WRC and other rallying

h3000 wrote: »

Breen & Nagle back in the Hyundai for Rally Estonia next month. I hope things go their way and they put in a really good performance. I'd say it could be important for next year.

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1403260784638152705?s=20

How do the part time WRC drivers make a living , is payment for a few WRC works drives per year enough?

Of course they are. You sign a contract, you get paid.

Hyundai and Toyota are manufacture fully funded Teams.... Msport on the other hand have a very different business module.

It's a shame how far WRC has fallen since it's Group B heyday. I was watching the 1982 to 1986 seasons there last week, when the legend Michèle Mouton should really have won the Drivers championship but for a cruel twist of fate on the final stage of the final rally. The popularity of the Sport at that time was unprecedented, 100,000's at the roadside, in some places the crowds were just mad, some of the footage of the cars going through the sea of people is frankly ludicrous and would never be tolerated in this day and age.

Even with the demise of the Group B cars the sport still remained very popular through the 90's into the early 2000's with the likes of Subaru and Colin McRae, Carlos Saintz Sr. and Tommi Mäkinen. Hard to put a finger on when its popularity waned, it truly is a shame, I remember as a youngster studying at Leeds University going to 1995 stage in Leeds with the cars going off as the sun had set, was quite the sight. I also caught a stage of Rally Ireland up in the Silvermines mountains in Tipp very close to my late Grandfathers house.

Anyone got any idea when the support levels really dropped off? I remember that highlights were on BBC or ITV every night when I was a kid, those days are sadly over.

When normal TV lost the TV coverage. Tried to do an F1 with it by giving it to a commercial partner. They just wanted money so sold the rights to pay TV or only an hour on Sunday.

Even tho it's a niche sport, They still get huge amount of fans on the side of the stages, Unlike F1 you could have millions at the side of the road. In Wales it's only when the other 20 miles of forest roads are full of parked cars is when they stop letting people in. Spain they have to close motorways....

Eurosport is handing back the rights to ERC and the WRC is going to run that. I hope that means that WRC could end up back on Eurosport. Used to love watching the WRC each night on Eurosport. Life is too full to watch all of the live stages but I do watch quite alot of it.

One Toyota and one Hyundai already out for the day, Another Toyota and a Hyundai in big trouble.... An and a 91 year old Polish man running at the back of the field in a brand new rally 3 Fiesta....

https://twitter.com/joshuafolks/status/1408320076282015745?s=20

This is some shot. Flying past wildlife at massive speeds!
Good rally so far. Attrition rate could be very high.

This next one coming up could take a victim or two..... They may get over it and get used to it and drive accordingly.

Another one gone ....Rovanpera got stuck.

Katsuta up to second, great craic Wouldnt be surprised if he won it but my money is still on Ogier, he knows how to keep it going in any conditions

Ogier has to be the luckiest man that ever steered a rally car! Katsuta is having a brilliant drive so far (and been impressive all year really), would love to see him hold onto second.... but the wrong man is behind him with only an 18 sec gap in the morning....

Ogier is just the master at the long game, not always the fastest but always the smartest. You have to admire the guy.

In terms of the Championship though, it's hard to see him being beat from here. He will continue to play the percentages for the rest of the year, focussing on finishing rallies knowing he doesnt have to win.

And if he does win it this year, he will probably come back to try equal Loeb in 2022. 1 less seat for someone else in that case!