2020 Rallying

[BertMk2]

So with the 2019 WRC season over we can start looking ahead to 2020 - what do we know already?

No Citroen
Neuville, Tanak, Loeb and Sordo at Hyundai
Ogier, Evans and Rovanpera at Toyota

Any M-Sport annoucements yet?

[S griffin]

Already less seats than usual, let’s hope enough people get seats

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Already less seats than usual, let’s hope enough people get seats

The WRC is certainly looking a bit thin for next year - we've got to hope M-Sport can get the funding together, they struggled this year after all. If they don't make it then it's going to be a very poor year.

[tbtstt]

So Ogier, Evans and Rovanperä confirmed at Toyota, where do we think the rest of the field will fall?

I'd love to see Meeke and/or Breen at M-Sport, but I wonder if they have the funding to make it happen?

[cg7aa]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

So Ogier, Evans and Rovanperä confirmed at Toyota, where do we think the rest of the field will fall?

I'd love to see Meeke and/or Breen at M-Sport, but I wonder if they have the funding to make it happen?

How cow, I didn't see that coming! I thought Meeke and Latvala were probably out the door come season's end but I hadn't really contemplated who might take their seats. I would like to see Meeke in at M-Sport with Suninen, with Paddon and/or Breen in a 3rd car. Probably asking too much in terms of costs.

As someone else said, there's a dearth of seats and in my opinion, a dearth of talent coming up too. Maybe this is what will depress the sport more than anything in the end. Is there anybody coming up through the ranks we are avidly following and excited to see them progress to WRC aside from perhaps Rovenpera Jnr and Solbery Jnr? If you were a manufacturer coming in for the long haul where will you find drivers now?

[hoffman66]

I would say Meeke has had more than enough chances, he seems to be able to run up front, but can't keep it together, his slow pace is not enough.

Coming up, Obviously Oli Solberg is one, I would be signing Lappi over anyone else like Latvala or Meeke. I can also see maybe one of the De Mevius lads coming through soon, but not yet they are still not quick enough in Belgium.

[GasperG]

Does any one know what is the story with Lappi? Why he left Toyota in the first place and apparently there was no seat for him in the coming year. From driving perspective I would take him over Evans. Personal reasons?

[crossfades]

Originally Posted by GasperG

Does any one know what is the story with Lappi? Why he left Toyota in the first place and apparently there was no seat for him in the coming year. From driving perspective I would take him over Evans. Personal reasons?

He and Mäkinen had a fallout of sort back in 2018.

[cg7aa]

The latest headline on the official WRC website should make the championship organisers ponder the future of the sport (Eight drivers, one seat: https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/nove...4--12-12-.html).

Where is it all headed in the long term? Will the future regulations be attractive enough for more manufacturers to jump in? What about the spectators and what they wanna see?

Anyway, in the short term, I'm hoping for some fireworks from Elfyn next season in the Toyota. I have a feeling, he's going to fly. Tanak may take a little while to get the best out of an understeering Hyundai.

[hoffman66]

To be honest my belief is that the sport has had a nice little holiday with the modern cars, but there needs to be something cheaper.

Now Citroen have gone we are down to two maybe three.

Like the old days, it is always priced out of the market.

I think there will be a lull before the hybrid regs come out, then a regeneration again.

Manufacturers are only now interested in motorsport if it follows their green agenda.

For me, means I follow non top level stuff a lot more.

Sadly

[BertMk2]

The Toyota new boys have been out testing - I've not seen much from Hyundai or M-Sport - have they been out and about? If so who was driving (particularly interesting for the M-Sport seats).

Given the lack of entries in the WRC would the championship be better off dropping the current cars and running as an R5 championship? The works teams could continue (do Toyota have an R5 Yaris though?) and potentially you could run with a lot more local and privateer entries.

[crossfades]

Tänak, Neuville and Loeb tested for Monte Carlo some week ago. M-Sport I haven't seen anything from.

For 2022 there will be hybrids so R5s would fill a gap until then I guess since Citroen dropped out now. That would however leave out Toyota. Personally I don't see much sense in it, unless another manufacture drops out and Toyota has an R5 by then.

[hoffman66]

I think if you ran R5, then entries would go through the roof, those cars are run all over the world and are perhaps the biggest success story of modern rallying.

the WRC cars are insanely expensive, and once you get past the aero pretty much the same as the last batch,

The only way you keep manufacturers is to offer them what they want and that's electro/hybrid, whether you like it or not that is what they want and they wont stay if they don't get it.

I would be happy with an R5 series with perhaps an R5+ very heavily restricted with a bit more power for the factory teams

[cg7aa]

A nice short documentary about photographing our sport. I quite enjoyed it.

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

[BertMk2]

M-Sport have announced their lineup:

https://www.m-sport.co.uk/single-pos...-TEAM-FOR-2020

Lappi, Suninen and Greensmith. I quite like the look of that lineup - hopefully Lappi will be happier than he was at Citroen and Suninen and Greensmith can continue to improve.

[S griffin]

Hopefully their ambition will make up for a lack of experience. I can see Lappi and Sunninen getting the results

[tbtstt]

Very disappointed not to see Meeke or Breen in the M-Sport line up. Greensmith is a wasted seat in my personal opinion.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Very disappointed not to see Meeke or Breen in the M-Sport line up. Greensmith is a wasted seat in my personal opinion.

Breen seems to still have one foot in the Hyundai camp so maybe that's a factor? Meeke would probably cost too much for M-Sport - and although it pains me to say this - I think Meekes time has gone (and the same applies to Latvala too). He's had the chances and ultimately not delivered, better to look for drivers with potential and try and hone one of those into a winner - Lappi and Suninen could be the one (not so much Greensmith).

[Alex Langheck]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Very disappointed not to see Meeke or Breen in the M-Sport line up. Greensmith is a wasted seat in my personal opinion.

I think a seat at M-Sport is dependant on £$£$£$£$£

Greensmith has the funds for a seat, the others don't. Lappi has personal backing from the Finnish forestry company Ponsse......

[cg7aa]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

...Greensmith is a wasted seat in my personal opinion.

Bit harsh perhaps, let's see if he can develop into something.

[crossfades]

Originally Posted by cg7aa

Bit harsh perhaps, let's see if he can develop into something.

The guy apparently has photographic memory, maybe it'll make him a top driver.

[BertMk2]

I watched the live coverage of the first Monte Carlo stage last night - really impressive stuff from Ogier (unsurprisingly I guess!). Less impressive was the Fords getting leaves stuck in the grills causing them to overheat - only seemed to be a problem for the Fords

Neuville was a bit off the pace on the first stage but seemed happy enough - the second stage showed why, he'd clearly got his car set up for the second stage and blew everyone else away. So far today Greensmith and Tanak have both binned it! The Monte looks to be as challenging as ever!

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

So far today Greensmith and Tanak have both binned it! The Monte looks to be as challenging as ever!

Massive off for Tanak and, at the other end of the spectrum, possibly the slowest off ever in recorded history for Gus Greensmith.

[hoffman66]

I think Greensmith has links to Msport, maybe like Finlay used to have, but agreed he is good but not much better than Wilson's lad was or Camilli.

Tanak's off was scary, glad he is OK, that looked brutal and flat out.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by hoffman66

I think Greensmith has plenty of cash to give to Msport, maybe like Finlay used to have, but agreed he is good but not much better than Wilson's lad was or Camilli.

Edited for accuracy.