2023 rallying thread (WRC, ERC, national and historics)

[greeny12]

It's a new year, so time to start a new thread for the rally fans on here!

Not long to the Monte... who's your money on? I fancy Neuville for the win.

[greeny12]

df76 said:

I'd be happy with a Tanak win.

Me too, but the Monte has not historically been kind to him.

As a longtime Delecour fan I'll also be interested in seeing how he gets on in WRC2.

[greeny12]

Weather - or lack of it - is doing this event no favours. It's just so samey. Feels like you could interchange any of today's stages and not notice the difference.

Shame.

[greeny12]

Bl00dy hell people - half way through the first full day of Rally Sweden and not a post to be seen yet!

Great start for my boy Tanak, taking full advantage of a good road position for the first stage of the day. Hope the rally proves more exciting than the Monte...

[greeny12]

One stage to go! Have to say it's been a cracking contest so far. I am a big fan of Rally Sweden and it hasn't disappointed.

Sorry Breen fans, but c'mon Ott, let's finish it off. Big big result that would be for the health of the championship.

[greeny12]

I bet things have been "interesting" at M-Sport since Tanak arrived - everyone alluded to it yesterday, including Ott and Malcolm!

I doubt he's making many friends there, but that's what winners do. They work until they win, and they expect exactly the same of others. I suspect he's already extracted 10-20% more effort from the team than Greensmith ever managed...

Loving it!

[greeny12]

Ogier is a class apart, isn't he?

He says he's doing the next rally in Croatia... another win there and I just wonder if we might suddenly find him on a full season WRC effort? I haven't googled what his official plans are for this season but I notice he was rallying rather than doing WEC Sebring, and it's probably fair to say that he hasn't (yet) set the sportscar world alight.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the M-Sport rally HQ last night...

[greeny12]

ArnageWRC said:

WRC Rally Estonia has been and gone........and not one post.

1st - Kalle, 2nd - Thierry, 3rd - Esapekka; another dominating performance from Kalle, and a bit of a disaster for M-Sport/ Ott; an engine change after Shakedown resulted in a 5 min penalty......

As soon as I knew Ott's challenge had bit the dust that was it for me. Which was a shame, as the "new" TNT Sports (BT Sport as was) decided to show pretty much every stage live on its main channels, which meant HD pictures!

[greeny12]

Beethree said:

3 stages in and Tanaks Puma has died.
What are the chances of M sport withdrawing from Rally 1 at the end of the year? This can’t be good publicity for a team who have already openly struggled with the budget.

Oh, for crying out loud, what a shambles.

After the demise of the Bentley programme this could be the end of M Sport as an outsourced race team.

[greeny12]

Greece under way and more problems for the Fords. Sigh.

[greeny12]

Two stages to go, manufacturers' title still in play... I know we don't like team orders, but surely there was a rationale for Hyundai to tell both Suninen and Neuville to hold positions and knock it off 10% by that point?

[greeny12]

Beethree said:

I think that’s actually a good thing for the championship battle, definitely makes it wide open for Neuville, Tanak or Evans and should be a competitive title fight.

Certainly feels like a pretty sensational opportunity for one of those, especially Elfyn in what's sure to be the strongest package...