2023 Rallying

[ArnageWRC]

Originally Posted by cg7aa

When I first got into the WRC in the Group A era in the late 90s and early 2000s as a youngster, I used to watch 30 minute highlights on BBC 2 Top Gear in the UK and even the most predictable events were made to look good by virtue of how the cars were filmed and presented. They managed to cram a lot of spectacular action into just 30mins with no hysterical commentary, just measured, calm, and informative summaries.

I've noticed people have started commenting about how much more spectacular the fan footage on youtube is. Are the official highlights producers that hamstrung with what they have to work with or are they just completely lacking in imagination?

TV needs to do a much better job, maybe they are doing a good job but it's behind a paywall?

Those 90s WRC highlights are still on YouTube; narrated by Mark James, Tiff Needell - and as you say, they're far superior to what we get now.

And as someone who has watched Red Bull TV produced events, I can't believe they have much input into the WRC broadcasts; it's like night & day. Dull, unimaginative coverage and commentary not much better.

It's just not selling the sport - and no wonder we don't see more manufacturers interested. And the paywall is the absolute killer......
This forum like Autosport, Pistonheads gets very little comment as very few watch the live stuff - and there's very little stories outside of events.

[BertMk2]

Rally Mexico underway and already all 3 Pumas have had problems - looks like a turbo issue for Tanak and the other two have clattered rocks and damaged the steering/suspension. Not a good day for Msport (again).

[NaBUru38]

Rally México final results:

• 1. FRA Sébastien Ogier (Toyota), 3:16'09
• 2. BEL Thierry Newville (Hyundai), + 27.5
• 3. GBR Elfyn Evans (Toyota), + 27.9
• 4. FIN Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota), + 1'55
• 5. ESP Daniel Sordo (Hyundai), + 2'58
• 6. GBR Gus Greensmuth (Skoda)
• 7. FIN Emil Londhoilm (Skoda)
• 8. SWE Oliver Solverg (Skoda)
• 9. EST Ott Tänak (Ford)
• 10. POL Kajetan Kajetanowicz (Skoda)

Standings after Mexico:

• 1. FRA Sébastien Ogier (Toyota), 56 pts
• 2. BEL Thierry Newville (Hyundai), 53
• 3. FIN Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota), 52
• 4. EST Ott Tänak (Ford), 47
• 5. GBR Elfyn Evans (Toyota), 44
• 6. IRL Craig Breen (Hyundai), 19
• 7. ESP Daniel Sordo (Hyundai), 17
• 8. FIN Esapekka Lappi, 15

[NaBUru38]

Meanwhile, the WRC still has no TV partner anywhere in the Americas except for Mexico...

[BertMk2]

The results in Mexico really highlight how thin the WRC1 field is - four of the top ten places taken by WRC2 cars.

Ogier picking up another win - I guess road position helped him a bit but still an impressive result. Another poor event for Msport - Tanak with a turbo problem, were the others driver error resulting in damage or just car breakages where the car is too fragile?

[cg7aa]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

The results in Mexico really highlight how thin the WRC1 field is - four of the top ten places taken by WRC2 cars...

Time perhaps for the FIA and the promoters to grasp the nettle and do the unthinkable. As much as I love the previous and current crop of WRC1 cars, I cannot see the championship surviving for much longer if any one of the two 'real' manufacturers were to leave. We all know how fickle manufacturers are.

Time to think about making WRC2 the top category in the coming years. Grand Prix racing (as it was then) did something similar in the early 50s when the field of Grand Prix cars became too thin, the F2 cars of the day became the main show.

Standing by to be shouted down!

[S griffin]

Don't worry Citroen should be back in 2024...

[NaBUru38]

RIP Craig Breen.
https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=157863

[BertMk2]

Just saw the news about Craig. That hits hard. His absolute love of rallying shone through in his interviews, I don't think I've ever seen a driver so obviously enjoying his sport as Craig.

[cg7aa]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Just saw the news about Craig. That hits hard. His absolute love of rallying shone through in his interviews, I don't think I've ever seen a driver so obviously enjoying his sport as Craig.

Shocking news really. Desperately sad.. Life can be so randomly cut short. The only driver I bothered to listen to his end-of-stage interviews. I loved how he loved the sport. I will miss hearing him.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

His absolute love of rallying shone through in his interviews, I don't think I've ever seen a driver so obviously enjoying his sport as Craig.

Absolutely. I (briefly) chatted with him at a 6R4 track day back in 2017 and have seen him action a number of times before and afterwards. He always seemed really grounded and in love with the sport at all levels. Sad to see any driver lose his life, but especially so in this case.

Massive loss to rally and a reminder that, even in the modern age, rally is still a dangerous sport.

