Official WRC thread

After SS8, Kimi is 15th, 40.5 seconds adrift of the lead battle between Loeb and Hirvonen. He seems to be getting to grips with the car very well, and even though he might not get into the top ten at the end of the rally on pure pace, he might be helped by misfortunes for Fords/Citroens.


(Sourced from the Autosport forum, where it was sourced from Rally Finland live timing data)
 
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So, after 9 stages, Kimi is 17th (90 drivers started), 37 seconds behind his team mate. I'd say that's pretty impressive.
 
So, after 9 stages, Kimi is 17th (90 drivers started), 37 seconds behind his team mate. I'd say that's pretty impressive.

Yeah, but you have to take in count that there are different classes in that 90 car group. For example the fastest guys drive with WRC class cars, and Kimi drives with an N class car, which is slower than a WRC car.

Newertheless, Kimi is doing really good, as his position amongst drivers with an N class car is currently(after 13 stages) 4th, only 2,5 seconds off from 3rd place.
 
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R?ikk?nen rolled his car multiple times on SS 19, and it is unclear if they can repair the car for tomorrow. He and his co-driver are ok.

He was actually 3rd amongst other N class drivers before crashing, despite having quite bad engine problems in his Fiat. He even beat his team mate on some stages, despite the problems. Quite impressive for a novice I would say.
 
He even beat his team mate on some stages, despite the problems. Quite impressive for a novice I would say.

Especially as his team mate has a more powerfull, newer, car and is by no means a bad or slow driver...
 
Blimey, he did really really well! :blink: Shame about the car, although it was on it's last legs anyway. Seriously, if Raikkonen went to WRC as a regular privateer or something, I might actually start paying attention to it again for the first time in about 3-4 years.
 
Phew, that was one heck of a rally. Congratulations to Mikko for an amazing drive and first victory at Rally Finland! Raikkonen did amazingly good job with that old Punto, shame that he didn't make it to the end of the rally.
 
Amazing world class win from Mikko. He deserves the title really as he has made zero mistakes this year and been driving absolutely on the limit. If it wasn't for the engine blow up in Italy he would be a clear leader. Unfortunately Spain is next which means Citroen 1-2 really. Going to be a mega fight for the title but my money would still be on Loeb.
 
I wouldn't have expected Loeb to be challenged this year. Good job Mikko.
 
Solberg eyeing Ford for Rally GB

By David Evans Thursday, August 6th 2009, 08:33 GMT

Petter SolbergPetter Solberg is working on a deal to drive a Ford Focus RS WRC 08 on Rally GB in a bid to win a round of the World Rally Championship for the first time in four years.

Solberg won the event four consecutive times between 2002 and 2005 and is hoping to negotiate a deal with Ford team director Malcolm Wilson to drive a car which could end the longest winless streak of the Norwegian's professional career. Solberg hasn't won since Rally GB in 2005.

"I'm looking at many different things for Rally GB, the Focus is one of the things I'm thinking about," Solberg told AUTOSPORT. "If I do it, I would do it to try and win the rally, of course, that's the plan.

"I have to work out what is possible right now. I know the rally really well and I think I would stand a chance."

Solberg believes he will be able to put up a fight against the likes of Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen: "In Finland last week, I was second just six seconds behind Mikko [Hirvonen] before I had my problem. I know I can fight with him in GB and I want to."

Solberg could play a role in the direction of this year's manufacturers' championships if he is registered for points in Ford's Stobart VK M-Sport Team.

Having spent recent months eyeing a deal to drive a Citroen C4 WRC in the championship, Solberg admitted he would still love to drive a car of the same specification as Loeb's.

"Look, at the end of the day, both the Ford and the Citroen are winning cars, I don't care which car it is - I just want to win again!" he said.

If Solberg succeeds in doing the deal, it could put him in a team alongside his brother Henning for the first time. It would be the first time two siblings have driven at the highest level on Rally GB as team-mates since Colin and Alister McRae represented the Subaru World Rally Team in 1998.

It would also be the first time Solberg has driven a Ford rally car competitively since he departed mid-season for Subaru in 2000. Solberg has driven a factory Ford on Rally GB once, finishing ninth in a Focus in 1999.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77571
 
That is a mouth watering prospect!!!
 
Yay! Jari-Matti finished a race!
Yay! Mikko won!
Yay! Solberg might have a fighting chance in a proper car! I'd love to see him on the podium again.

Unfortunately Spain is next which means Citroen 1-2 really.

