it".
He'd only fill the seats with the likes of Novikov and Kubica and we know their finishing records!

Jerry Can

4,424 posts

222 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
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I think Capito's idea is stter than a stting dog. I understand that seconds equals 1/10th so that the gaps are much smaller. but does that then mean the final stage reverts back to normal timing?

anyway my st idea if it has to change (and I don't want it to, it is fine with the last rallies being decided by less than 30 secs - the cars just need more power) is to have the first two days of competition to be used to decide the top 10 shoot out. so normal rules apply.

then the final day is 1 loop of stages of a total length of 30-40 stage miles. And the top ten only compete on those stages. Maybe it's one stage repeated three times. As a twist I'd like to see the driver be able to complete a high speed recce and a practise run in the morning before the actual event in the afternoon. that way there would be enough action for a spectator to want to watch.

anyway like i said a st idea but better than Capito's?

Alex Langheck

835 posts

128 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
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http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116379

Ah, sense has prevailed. The FiA/ Jean Todt have told Capito, Ciesla et al were to go. What is the next mad idea they'll suggest?

RyanTank

2,850 posts

153 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
quotequote all
a glimmer of hope/sense for the future of WRC then!

article said:
"We will continue to look for ways to make the Powerstage more exciting, but as it stands, this proposal is finished.
there's nothing wrong with the powerstage as it is. apart from when they cut it to half distance from what it may have run in the morning loop.


How about a bonus point for stage wins? fastest driver over the stage gets an extra point.
it could go both ways this idea however. the VW boys do tend to win the lions share on a rally, but it could help keep one or two drivers in touch with the championship by simply picking up the extra couple of points here or there. could also reward the consistent driver that gets the occasional stage win and podium.
this could also end up as fastest driver over the power stage gets 5 points instead of the 3. just as an extra "exciting" feature to the end of a rally.

Allyc85

Original Poster:

7,225 posts

185 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
quotequote all
Victory is ours! biggrinbiggrin

I think there should be more points on offer, like in the ERC where they are awarded at the end off each leg.Might just reduce the amount of settling for position ETC.

I see they still want the championship leader to run 1st on the road for 2 days. Its too much IMO and they get punished enough as it is. Bring back the qualifying stage, it was a good build up to the event!

RyanTank

2,850 posts

153 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
quotequote all
it was the cheapest stage to go and watch too! and you saw more of a wrc car in one morning quali session than you would for £20pp in a stage!

I'd like to see the running order reversed maybe after the morning loop, or from the start of day 2.

the old reverse order was probably the best chance a privateer/semi works driver had of getting decent exposure to fans/media, as if you wanted to see the top boys before shooting off to the next stag you had to wait for the s1600/s2000 cars to scream by first.

The powers that be seem to have forgotten that its the privateers like Prokop, Bertelli, Al-Raji etc, that have kept the WRC going during the low points of the last 5-6 years of the series. Had they walked away when the manufacturers did we'd now have an IRC style championship. and as good as the s2000 fabia is. its not as spectacular as a WRCar

moribund

4,030 posts

213 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
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yes

GravelBen

15,656 posts

229 months

Friday 17th October 2014
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Allyc85 said:
I see they still want the championship leader to run 1st on the road for 2 days. Its too much IMO and they get punished enough as it is. Bring back the qualifying stage, it was a good build up to the event!
Its an interesting one - I'm not entirely sure, but off the top of my head it seems like being first on the road has been an advantage this year as many times as a disadvantage? Its just that its often only mentioned when Ogier is complaining about it.

GravelBen

15,656 posts

229 months

Friday 17th October 2014
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Some good news IMO:

http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/october/wrc-commiss...

wrc.com said:
organisers will be given a degree of freedom, with the approval of the FIA and WRC Promoter, to ensure their event has unique qualities, giving a distinctive flavour year-on-year.

Organisers will be encouraged to include new and longer stages and there are plans to have reduced parts available at remote services to add to the sense of adventure and endurance, as well as provide greater opportunities for the media.

...

In an effort to boost entries on events outside Europe, for 2015 nationally homologated cars will be permitted to participate in non-European events, without the eligibility to score Power Stage or championship points.

Alex Langheck

835 posts

128 months

Friday 17th October 2014
quotequote all
Could/ should be good news. Events are all too alike; Friday/ Saturday; 3 stages, huge gap in the middle of the day for re-group and service, then the same 3 stages repeated – and all over by 4 o’clock. Hardly a test of endurance, is it?
Get them earning their money. How many events want to change? This is an opportunity for Rally GB; Thursday lunchtime start, 2 long days on Fri/Sat, and a testing Sunday.

RyanTank

2,850 posts

153 months

Friday 17th October 2014
quotequote all
Alex Langheck said:
Could/ should be good news. Events are all too alike; Friday/ Saturday; 3 stages, huge gap in the middle of the day for re-group and service, then the same 3 stages repeated – and all over by 4 o’clock. Hardly a test of endurance, is it?
Get them earning their money. How many events want to change? This is an opportunity for Rally GB; Thursday lunchtime start, 2 long days on Fri/Sat, and a testing Sunday.
They need to change the stupid ruling over stages only being a maximum distance from the fixed location service park first. that was the ruling that put the final nail in the old network q north to south event.


GravelBen said:
Its an interesting one - I'm not entirely sure, but off the top of my head it seems like being first on the road has been an advantage this year as many times as a disadvantage? Its just that its often only mentioned when Ogier is complaining about it.
Its only on some gravel rounds that its been a hindrance to run first on the road. and in all honesty its only for the morning stages its a disadvantage. the current run twice a day set-up means any road sweeping is taken car of by the morning and the first driver gets a clean line for the afternoon.

In the old reverse order top 10 it made things more interesting as the privateer would sweep the road for the big boys, but in some cases that wasn't the best plan as the top drivers often cut corners kicking the muck into the road so it was never a truly clean line for the following cars.

RyanTank

2,850 posts

153 months

Friday 17th October 2014
quotequote all
anyone else aware of the WRC comes to London press event of the other day?? Only now seeing anything about it as Neil Simpson posted it up on his group on facebook!?

twitter said:
Neil Simpson takes former Test Cricketer, Graeme Swann, for a quick spin around the Olympic Park stage at the 'WRC Comes to London' Press Event
http://vimeo.com/109233144

Allyc85

Original Poster:

7,225 posts

185 months

Friday 17th October 2014
quotequote all
I only saw it on Simpson's page and no where else
Another example of promoters failing!