The 2016 Rallying thread (WRC, ERC, RX, etc)
Discussion
GravelBen said:
Finally uploaded my Silver Fern photos after some problems with flickr.
Album: https://flic.kr/s/aHskQfpugV
Fantastic Ben, do you mind if I share them?Album: https://flic.kr/s/aHskQfpugV
knowitall said:
Man I'd like to drive that road the WRC Fiesta is sitting on. Anyone know where it is?
Honister Pass.I can't help but feel a sense of deja-vu with these cars. Huge wings and arches, cars getting faster and faster. I hope we're not heading for a repeat of 1986. The cars don't need to be any faster, they don't need more grip. Make them slower and rear wheel drive!
DelicaL400 said:
Honister Pass.
I can't help but feel a sense of deja-vu with these cars. Huge wings and arches, cars getting faster and faster. I hope we're not heading for a repeat of 1986. The cars don't need to be any faster, they don't need more grip. Make them slower and rear wheel drive!
My post from October this year :I can't help but feel a sense of deja-vu with these cars. Huge wings and arches, cars getting faster and faster. I hope we're not heading for a repeat of 1986. The cars don't need to be any faster, they don't need more grip. Make them slower and rear wheel drive!
Slippydiff said:
The new Fiesta looks impressive, is that rear diffuser legal ? (either way, I can't see it lasting long once they start taking big cuts on the Tarmac in Spain etc.
On the basis of Ogier's crash in Germany two years ago ? the accidents will be biblical/aircraft like in their ferocity when/if they do happen.
Give the 2017 cars another 100hp and I reckon you'd silence all the whinging Group B luddites once and for all (might need to go up on the wheel/tyre sizes though) ! !
Now the Fiesta has all those turning vanes and other extraneous sh*te (that have no place on a rally car) can't help but think it looks decidedly naff. On the basis of Ogier's crash in Germany two years ago ? the accidents will be biblical/aircraft like in their ferocity when/if they do happen.
Give the 2017 cars another 100hp and I reckon you'd silence all the whinging Group B luddites once and for all (might need to go up on the wheel/tyre sizes though) ! !
Aloysius said:
GravelBen said:
Finally uploaded my Silver Fern photos after some problems with flickr.
Album: https://flic.kr/s/aHskQfpugV
Fantastic Ben, do you mind if I share them?Album: https://flic.kr/s/aHskQfpugV
DelicaL400 said:
knowitall said:
Man I'd like to drive that road the WRC Fiesta is sitting on. Anyone know where it is?
Honister Pass.I can't help but feel a sense of deja-vu with these cars. Huge wings and arches, cars getting faster and faster. I hope we're not heading for a repeat of 1986. The cars don't need to be any faster, they don't need more grip. Make them slower and rear wheel drive!
Edited by RumbleOfThunder on Sunday 11th December 15:19
RumbleOfThunder said:
DelicaL400 said:
knowitall said:
Man I'd like to drive that road the WRC Fiesta is sitting on. Anyone know where it is?
Honister Pass.I can't help but feel a sense of deja-vu with these cars. Huge wings and arches, cars getting faster and faster. I hope we're not heading for a repeat of 1986. The cars don't need to be any faster, they don't need more grip. Make them slower and rear wheel drive!
Edited by RumbleOfThunder on Sunday 11th December 15:19
If they're expecting a huge surge in the WRC for 2017, I think they may be disappointed.
I've not posted on the forum for a few weeks so please allow me to post my thoughts on a few posts recently.
Latvala to toyota. Tommi and JML have history so I'm told, so a deal with them will make sense. a wrong move for JML quite probably, its never going to work out as it did for Seb going to VW to develop the polo. Quite possibly he's the cheaper of the experienced drivers from VW without a seat, especially if you consider Andreas has out driven JML all season, so while his worth and confidence is down, get him signed and hope to get a result or two from him while Toyota are still funding the project. makes business sense for Tommi. his empire is being funded by Toyota so the more he gets before the plug is pulled the better for his brand long term
VW Privateer team - Rumours are around with Nasser Al-Attiyah trying to buy the team and run it privately. could he do this with enough financial backing and to have Seb lead driver? its going to take one hell of a finance package I'd say!
Red Bull are also being linked to the deal.
Seb Ogier - where is he going??? M-Sport had him testing last week here in Wales and everything was very positive with his test and preference to the car, I'm told this by someone who was actually at the test not just internet chatter.
Toyota cant afford him, and unless the car is way ahead of where it should be considering 2017 is touted as another development year, will he really take a deal like that?
Citroen cant afford him either, and there's still ill feelings to the way they all parted ways during his massive sulk season.