I thought Australia was next? Lots of surprises to catch up a world champion there. Although, no doubt the cheese eating sideways monkeys will be fast on the black stuff in October.
 
Yes sorry my mistake it is indeed Australia next (I really should have remembered that one huh!!). Mikko does tend to be good at new events and its meant to be a VERY high speed gravel event. He NEEDS to win the one to keep his title hopes alive.
 
Something about the possible death of rallying as we know it today...

Autosport said:
WRC to push ahead with 2011 rules

High-ranking sources within the World Rally Championship have moved to quell speculation surrounding the technical regulations for the series in 2011 and beyond.

The last World Motor Sport Council meeting confirmed that the WRC would run with turbocharged 1.6-litre engines from 2011 onwards. Since then, however, there has been talk of 2011 running to straight Super 2000 regulations, with the 1.6 turbo engine coming in from 2012. But AUTOSPORT has learned that this will not be the case.

"This on-going debate about what format of technical regulations we're running to has to stop," a WRC insider told AUTOSPORT. "It's not helping the championship at all right now. We need stability in the regulations and that's what the FIA has given to us, we're not going to have anything undermine that right now. Believe me, World Rally cars, 2011 onwards, will run with 1.6-litre turbocharged engines."

Both current WRC manufacturers Citroen and Ford had been interested in running Super 2000 engines in 2011 to delay the cost of developing and producing a new engine. Both firms insist, however, that they will build the new engine if and when a new manufacturer signs up to 1.6 turbo WRC regulations for 2011.

WRC commission president Morrie Chandler made the FIA's position clear during Rally Poland in June, underlining that commitment to a shift to 1600cc.

The debate was confused with rumours of a commitment from Skoda to the 2011 WRC, providing the regulations remained Super 2000 - which would allow the Czech Republic firm to enter with its current Fabia S2000.

The source added: "We've heard nothing from Skoda. Of course the WRC would welcome new manufacturers, but they have to acknowledge the rules which we're going to be working to - and those technical rules have been laid out quite plainly.

"We're looking at a bigger picture here, involving more manufacturers coming into the sport, but they're only going to come if the future of WRC is well-planned, clear and concise running to understandable and predictable regulations. That's absolutely the case."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77631

I personally feel 1600cc is bad for the highest level of rallying. Super 2000 i guess is ok. But they should be kept 4WD instead of what was proposed (I read a while ago that the cars would be FWD)

If Ari Vatanen becomes FIA President, maybe he could do something to help fix rally. It was great a few years ago, with more manufactures and teams. Aswell as proper privateres like Solberg is today.
 
WRC really has been farked for a long time. The latest spec cars are just insanely awesome but $1.3million rally cars are just unsustainable.

I would like to see a return to Group A-ish machines. Basically de-restricted Group N cars. I think Rally America's open class is a similar sort of thing although I would like to see WRC cars rather lighter. Thinking about 400hp 1250kg machines.

Given that everyone is downsizing their rally cars 1.6 litre turbo could be a fine engine size but makes little sense given that there are already 3 manafacturers running decent S2000 cars (Peugot, Skoda, Fiat) with Toyota available in Australia and Ford developing the Fiesta. Trouble with S2000 is they just aren't fast enough and they still cost a fair bit. If only they could make it S2500 the problem would be solved.
 
Well, from what I understand the new cars would simply be S2000 cars with new, more powerful engines. Turbocharged 1600cc engines make much more sense than something like S2500 because it's much closer to the majority of the products the rally cars are based. There are not that many over 2 litre engines available for C4 / Fiesta / Punto sized cars, after all (I can only think of that 5 cylinder Volvo engine which the Focus ST uses).

In truth, I think the biggest mistake FIA is doing is going to and fro with their rules. Now we are (once again, I should add) in a situation where in 18 months time WRC is to change into a new car specification which nobody has cars for and nobody knows exactly what to develop for it, while we have several manufacturers who have either developed or are developing cars for the S2000 that was supposed to be the replacement but has now been demoted to second tier class. These decisions should have been confirmed at the beginning of the year or at the very least FIA should nail them down ASAP so that manufacturers could work on their future contenders and not spend money developing something which might turn out to be obsolete out of the box.
 
I agree I think the 1.6litre turbo option is a sensible one, although if the cars weigh much over 1,000kgs I don't think they will exactly be rocketships. I think that using S2000 as a step up is a great idea, sort of the new JWRC. Plenty of manafacturers already keen and the cars will be much closer to WRC machines than JWRC is to current WRCars.

The final meeting is in October I think so I guess we will have to wait until then!
 
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