The 2014 WRC Thread

Author
Discussion

Allyc85

Original Poster:

7,225 posts

185 months

Monday 14th July 2014
quotequote all
It was a good day in the end, well unless you were one of the competitors who had their car ruined by a new bridge on Route 60. 5 cars out on the spot and many more out after the stage frown

I always want to do the Harry Flatters, but as it usually conisides with my birthday celebrations I am never in a state to get there! :cheers:

Allyc85

Original Poster:

7,225 posts

185 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
quotequote all
Ogier out testing for Rally Finland bow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embed...

Cyder

7,045 posts

219 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
quotequote all
Allyc85 said:
It was a good day in the end, well unless you were one of the competitors who had their car ruined by a new bridge on Route 60. 5 cars out on the spot and many more out after the stage frown

I always want to do the Harry Flatters, but as it usually conisides with my birthday celebrations I am never in a state to get there! :cheers:
I was there servicing for car 15 the Mitsubishi WRC, had a good run all day and avoided damage on Route 60 but saw lots of broken and poorly looking cars in the auxiliary service point at Dixies straight after it.

K50 DEL

9,227 posts

227 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
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Allyc85 said:
Ogier out testing for Rally Finland bow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embed...
Jesus that boy is rapid..... cracking stages too, I love Finnish rallying.

iamlars

110 posts

162 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
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frown There's a stage about 5km from where my dad grew up in Finland... and I get to miss it due to needing to sort out a move from UK to Sweden.

confucuis

1,303 posts

123 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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Allyc85

Original Poster:

7,225 posts

185 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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Yep start as you mean to go on I guess! It is getting pretty tiresome though!

I see they have revealed what could be the new WRC rules from 2017, with bigger cars and any engine you want, as long as it fits the fuel limit they bring in.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115101

Sounds fairly promising to me smile

Emeye

9,773 posts

222 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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Allyc85 said:
Yep start as you mean to go on I guess! It is getting pretty tiresome though!

I see they have revealed what could be the new WRC rules from 2017, with bigger cars and any engine you want, as long as it fits the fuel limit they bring in.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115101

Sounds fairly promising to me smile
Yup - sounds promising.

autosport said:
"If you paint all of the [current World Rally] cars white," said Barbosa, "right now it's not possible to recognise which is which. We need to change that and we need to bring the spectacle back to our sport and make the cars more attractive."
This is exactly what I was banging on about in the 2013 thread after I had been to Rally Wales GB - it was difficult to workout what the cars were.

moribund

4,030 posts

213 months

Friday 25th July 2014
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Sounds like we're going back to the 80's - Le Mans is already a modern version of Group C fuel formula cars, this years Toyota had a 1000bhp when fully charged. WRC a modern Group B? Bring it on!

What's this talk of D-Segment cars though? Mondeos and 3-Series surely too big for the forests?

confucuis

1,303 posts

123 months

Friday 25th July 2014
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Emeye said:
Allyc85 said:
Yep start as you mean to go on I guess! It is getting pretty tiresome though!

I see they have revealed what could be the new WRC rules from 2017, with bigger cars and any engine you want, as long as it fits the fuel limit they bring in.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115101

Sounds fairly promising to me smile
Yup - sounds promising.

autosport said:
"If you paint all of the [current World Rally] cars white," said Barbosa, "right now it's not possible to recognise which is which. We need to change that and we need to bring the spectacle back to our sport and make the cars more attractive."
This is exactly what I was banging on about in the 2013 thread after I had been to Rally Wales GB - it was difficult to workout what the cars were.
Does sound very interesting indeed, but what about the rules which will decide the winner of the rally on the last stage, I don't care how interesting the cars are if its decided by the last stage, I can go watch rallycross for that.

Alex Langheck

835 posts

128 months

Friday 25th July 2014
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I think it sounds promising – up to segment D cars; doesn’t mean you have to use one. Have the WRC big cheeses finally woken up, and realised that World RX is taking it’s position?
So, they’ve looked at the WEC; which has loads of freedom regarding the regs – and decided that is possibly the way to go? Have they got the balls to actually do it? I have to be honest, from a technical standpoint, the WRC is pretty boring; 1.6T engines…..and 4WD….nothing really new there.

And as already said – it’s not just the cars thst need changing; the events formats need a change. 10-12 identikit events is not what the WRC should be about. Again, variety – a mix of 2,3,4 day events.
And please; ditch the ‘shoot out’...

