FIA WRX 2017

[tbtstt 2,387]

Didn't get back into the UK until silly late last night, so only just around to posting! My feet are still burning from all the walking, but I really enjoyed my first trip to Barcelona! 

The track really surprised me, some sections of it looked very different to what I envisaged based on watching previous TV coverage. Also some sections (particularly the last two corners) were much faster than I thought. 

Overall I thought it was a very promising start to the World Championship (ditto for the Euros as well). Challenges from some unexpected quarters, a very solid debut for the PSRXVW team and a lot of close racing. Finally seeing the PSRXVW Polo was very interesting as well (well, it was to me anyway!). Would be really keen to understand why the engineers have selected that configuration over the norm!

As for DiRT 4, I saw the team over the weekend (who didn't blank me!) and the game was available for play in the PSRXVW tent. Unfortunately it was surrounded by people every time I went past (and only catered for wheel snobs  ;) ), so I didn't get a chance to have a go! 

[SirPhilMcKraken 279]

RyuMakkuro said:

Dayum the final was epic. After the first day of Qualifiers I thought that Bakkerud would not even get to the finals, but here we have him going balls to the walls with the overtake on the Solberg :D

Kind of not surprised that both previously DTM drivers were fastest on Barcelona, given that it's basically over 90% gravel, or more like 100% in the finals. Still, top stuff there :D Block seems to be doing better as well. Also, is it me or the Polo's have more power at the start of the race but then are definitely slower near the end?

I'll give Block his dues, he's gone from the GRC which is mainly (or was) extreme sports people turned racing drivers whereas WRX is the big leagues with the best drivers and he is holding his own. Most of all, he always looks like hes having fun and good for him on that, he doesn't deserve the hate he gets.

[tbtstt 2,387]

Few pictures from Round 1 of the World Rallycross Championship in Barcelona...







...few more here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/22961613@N06/sets/72157682445566686

If anyone is interested. Just a week until the next round, will have to find somewhere online to watch that one!

[Scyy 0]

@tbtstt you can use opera with it's built in VPN and set it to Germany. Worked for last race.

[Azoresst 6]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU-I9dW0PEc

Good start for the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team.

[BadD0g 0]

I'm not normally super into rallycross but I think I want to watch this race on Sunday. From what I understand it's normally livestreamed on the FIA WRX Youtube channel, right?

[RallyDriven 398]

BadD0g said:

I'm not normally super into rallycross but I think I want to watch this race on Sunday. From what I understand it's normally livestreamed on the FIA WRX Youtube channel, right?

Yeah, but it's geoblocked, so it depends what country you're in. You can use third party websites to get around the block though. 

[BadD0g 0]

RallyDriven said:

BadD0g said:

I'm not normally super into rallycross but I think I want to watch this race on Sunday. From what I understand it's normally livestreamed on the FIA WRX Youtube channel, right?

Yeah, but it's geoblocked, so it depends what country you're in. You can use third party websites to get around the block though. 

Yeah, I saw Scyy's comment about using Opera. I'll give that a try. I was trying to decide whether to watch this or MotoGP, but I didn't realize you could watch WRX for free (legally ;)), so looks like that's the winner.

[F2CMaDMaXX 505]

Not all of their stuff is on the YT channel, but in the case of the first round (where it wasn't broadcast) i found that someone else had put the livestream straight copied on their channel, easy search on YT.

[PaloSamo 0]

First round of 2017 was broadcast on their YT channel. Opera with VPN is the way to go.

[shadow118 18]

Here's the Montalegre livestream (for those having trouble to find it, as did I)
As stated above, Opera VPN works fine for those who are geoblocked

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCcA8wUTzhQ

[RallyDriven 398]

Thanks, spent ages trying to get it to work, opera finally worked. Now I just have to contend with the worlds shittest internet connection that apparently can't play a YouTube video

edit: 1.1 Mbps to be precise, slightly better than the last time I checked it. 

[RyuMakkuro 6]

Now that... was quite some brilliant racing there. Shame that Bakkerud went too into Solberg style and tried to ram his way through the first corner which damaged the suspension. He did the most amazing comeback in the qualifiers though.
Solberg got bitten by karma this time, since Kristofferson took his revenge on him for Hockenheim xD Which reminds me... next round is Hockenheim. That is going to be spectacular to say the least :D

Given that the EKS team has better first half and worse second half, this can be some seriously spectacular season coming in.

[shadow118 18]

That first turn in S1600 Final though :D 

• Body is 1 wheel too short.

[SirPhilMcKraken 279]

Ekkstrom fought off Loeb well in that final, poor Solberg and his tyre though!

[F2CMaDMaXX 505]

Am i missing something with the VPN?  I've tried a bunch of euro countries and non show the live, or indeed any additional broadcasts on their youtube channel.

[RallyDriven 398]

Loeb was definitely fastest in the final, difficult to make a pass at Montelegre though!

Didzis said:

That first turn in S1600 Final though :D 

The whole race was bloody good!

[F2CMaDMaXX 505]

Nevermind, sorry, that video embed works, i wonder why you can't browse to it on their site.

[BadD0g 0]

Well, that was a good watch as my first Rallycross race! I missed it live but watched the VOD just now. I've tried watching circuit racing in the past but I've never been able to get into it, but the short races and the overall atmosphere made this a lot of fun to watch. It seems like the drivers are all having fun out there, unlike certain other motorsports (*cough*F1*cough*). Seeing the joker strategy among the teams play out is really interesting. Plus, that 1600 final was nuts! Good quality coverage, too.

Really looking forward to racing this track in Dirt 4 now!

[RallyDriven 398]

BadD0g said:

Well, that was a good watch as my first Rallycross race! I missed it live but watched the VOD just now. I've tried watching circuit racing in the past but I've never been able to get into it, but the short races and the overall atmosphere made this a lot of fun to watch. It seems like the drivers are all having fun out there, unlike certain other motorsports (*cough*F1*cough*). Seeing the joker strategy among the teams play out is really interesting. Plus, that 1600 final was nuts! Good quality coverage, too.

Really looking forward to racing this track in Dirt 4 now!

It was a hell of a lot of fun to drive this track! The last corners are deceptively tight and tricky though, carry too much speed and you'll be in the fence!

[bogani 756]

My god Petter is throwing that car sideways!

[SirPhilMcKraken 279]

RallyDriven said:

BadD0g said:

Well, that was a good watch as my first Rallycross race! I missed it live but watched the VOD just now. I've tried watching circuit racing in the past but I've never been able to get into it, but the short races and the overall atmosphere made this a lot of fun to watch. It seems like the drivers are all having fun out there, unlike certain other motorsports (*cough*F1*cough*). Seeing the joker strategy among the teams play out is really interesting. Plus, that 1600 final was nuts! Good quality coverage, too.

Really looking forward to racing this track in Dirt 4 now!

It was a hell of a lot of fun to drive this track! The last corners are deceptively tight and tricky though, carry too much speed and you'll be in the fence!

Yeah it was so much fun, I think it will be my favourite track! I can imagine it will be potentially quite violent in multiplayer though lol

[tbtstt 2,387]

Unlucky end to the weekend for Petter, it looked like he held Johan up as well so ruined the chance of a VW win.

Best driver in the final for me was Loeb. He looked so much faster than Ekstrom on the last lap!

[Oscar97 25]

The final was intense. Loeb got so close to passing Ekström, but the track is too tight for that and Ekström knew exactly how to block him.

[SirPhilMcKraken 279]

Oscar97 said:

The final was intense. Loeb got so close to passing Ekström, but the track is too tight for that and Ekström knew exactly how to block him.

He just had to hit every Apex on the last lap and not leave a gap because guaranteed Loeb would have taken it.

Did anyone else think Kristoffersson hit Solberg? It could have been the camera angle though