Hyundai have said they don't want him as they are happy with their line up, and don't want to uproot one of their drivers to make way for him. Would running 5 cars really be an option, if even allowed? all their current drivers have recently signed contracts.
that leaves Seb with either M-Sport, if they can afford him without a big title sponsor, something easier to get if you tell them the no1 WRC driver will be in the team. Ford may even return and put some cash back in, they've recently started tweeting again through the motor sport channel
VW pulling out after most drivers had secured deals for next season i'm sure has been a right pain for some teams, Seb and Andreas would walk into any other team imho based on this years championship. Citroen and Hyundai played their 2017 line up pretty early so maybe they are keeping their line ups as is out of respect for their drivers? the only team that benefits all of this is M-Sport. Malcolm was due to announce his team the monday after the VW exit announcement, but put that back obviously.
there were many false reports that Malcolm wasn't at Rally Australia as he was working to secure a deal. He stated back last year he wouldn't be attending the gala as all the 2017 car development is/was still being done. I've no doubt he was busier than he anticipated during this time, but to say he wasn't there as they did on TV was total horses
t, and maybe i took offence to all that as I hate the duo on BT-Sport. Julian is brilliant on his own, but seems to get stupid when in the presence of Jon Desborough. 
2017 Cars - not entirely sold on them as others have said the current crop are more than capable as they are, is the big aero and power hike really needed? still it seems to be picking peoples interest back up so if the viewing numbers rise and rise its better than current is. on that subject I hear Channel 5 have the highlights package again next year and are doing more live stages like they did on WRGB. I wouldn't say they'd see an increase in WRC+ subscriptions for it all tho.
the format needs changing. they rallies need varying. had it not finally rained on GB then it would have just been another gravel event, there'd have been no challenge from the event the rain and mud brings. not that it did rain enough to really make it a classic slippy muddy event.
We've all been saying it for a while now, so if we fans see it why don't the powers that be?
2017 Hyundai looks pretty good. '17 citroen looks st.
Fiesta - everything other than the grille and lights gets my approval the front grille makes it look goofy to me, but then I'm not a fan of the base car so M-Sport has had to do around that and keep it looking similar to the road version.
I also think its that I think the outgoing Fiesta WRC is the best looking car in the bunch. that tho is probably down to being a Ford man.
I hear Jenson Button, Mark Webber and David Coulthard are setting up a Rallycross team
Latvala to toyota. Tommi and JML have history so I'm told, so a deal with them will make sense. a wrong move for JML quite probably, its never going to work out as it did for Seb going to VW to develop the polo. Quite possibly he's the cheaper of the experienced drivers from VW without a seat, especially if you consider Andreas has out driven JML all season, so while his worth and confidence is down, get him signed and hope to get a result or two from him while Toyota are still funding the project. makes business sense for Tommi. his empire is being funded by Toyota so the more he gets before the plug is pulled the better for his brand long term
VW Privateer team - Rumours are around with Nasser Al-Attiyah trying to buy the team and run it privately. could he do this with enough financial backing and to have Seb lead driver? its going to take one hell of a finance package I'd say!
Red Bull are also being linked to the deal.
Seb Ogier - where is he going??? M-Sport had him testing last week here in Wales and everything was very positive with his test and preference to the car, I'm told this by someone who was actually at the test not just internet chatter.
Toyota cant afford him, and unless the car is way ahead of where it should be considering 2017 is touted as another development year, will he really take a deal like that?
Citroen cant afford him either, and there's still ill feelings to the way they all parted ways during his massive sulk season.
Hyundai have said they don't want him as they are happy with their line up, and don't want to uproot one of their drivers to make way for him. Would running 5 cars really be an option, if even allowed? all their current drivers have recently signed contracts.
that leaves Seb with either M-Sport, if they can afford him without a big title sponsor, something easier to get if you tell them the no1 WRC driver will be in the team. Ford may even return and put some cash back in, they've recently started tweeting again through the motor sport channel
VW pulling out after most drivers had secured deals for next season i'm sure has been a right pain for some teams, Seb and Andreas would walk into any other team imho based on this years championship. Citroen and Hyundai played their 2017 line up pretty early so maybe they are keeping their line ups as is out of respect for their drivers? the only team that benefits all of this is M-Sport. Malcolm was due to announce his team the monday after the VW exit announcement, but put that back obviously.
there were many false reports that Malcolm wasn't at Rally Australia as he was working to secure a deal. He stated back last year he wouldn't be attending the gala as all the 2017 car development is/was still being done. I've no doubt he was busier than he anticipated during this time, but to say he wasn't there as they did on TV was total horses
t, and maybe i took offence to all that as I hate the duo on BT-Sport. Julian is brilliant on his own, but seems to get stupid when in the presence of Jon Desborough. 2017 Cars - not entirely sold on them as others have said the current crop are more than capable as they are, is the big aero and power hike really needed? still it seems to be picking peoples interest back up so if the viewing numbers rise and rise its better than current is. on that subject I hear Channel 5 have the highlights package again next year and are doing more live stages like they did on WRGB. I wouldn't say they'd see an increase in WRC+ subscriptions for it all tho.
the format needs changing. they rallies need varying. had it not finally rained on GB then it would have just been another gravel event, there'd have been no challenge from the event the rain and mud brings. not that it did rain enough to really make it a classic slippy muddy event.
