Official WRC thread

On a sort of related note: While P-G Andersson is waiting to see what happens next year, he will do a few Camaro cup races in Sweden.
 
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With Rally Japan being in a time zone that makes it comfortable to follow down here in Australia I've been keeping a eye on proceedings more than usual etc.

We're in for a possibly epic fight on Sunday folks, and Loeb isn't in the mix for once! :blink: I'm sure he's just holding off so he can take the title in France, but whatever, I'm sick of the sight of him leaving everyone behind. I'll be pleading for a Petter Solberg win, still leading the rally (perhaps that's not the best position with the road-cleaning effect, but we'll see how much of an impact that has tomorrow, I guess) on the second day after fighting back from receiving a time penalty for a jumped start. Latvala, who inherited Solberg's lead afterwards, broke his driveshaft and fell back. On top of everything he's been really ill for the whole event. :-(

He deserves this so much. What a trooper he is. If it's not Petter on the top step of the podium on Sunday, then please let it be Mikko, and show us all that you can still win rallies! :prays to rally gods:
 
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Gutted for Latvala, he's been driving so well keeping in mind he's been ill.
We need more gravel rallies to keep things interesting in WRC (and to keep Loeb from winning :p).
 
Reading fail *facepalm*

I would also like to see Petter winning, it's been so long since he has last stepped to the highest step on the podium.
 
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I'm expecting Solberg to do well tomorrow. He was sweeping the roads today but still kept ahead of everyone except Latvala. The others need to step up their games to catch 'Hollywood'. Should be a good fight for the win tomorrow. Also, Sordo vs. Latvala vs. Loeb are quite close together so there should be something to watch behind the top dogs as well...

... And I won't follow it because the day starts at 1:30am Finnish time. Meh... :(
 
certainly sounds the part :)

nice how the test driver stops and lets everyone get a really good spy shot in the last video :)
 
Zesty said:
Solberg's got steering problems and is loosing time constantly. :cry:
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he's been complaining a bit about funding, he's not sponsored like back in the day, so he can't afford to practically rebuilt the car for each race, they've just been inspecting parts and reusing them, so some of those old parts eventually give in, thus his car breaks now and then, it's a handicap against the ones with almost unlimited funding, so that in mind, he's doing pretty well.

Norwegian article about it

pretty much saying the same as i just did, and that the lack of funding might have cost him a victory in Japan.
 
Sebastien Loeb is 4 stages away from his 7th consecutive world championship. Incredible.
 
I haven't been that bothered with the glorified Loeb Victory Parade TBH. The big time difference doesn't help with my desire to really follow what's going on beyond reading news online at the end of each day (the next morning for me). Got too much to do to be sitting up late at night following live timing etc. At least the final day is short.

However, if he somehow ends up going a Kimi and slowly sliding off the road into a ditch and getting stuck there (yeah right) before the end I will genuinely laugh... :evil:

Oh well, congratulations in advance to the invincible Loebot on his 7th consecutive WRC driver's title! :clap:

(Ogier FTW in 2011!? :blink:)
 
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Raikkonen apparently rolled off during the shakedown for Rally Spain. He's broken his C4's roll-cage and so now he can't start the rally. Also, with the lack of parts / components available for the C4 (due to new cars next year and no new chassis being built) this could mean that he may not be able to drive in Rally GB either. Oops. :facepalm:

Somehow I doubt he'll be in WRC next year. If all roads back into F1 are closed, DTM is probably his next step....but whoever knows with him?! :dunno:
 
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I doubt Kimi's roll yesterday would cause parts shortage. It was not that severe accident, just happened to hit a bank at a bad angle and bent the roll cage slightly. I believe that can be fixed in the factory, they just don't have the required equipment on location to make proper repairs of that magnitude. From what I saw there seemed to be very little other damage to the car so not a lot of spare parts would be needed.