Blayney

2,948 posts

185 months

Monday 28th July 2014
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I noticed that the Harry Flatters was mentioned in this thread. Here's a preview of my upcoming highlights video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMqlGpcOkA4

Slippydiff

14,742 posts

222 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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TN doing what he does best (imo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq7tdz3MtNA

Tarmac, not testing that is.

Looks like the Hyundia's Tarmac damping is improving too ......

Slippydiff

14,742 posts

222 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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confucuis said:
So in effect the Pole hitting a pole (again).

Allyc85

Original Poster:

7,225 posts

185 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
quotequote all
Slippydiff said:
TN doing what he does best (imo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq7tdz3MtNA

Tarmac, not testing that is.

Looks like the Hyundia's Tarmac damping is improving too ......
Nice!

Alex Langheck said:
I think it sounds promising – up to segment D cars; doesn’t mean you have to use one. Have the WRC big cheeses finally woken up, and realised that World RX is taking it’s position?
So, they’ve looked at the WEC; which has loads of freedom regarding the regs – and decided that is possibly the way to go? Have they got the balls to actually do it? I have to be honest, from a technical standpoint, the WRC is pretty boring; 1.6T engines…..and 4WD….nothing really new there.

And as already said – it’s not just the cars thst need changing; the events formats need a change. 10-12 identikit events is not what the WRC should be about. Again, variety – a mix of 2,3,4 day events.
And please; ditch the ‘shoot out’...
Totally agreed, though I would like sector C cars as a Passat or Mondeo is a bit too big for stages IMO. I think a Scirocco or Veloster WRC would look bloody amazing!

GravelBen

15,655 posts

229 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Development mule for the R3 GT86 to run as zero car in Germany, will be interesting to see how it compares to the other R3 cars.

http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/july/gt86-in-german...

Be great to have a bit more car variety in the series as it does get a tad repetitive watching a string of nearly-identical hatchbacks.

Allyc85

Original Poster:

7,225 posts

185 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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The R3 looks good! Its been revealed that a WRC version has also been built, also along with the Yaris that has been testing! Come on Toyota, just do the right thing and confirm you are joining!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115223

Allyc85

Original Poster:

7,225 posts

185 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
quotequote all
But for now Latvala leads in Finland, Meeke has made a more than solid start!

Leading positions after SS4

1. Jari-Matti Latvala VW 29m17.9s
2. Sebastien Ogier VW +4.5s
3. Kris Meeke Citroen +9.2s
4. Mikko Hirvonen M-Sport Ford +26.4s
5. Juho Hanninen Hyundai +27.1s
6. Andreas Mikkelsen VW +27.2s
7. Mads Ostberg Citroen +30.9s
8. Thierry Neuville Hyundai +38.8s
9. Robert Kubica M-Sport Ford +52.1s
10. Hayden Paddon Hyundai +1m06.0s

SAGTAFF

595 posts

213 months

Friday 1st August 2014
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I thought the live coverage was boring last night (I actually fell asleep!) - the 1000 lakes stages are fantastic yet they choose to show some mickey mouse tarmac stage where the crews are using gravel tyres. Who ever thought that was the best stage to use? And they wonder why they are not drawing in the audiences.

The worst part is, we get it all again tonight. Not sure I'm going to bother - will just wait for the power stage on Sunday.

RyanTank

2,850 posts

153 months

Friday 1st August 2014
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Emeye said:
autosport said:
"If you paint all of the [current World Rally] cars white," said Barbosa, "right now it's not possible to recognise which is which. We need to change that and we need to bring the spectacle back to our sport and make the cars more attractive."
This is exactly what I was banging on about in the 2013 thread after I had been to Rally Wales GB - it was difficult to workout what the cars were.
[nerdmode] I can actually identify each car without any issues, and would probably even say by approaching sound too redfaceops: [/nerdmode]

News on Twitter is that the GT86 WRC that when through the stage in the hands of (and built by) Tommi Makkinen sounded glorious! few pics of it too. but it doesn't look any different from a GT86 with the addition of a halfords edition spoiler at the moment


I had seen a tweet this morning of someone quoting the Toyota Motorsport guy on the WRC/R3 cars they are developing, he said something along the lines of " we have to show that we can be great in the sport again"

If it goes and sounds anything like the R3 Porsche that ran as a course car on the Harry Flatter rally last weekend then it better be a damn good class! that thing was damn quick, even getting air over the crests thumbup