[S griffin]

Feels unreal that's he gone. He seemed to be doing everything right and then it all gets taken away

[Matt K]

I'm still in shock and disbelief about Craig's passing. Not going to lie, yesterday I cried when I learnt about it. I just can't get over the fact he was so happy and upbeat after his great performance in Sweden, which marked his turnaround after a disappointing 2022. And now he's gone unable to make a proper comeback this year and unable to get another chance for a full-time season. Feels so unfair and desperately sad. I'm still devastated about it...

[pimmy]

Evans won in Croatia. I think Neuville had it in the bag but he made yet another mistake and threw it away. I wonder how much longer Hyundai will put up with him?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by pimmy

I think Neuville had it in the bag but he made yet another mistake and threw it away. I wonder how much longer Hyundai will put up with him?

It's a recurring theme isn't it? His pace isn't in question but he just makes too many mistakes. Evans needed that win, he's been overshadowed at Toyota recently. Good to see Tanak get another decent result and a podium for Lappi was a good result.

[ArnageWRC]

Neuville has been at Hyundai since 2014; and in fact, his first event, the Monte, he crashed......

I remember him winning the IRC Cyprus 'Golden Rally' in 2011 with a flat out, balls out drive, and thinking he's a future World Champion.....

The talent is there, but something else is missing to nail down a championship.

[BertMk2]

I've not seen any of the coverage from Portugal yet but again it looks like the best of the action was in WRC2 with Greensmith and Solberg separated by 1.2 seconds! Also not a great look for the Rally 1 cars with only 5 being in the top 10 - that's the problem with such a small field in the top category, a couple of mistakes and/or mechanical problems and suddenly it's very thin on the ground.

[S griffin]

I’ve seen the highlights and a great win it was by Rovanpera. He’s definitely back to his title winning form. Great to see Sordo giving it his all, especially considering the tragic circumstances of his drive. Very costly retirement from Evans there

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Very costly retirement from Evans there

Evans appears to be the 'Neuville' of Toyota - quick but inconsistent. The inconsistency is reflected in the points table - Ogier still in 3rd despite not doing some of the events.

Hate to say it but it's already looking like a stroll in the park for Rovanpera - the title is surely a formality? I think Tanak is pushing the Puma hard and getting better results than expected but the Puma looks like the slowest and most fragile of the cars this year. The other drivers are already a long way behind and as noted are too inconsistent to maintain a challenge.

[BertMk2]

Sardinia done and dusted - I didn't catch much of it over the weekend, I'll try and watch the highlights this week. Neuville wins from Lappi - good showing from Hyundai (despite Sordo rolling), they've closed the gap a bit on Toyota. Disaster for M-Sport again with both Tanak and Loubet retiring. In the top ten finishers only four rally 1 cars - not a great look for the top level of rallying.

[ArnageWRC]

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/ogier...a-wrc-rethink/

Now Ogier has his say; interestingly, Dirtfish completely glossed over this in the event review......

Cars, events, promotion, etc needs all looking at.

[NaBUru38]

If you want actual stage footage from Sardegna, check this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5oLVbeYHiw

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by ArnageWRC

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/ogier...a-wrc-rethink/

Now Ogier has his say; interestingly, Dirtfish completely glossed over this in the event review......

Cars, events, promotion, etc needs all looking at.

F1 has ridiculous team budgets, but the audience is on par.

A local rally doesn't need a big audience, but budgets are small.

The problem with the WRC is that team budgets are insanely high in comparison with the audience.

Either invest heavily in promote the sport, or cut budgets.

[ArnageWRC]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

F1 has ridiculous team budgets, but the audience is on par.

A local rally doesn't need a big audience, but budgets are small.

The problem with the WRC is that team budgets are insanely high in comparison with the audience.

Either invest heavily in promote the sport, or cut budgets.

To be honest, at the moment with only 2.5 manufacturers, anything more than 10 events is too many & too expensive. Too many in the WRC think it's bigger than it actually is.

Whereas the WEC has less than 10 events, but has far more manufacturer teams...but they realise any more isn't sustainable at the moment.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by ArnageWRC

To be honest, at the moment with only 2.5 manufacturers, anything more than 10 events is too many & too expensive. Too many in the WRC think it's bigger than it actually is.

The current situation reminds me a bit of the DTM - reliant on a small number of manufacturers and running expensive cars that can't compete anywhere else. Is the solution the same? Move to a more widely used ruleset for the cars, DTM went from Class 1 to GT3 - should WRC get rid of Rally 1 and use Rally 2 as the top class? More manufacturers have Rally 2 cars, there are a lot of Rally 2 cars out there and they're cheaper to run.

They also need to sort out the coverage - make more available free either on WRC.com or on youtube. It's no good hiding the coverage behind paywalls or on obscure TV channels if you want to grow the audience.

I think the basic product is good - but certainly there's a lot of work to do to bring WRC back to the levels it was in the past.