As for next year... I expect to see Kimi back, just not sure what he'll be driving and in which livery. I doubt he'd have hard time getting enough sponsors to fund a ride for him. Perhaps not in a factory team but then again what Kimi needs is more experience and a private team would be just as good for him.
 
WRC heads to the circuit... The gokart circuit

WRC heads to the circuit... The gokart circuit

Grid.jpg

Probably the highlight of the WRC coverage this year for me. Was great seeing them all being themselves and their driving styles in the karts. Especially Sordo lol Now probably my second favourite WRC driver behind Petter. That Kart track is going to make bucketloads from people going to try and match times of their favourite drivers.
http://www.wrc.com/news/features/wrc-stars-hit-the-kart-track/?fid=13807&page=4244
http://www.wrc.com/video/features/spain-2010-the-wrc-go-karting/?vid=1824

Be good to see the drivers possibly head over to the TG test track to set some times in a lacetti/liana/Kia seeing as they're so close next month.
 
Great news, Kimi has just signed up for the opening round in Sweden. He'll be driving a Citroen DS3 and the team will be called Ice One. Really interesting to see how his driving develops, I hope he'll reach the finish a bit more often than last season. It might benefit Kimi that the other drivers have to adapt to the new cars after driving several years on virtually same cars.
 
Ice One? I presume that means he'll be financing his own rallying then. Hopefully he'll invest enough to do a proper testing programme as well, the one thing Kimi needs is experience and the only way to get that is getting more stage miles under one's belt. The new cars should even things out, though...

Looking at the entry list for Sweden there are 11 new WRC cars listed, including Citro?ns for Loeb, Ogier and R?ikk?nen and Fords for Hirvonen, Latvala, Al-Qassimi, Block, Wilson, (H) Solberg, Kuipers (who is in for 11 events this year), and Ostberg (just Sweden?). If you add another Citro?n for van Merkstejn and the Minis for Meeke and Sordo I'd say that's a pretty decent start for the 1600cc spec...

In the mean time, it's just over a week until the rally season kicks off with Monte Carlo. It might not be in WRC but the entry list is pretty sweet, with both Petter and Henning Solberg (with Peugeot and Ford respectively), P-G Anderson and Chris Atkinson with Protons, Toni Gardemeister with a Peugeot and Andreas Mikkelsen in a Skoda joining the IRC regulars H?nninen, Kopecky, Wilks, Loix, Sarrazin and the rest...
 
Hazardous said:
Ice One? I presume that means he'll be financing his own rallying then. Hopefully he'll invest enough to do a proper testing programme as well, the one thing Kimi needs is experience and the only way to get that is getting more stage miles under one's belt. The new cars should even things out, though...

Looking at the entry list for Sweden there are 11 new WRC cars listed, including Citro?ns for Loeb, Ogier and R?ikk?nen and Fords for Hirvonen, Latvala, Al-Qassimi, Block, Wilson, (H) Solberg, Kuipers (who is in for 11 events this year), and Ostberg (just Sweden?). If you add another Citro?n for van Merkstejn and the Minis for Meeke and Sordo I'd say that's a pretty decent start for the 1600cc spec...

In the mean time, it's just over a week until the rally season kicks off with Monte Carlo. It might not be in WRC but the entry list is pretty sweet, with both Petter and Henning Solberg (with Peugeot and Ford respectively), P-G Anderson and Chris Atkinson with Protons, Toni Gardemeister with a Peugeot and Andreas Mikkelsen in a Skoda joining the IRC regulars H?nninen, Kopecky, Wilks, Loix, Sarrazin and the rest...
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All I read was that it was a "full rental package" from Citroen, whatever that means. I don't know the details on the contract.
The Monte Carlo round is gonna be exciting as always. Would've been interesting to see Kimi in IRC as well, not sure if his father's death changed his pre-season plans seeing he didn't take part in Tunturiralli either. Is Auriol not listed for Monte? I'm pretty sure he was planning to take part again but I wonder if he was left short with funding.
 
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