WRC WRC - 2016

Steve · Jan 25, 2016

Flat out, indeed!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz6je7piaXI"]Ostberg FLAT OUT Rallye Monte-Carlo 2016 WRC - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Jan 25, 2016

Holy carp that boys flying..... :arf:

Nice win for Ogier. I think we are going to see another VW year in WRC.

Steve · Jan 26, 2016

This one is well worth the time, IMO.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spg3I4XKyAY"]Rallye Monte Carlo 2016 Le Film 100% spectacle - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jan 26, 2016

MAXRALLY Monte Carlo wrap (maxrally.com)

by Anthony Peacock / 26th January 2016

Another season rolls by, but the icons of Monte Carlo, such as the famous Casino that forms an over-worked metaphor for the rally as a whole, remain exactly as we know them. Or do they? The Sporting Club, an elegant Art Deco building that for many years housed the media centre (as well as a number of high class art galleries â€“ this is Monaco, after all) is gone, replaced by an enormous hole. The magnificent view over the square to the Casino itself is blighted by what appears to be an oversized fungal infection â€“ but these are in fact mushroom-shaped designer outlet â€˜podsâ€™ (thereâ€™s no better way to describe them) selling top marques from Bulgari to Rolex.

Even Monaco is not immune to change: an inevitable result of the fact that every square metre of land is worth the equivalent of a county in most countries. Therein lies the fundamental appeal of the place of course, which is why the rally start ceremony is still held there, despite the inconvenience of having to traipse down from Gap (which is nonetheless considerably less inconvenient than the former charmless â€˜homeâ€™ of the Monte Carlo Rally, in Valence).

True, there were a few decent bars and restaurants even in Valence, but the same can be said of most French towns. The best thing about the Monte Carlo Rally is that whatever happens during the day, thereâ€™s always dinner to look forward to.

Sebastien Ogier may have been strangely downbeat in the build-up to the event â€“ saying that it didnâ€™t seem too long since the end of last season, and a longer break would have been nice â€“ but when it mattered most he acted like a man reborn. And the insouciance he displayed at the start of the rally was replaced by a genuine joy at winning in Monte for the third time in a row. Not many people have done that, and those who have are all legends â€“ weâ€™re talking about names like Loeb, Makinen and Munari (now thereâ€™s a three-piece beat combo that would produce some interesting soundsâ€¦)

Maybe Ogierâ€™s joy was also relief that heâ€™s going to have an even easier time of things this year. Itâ€™s enough to look at the stage times to realise that Volkswagen still enjoys a notable technical advantage and good for them: theyâ€™ve worked hard to achieve it. Thatâ€™s at least one bit of good news for VW after what has been a pretty terrible year for the Germans, thanks to a group of Californian tree huggers who got upset about a bit of carbon monoxide and provoked the biggest scandal the automotive industry has ever seen. Jost Capito maintains that his decision to move to McLaren (which is likely to happen some time in May) has nothing to do with that whatsoever, although itâ€™s worth noting that the last time Jost quit a top-level job in rallying (with Ford) the manufacturer pulled out not long afterwardsâ€¦

In any case, Volkswagen has already started work on its 2017 car, with â€˜Bosseâ€™, also known as Marcus Gronholm, doing much of the testing. The happy problem that Ogier faces for now is not having any real opposition. Once again, because of the Poloâ€™s speed, the biggest rivalry for Ogier is going to come from within his own team. And Jari-Matti Latvala has taken an interesting step backwards.

Itâ€™s fine to take it easy on the Monte: in fact, thatâ€™s a very good idea. Itâ€™s even fine to go off, although obviously more embarrassing when you go off despite taking it slowly. But when you take it easy, go off, and then start hitting spectators, it all starts to look a bit amateur.

To be fair to Jari-Matti, he didnâ€™t hit the person in question hard at all and there was no intention to be reckless: to quote Jost Capito, this is a man who cries if he hits a fly with the windscreen. However, the sort of publicity that a suspended ban brings is hardly the ideal way to start a season that Jari said was going to be his by dint of a new and more measured approach that just concentrated on finishing rallies well.

So Jari has already shot himself in the foot. And while the other Volkswagen of Andreas Mikkelsen makes fewer mistakes, itâ€™s clear that he hasnâ€™t quite got the pace to beat Ogier over the course of the season â€“ especially with a new co-driver on board (who, by the way, did an astounding job). But two minutes behind at the end is still two minutes behind.

So really, thatâ€™s Ogierâ€™s two biggest rivals on the back foot already. And this leaves only one other person who is capable of challenging him on pace: Kris Meeke. A lot has been said about Kris, but one thing you cannot take away from him is his sheer speed, exhibited once again on the icy roads â€“ actually not so icy this year â€“ around the Principality. What happened to him was odd and unfair, making it very unclear where (if with anyone) the fault lay. Was it Kris misjudging the line? Was it Citroen engineering a weak point into the car? Or was there even some foul play on the part of spectators? Weâ€™ll never know.

Meeke has the pace to take the fight to Ogier â€“ but heâ€™ll be doing an absolute maximum of 10 rallies, and more likely six or eight. So we can rule him out now as a championship contender.

Whoâ€™s left? Hyundai? The new car made a good debut with a podium place thanks to Thierry Neuville â€“ but it was more than three minutes behind Ogier. With a bit more development it might get there, but itâ€™s certainly not an overnight game-changer.

This season already feels like more of a dress rehearsal for 2017, when the new generation cars come along. If we judge on previous form, when Citroen are officially back next year they will actually turn up with a car that can beat the Polo. Michel Nandan at Hyundai also says that the new model i20 is a work in progress: the 2017 car is what theyâ€™re aiming towards. Even Tommi Makinen and Toyota are making promising noises.

They are all clever people and no doubt they will produce some pretty amazing cars, helped by new rules that level the playing field. The more pertinent question is, will these cars be matched to drivers who have the capability of beating Ogier? So far, crazily enough, itâ€™s only Meeke who has consistently demonstrated that it might be possible. Maybe Sweden will convince us otherwise.
Click to expand...

Steve · Jan 28, 2016

Kris Meeke SS1 onboard. It's a night stage. I can't imagine having that much confidence in pace notes.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-FKg1JhfIo"]WRC 2016 - Monte Carlo SS1 - Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle Onboard - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jan 28, 2016

Looks like Toyota just hired Mikko Hirvonnen as their lead tester for their 2017 car. I thought he said he wasn't interested in coming back to the WRC. He either changed his mind or maybe this really is just a testing gig with no follow-on race seat option.

RallyMini370 · Jan 30, 2016

Money talks! 2 Eurolamp WRC Mini's are running in Sweden. Also they can be rented for $110 per K.

RallyMini370 · Jan 31, 2016

and you can buy a used WRC Mini for $216,000 bargain!

Steve · Feb 2, 2016

Good video of six top drivers flat out through the same few corners. Who looks quickest? (watch the lower left corner for names)

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itl2rr-QUYQ"]Flat out WRC! - @_D10M_ - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Feb 8, 2016

Rally Sweden is this weekend.

Now for the bad news...

Rally Sweden slashes stages due to warm weather (crash.com)

8 February 2016

Rally Sweden organisers have been forced to cancel eight stages on safety grounds with the revised itinerary avoiding large sections of public roads.

The traditionally all-snow event, which is set to host the second round of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship on the 11-14 February, has been monitored closely by organisers after higher than average temperatures across Scandinavia has seen ice and snow melt in huge volumes with large pools of muddy slush bogging up routes.

It is feared if WRC cars were to thrash on the thawed-out public roads it would cause damage to road surfaces making it unsafe for both competitors and recovery vehicles and as a result organisers have heavily modified the route.

Organisers have submitted a revised route to teams with the 21 scheduled stages reduced to 13 and the competitive distance cut from 331.21km to 241.48km.

Thursday's Super Special Stage Karlstad opener has been scrapped while both loops on Kirkenaer [SS5 and SS6] is also cancelled. The recce has been moved to Wednesday and Thursday while the shakedown has also been called off. The historic rally has also been binned.

Saturday morning's Rammen stage has been cancelled but will remain in the afternoon itinerary while Fredriksberg will be driven in the morning but not afternoon. The short Hagfors Sprint stage has been also been scrapped.

Finally, Sunday will only see a single pass through LesjÃ¶fors and the live TV VÃ¤rmullsÃ¥sen Power Stage.

Studded tyres will still be compulsory in the recce and the rally despite concerns spikes would damage the defrosted roads and make them unusable.

Clerk of the Course Rune Kjernsli had previously stated that safety is paramount for the FIA and WRC Promoters and the changes have been made to minimise any risk to competitors, race officials and fans.

â€œIt is first and foremost the safety of the competitors and the spectators that decides if a stage is run or not,â€ he said. â€œIf we find the road dangerous we cannot use it.â€

Last weekend the FIA European Rally championship season opener Rally Liepaja in Latvia had to be cancelled a week in advance due to warm conditions defrosting roads and making the event unsafe to run.
Click to expand...

Crashton · Feb 8, 2016

That's a darned shame. Yes global warming is a myth.

minirab · Feb 9, 2016

Who are they going to blame for the little ice age, some poor guy sitting

around a camp fire in Scotland? I bet the Camp Fire Police will get his ass.

Steve · Feb 9, 2016

The stages, those they haven't had to cancel, still look like rally stages but they don't all bear much resemblance to what you want to see on Rally Sweden.

Examples.

Stage 2:

Stage 4:

Stage 12:

Crashton · Feb 9, 2016

The studs will eat those roads alive. Wonder how much damage they'll do. Cars toward the back will be mud bogging it.

Steve · Feb 10, 2016

If they're willing to consider things as drastic as dropping groups of stages and maybe even cancelling the entire rally, I don't understand why they aren't talking about dropping the studded tire requirement instead. Seems obvious to me. What am I missing?

Ogier calls for Rally Sweden to be cancelled (crash.net)

10 February 2016

Defending World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier has called for Rally Sweden to be cancelled this weekend as he feels the majority of the conditions are unsafe to race on.

The traditionally snowy event has come under sustained pressure after warm weather has melted snow and ice across Scandinavia, with Ogier stating the paths in Sweden are completely bare of snow and ice. The problem this causes is with studded tyres the WRC challengers will thrash out and damage the public roads without a protective layer of ice.

Rally Sweden has already seen eight stages slashed from the itinerary while the shakedown has also been cancelled so the recce can take place on Wednesday and Thursday.

Speaking to local newspaper Varmlands Folkblad the Volkswagen Motorsport driver, a two-time winner in Sweden, says it isn't safe to run the revised rally and feels it should be cancelled.

"The only routes we can run are in Norway. We can run a short sprint rally there, that's okay, but the rest is a gravel rally and it would be completely unsafe to try,â€ Ogier said to Varmlands Folkblad. â€œIf we try to run the race, we'll lose the studs immediately and then it becomes really dangerous. I do not understand why we're conducting the recce. We are destroying the roads for no reason.â€

Ogier says he sympathises with WRC promoters and event organisers who have desperately tried to get the event on schedule but feels safety should be the paramount concern.

"I know it's a really difficult decision for everyone, but it's simply not possible to run this time. I'm sorry for all the trouble it would mean, but it would be too dangerous to try to drive on gravel roads where the studded tyres are not suited."

Earlier this month the European Rally Championship opener in Latvia, Rally Liepaja, had to be cancelled due to the same lack of snow and ice and has since been rescheduled for mid-September.
Click to expand...

00Mini · Feb 10, 2016

Not being knowledgeable on WRC stuffs , I never realized they had to race on ice with studded tires. I would have just guessed they would pick the appropriate tire for the conditions they were facing.

Steve · Feb 10, 2016

I agree. I know it's a rule, maybe for Finland also, I don't know, but I don't know why it's not as you mentioned.

But ignoring the why/wherefore and origin of the rule, I'm especially confused as to why adhering to that one rule is apparently more important than holding the rally.

00Mini · Feb 10, 2016

Steve said: ↑

I agree. I know it's a rule, maybe for Finland also, I don't know, but I don't know why it's not as you mentioned.

But ignoring the why/wherefore and origin of the rule, I'm especially confused as to why adhering to that one rule is apparently more important than holding the rally.
Click to expand...

Agreed. A business that has no product to sell just might start having some problems.

Steve · Feb 11, 2016

Rally Sweden to go ahead (best-of-rallylive.com)

11/02/2016 8:15 pm

The 2016 Rally Sweden kicked off with this eveningâ€™s start ceremony in Karlstad and action is due to start tomorrow morning (Friday) with â€˜Torsbyâ€™, followed by â€˜Rojdenâ€™ and â€˜Svullryaâ€™, two stages in Norway that have escaped cancellation.

Generally, the Thursdays of WRC rounds are given over to shakedown, last-minute fine-tuning of the carsâ€™ set-ups and PR activities. This week, however, changes to the initially-planned schedule resulted in todayâ€™s programme being dedicated to day two of recce for the crews and a long wait for the teams.

The atmosphere at the new service park on Karlstadâ€™s harbour side was a long way short of the championshipâ€™s usual bustle of activity. The teamsâ€™ facilities have been in place since the beginning of the week and the cars have been ready since Wednesday, so things were very quiet as everyone awaited the outcome of a late-afternoon meeting between the FIA, the teams, the organisers and the promoter to decide once and for all whether the 2016 Rally Sweden would happen or not.

Yesterday, after the first day of recce, several drivers expressed concerns after discovering the conditions, and they werenâ€™t really reassured by what they saw today after practicing the Swedish stages.

Team bosses and teams managers consequently gathered in Hyundaiâ€™s facility at 4pm to share their opinions ahead of a meeting with the FIA, the outcome of which was that the rally would go ahead in accordance with the revised itinerary published on Monday.

Meanwhile, the organisers have been doing a huge job regrading â€˜Torsbyâ€™ and â€˜Varmullsasenâ€™, in addition to resurfacing â€˜Fredriksbergâ€™, â€˜Vargasenâ€™ and â€˜Rammenâ€™. Their untiring efforts deserve recognition.

Expected colder temperatures (minus 7/8Â°C) are effectively likely to provide a stable, icy base for the first cars into the stages, but the surface then promises to worsen for the drivers â€“ and their tyres â€“ running further down the order.

As a result, the FIA has accepted to add four extra tyres to the original quota of 24 per WRC driver and 22 per WRC2 driver. Furthermore, an additional Tyre Fitting Zone has been included after Fridayâ€™s opening test (SS2, â€˜Torsbyâ€™) where teams will be able to take along two fresh tyres.

The organisers will reconvene tomorrow to decide whether further changes have to be made to Saturday and Sundayâ€™s programmes.
Click to expand...

Steve · Feb 11, 2016

I don't think we're going to see much snow this year - other than the stages in Norway, apparently there's some snow on the roads there - but here's the preview video made when they assumed a normal Rally Sweden. Drivers talking about using the snow banks, etc, too bad.

I've also seen a few videos from pre-event tests. Most, if not all, wasted time given they were done on snowy roads.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBE-4DV7FYA"]WRC - 2016 Rally Sweden - Preview - YouTube[/ame]

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