We've all been saying it for a while now, so if we fans see it why don't the powers that be?
2017 Hyundai looks pretty good. '17 citroen looks s
t.Fiesta - everything other than the grille and lights gets my approval the front grille makes it look goofy to me, but then I'm not a fan of the base car so M-Sport has had to do around that and keep it looking similar to the road version.
I also think its that I think the outgoing Fiesta WRC is the best looking car in the bunch. that tho is probably down to being a Ford man.
I hear Jenson Button, Mark Webber and David Coulthard are setting up a Rallycross team
Huge result for Malcolm and M-Sport. - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127476
Ogier & Ott to lead the 2017 campaign. Evans expected to be announced for DMACK tomorrow. No news on where Eric has been left, probably no2 at DMACK?
Still no news for Mikelsen
Ogier & Ott to lead the 2017 campaign. Evans expected to be announced for DMACK tomorrow. No news on where Eric has been left, probably no2 at DMACK?
Still no news for Mikelsen
RyanTank said:
Huge result for Malcolm and M-Sport. - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127476
Ogier & Ott to lead the 2017 campaign. Evans expected to be announced for DMACK tomorrow. No news on where Eric has been left, probably no2 at DMACK?
Still no news for Mikelsen
Given his previous links with Ford could Mikkelsen be in the second DMack car? I'm not sure why they'd want Camilli, he doesn't seem to have achieved much other than crashing. Unless he brings lots of £££ which I think Malcolm denied. Ogier & Ott to lead the 2017 campaign. Evans expected to be announced for DMACK tomorrow. No news on where Eric has been left, probably no2 at DMACK?
Still no news for Mikelsen
I had thought about Andreas going back to M-Sport/satellite team. As far as I know they parted on good terms. And of the current options then he's a much better bet than Eric, Mads etc etc
To be honest I don't really care where Camilli goes. He's not impressed me at all, think Malcolm saw more in him than maybe there is, possibly the backing of the French Motorsport organisation that supported Kiev may have led him to believe another young French starlet was in the making. And if he could snap him up before anyone else he'd be on a winner.
There's bound to be money backers involved too, but couldn't say who specifically as no sponsor really got onboard with Camilli joining
To be honest I don't really care where Camilli goes. He's not impressed me at all, think Malcolm saw more in him than maybe there is, possibly the backing of the French Motorsport organisation that supported Kiev may have led him to believe another young French starlet was in the making. And if he could snap him up before anyone else he'd be on a winner.
There's bound to be money backers involved too, but couldn't say who specifically as no sponsor really got onboard with Camilli joining
Edited by RyanTank on Monday 12th December 19:34
Latvala confirmed alongside Hanninen, with Lappi doing a part season.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127482...
It also seems Red Bull are actually doing something with the WRC, and will show it on their online channel this season!
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127482...
It also seems Red Bull are actually doing something with the WRC, and will show it on their online channel this season!
RyanTank said:
Huge result for Malcolm and M-Sport. - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127476
Ogier & Ott to lead the 2017 campaign. Evans expected to be announced for DMACK tomorrow. No news on where Eric has been left, probably no2 at DMACK?
Still no news for Mikelsen
Ogier going to MSport has got to be good for the sport. I do wonder if Malcolm's set up is up to the task of providing a WRC championship winning car to SO. The might, financing and backup of the VAG group will take some equalling by the likes of MSport I'd have thought ?Ogier & Ott to lead the 2017 campaign. Evans expected to be announced for DMACK tomorrow. No news on where Eric has been left, probably no2 at DMACK?
Still no news for Mikelsen
I saw nothing (except Tanak's excellent drive) to indicate the 2016 car was even close to the level of the Hyundai and VW cars. That Tanak's car wasn't on Michelin tyres, muddies the water even further.
I admit I'm a cynic (and an Ogier fan) so it'll be interesting to see if :
I. The car is competitive in Ogiers hands.
2. If he can win in it.
3. Can he dominate in it.
4. Can he retain his WRC crown.
On the basis of Meeke's pace in his limited appearances this year, and the fact he's spent at least a year developing the 2017 Citroen, it looks as if it could be an epic battle between the two of them.
Bearing in mind the "Tarmac racer" Focus that was built around Marko Martin, Ford can tailor car to a drivers bespoke needs, I wonder how long it'll take them to do so for Ogier ?
Do we know if Ogier's contract is just one year ?
ELUSIVEJIM said:
Will they show more of whichever team and driver has Red Bull sponsorship, or are they even handed in the coverage of other events they have on Red Bull TV? (Never watched it)Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff