FIA World Rallycross Championship 2018

[JorritVD 1,236]

JorritVD said:

On paper the WRX can’t be called World Championship anymore, as they not have enough manufacturers anymore.

It's a World Champion because of the countries it visits, not because of manufacturer involvement. 

It is a thing I remember from WTCC as there were seasons where just one manufacturer was officially entered and did almost cause they loose their WC status. I did some more research. It looks indeed the base for world championship is first based on the events. Minimal 10 events in three continents. But next to that every championship get additional criteria like the level of professionalism and manufacturer involvement to get or loose the status. That is a reason why WTCC became WTCR. There is no manufacturer entries, only privateer teams (with some factory support though), who buy homologated 'standard spec' cars and therefore it is not a World Championship anymore, but a 'World Cup'. Though in current status everyone in WRX is a kinda manufacturer, as they all build and develop their own cars with or without a factory behind it. 

[tbtstt 2,387]

Good news and bad news this morning: good news is that Holjes will be in the World Championship for at least the next five years, bad news is that OMSE won't be back in the World Championship next year. 

[RallyDriven 398]

tbtstt said:

Good news and bad news this morning: good news is that Holjes will be in the World Championship for at least the next five years, bad news is that OMSE won't be back in the World Championship next year. 

It’s literally just going to be Solberg vs Kristofferson at this rate! How have they made such a mess of this!?

[tbtstt 2,387]

RallyDriven said:

tbtstt said:

Good news and bad news this morning: good news is that Holjes will be in the World Championship for at least the next five years, bad news is that OMSE won't be back in the World Championship next year. 

It’s literally just going to be Solberg vs Kristofferson at this rate! How have they made such a mess of this!?

For the title perhaps, but I still think there are going to be a dozen cars (at least) in the World Championship; PSRXVW, EKS, Hansen, GCK, GRX and the new Fabia pair, plus there are a couple of other rumours as well. 

I have seen a load of posts on Facebook now saying "there is going to be no one left", but I think people are overreacting a bit. 

[Janneman60 154]

Barcelona also extended their contract with 4 years

[tbtstt 2,387]

Janneman60 said:

Barcelona also extended their contract with 4 years

Good news, hopefully will be there again next year!

[RallyDriven 398]

tbtstt said:

Janneman60 said:

Barcelona also extended their contract with 4 years

Good news, hopefully will be there again next year!

Do you think eks and Hansen will rub privately next year? The Hansen’s sounded quite doubtful in their posts, haven’t really heard anything from eks

[JorritVD 1,236]

I wonder what OMSE will do. GRC Europe? It seemed a frustrating season for them. But still Larsson and Erikkson could end drive for somewhere else. Kevin drove also for MJP a season.

But yeah, WRX budgets went up from 5 to 30 million euro a year when VW entered Loeb said and I think the biggest reason why Ford, Audi and Peugeot left/leave next to the domination of VW.

I think EKS might return, but not WRX. I actually think they might go ARX with some financial support from Audi North America. Will be interesting what Hansen will do.

A dozen cars is not enough for a World Championship. The FiaGT World Championship needed to have at least 18 cars to get the WC status.

But currently the GCK seats will be popular and i not expect Doran to return and will be replaced by f.e. Balkerud if he can’t stay at EKS.

[RallyDriven 398]

Calendar reveal who’s they’ve deopped Germany :( Ridiculous as it’s one of the most spectacular races on the calendar, even if it is a bit messy at times! Also montalegre (spelling?) missing

[tbtstt 2,387]

RallyDriven said:

tbtstt said:

Janneman60 said:

Barcelona also extended their contract with 4 years

Good news, hopefully will be there again next year!

Do you think eks and Hansen will rub privately next year? The Hansen’s sounded quite doubtful in their posts, haven’t really heard anything from eks

Hansen (Kenneth) has been involved with rallycross for a long time: he was around before manufacture backing and I think he will be after they have gone as well. 

I don't expect to see Loeb with them next year though. 

RallyDriven said:

Calendar reveal who’s they’ve deopped Germany :( Ridiculous as it’s one of the most spectacular races on the calendar, even if it is a bit messy at times! Also montalegre (spelling?) missing

Germany gets a standalone European round. I am actually hopeful this is a sign of things to come though: if the European Championship starts to get standalone rounds at "proper" circuits then, by the time electric comes along, hopefully most of the European rounds will be established.

World electric cars will go to the F1 tracks and the odd original circuit (like Holjes), petrol (i.e. European Championship) cars all run at original rallycross circuits.

[Oscar97 25]

I give it two seasons before it's canceled.

[KingOfCoins 286]

Yeah, this is not looking so good. Think I'll go for GRC and RallyX Nordic next year.

[RallyDriven 398]

I’m not normally so gloom and doom about these kind of things but I do see WRX struggling in the next few seasons. The FIA have ballsed it up as usual. The calendar doesn’t make any sense, why would you go Europe-Canada-Europe-USA-South Africa? Makes no sense. They saw the championship growing and they tried to make it run before it could walk 

[JorritVD 1,236]

Seeing the new extended ERX schedule, I wouldn’t be surprised EKS, Hansen and maybe some other WRX teams will switch to that

[Oscar97 25]

The issue is that the ERX isn't broadcasted, at least I don't think it is.

[shadow118 18]

The Nitro Rallycross track in action. And there's also Ekstrom and Hansen driving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGQ_P3Dz2nc

[carpa 303]

RallyDriven said:

I’m not normally so gloom and doom about these kind of things but I do see WRX struggling in the next few seasons. The FIA have ballsed it up as usual. The calendar doesn’t make any sense, why would you go Europe-Canada-Europe-USA-South Africa? Makes no sense. They saw the championship growing and they tried to make it run before it could walk 

Seeing how they screwed up the World Endurance Championship with the introduction of hybrid LMP1s which only manufacturers could produce, I'm not surprised the same thing happened in WRX

[JorritVD 1,236]

Loeb saying in an Autosport interview that Seb Loeb Racing considering taking over the 208 'factory' programm:
https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/139747/loeb-win-makes-19-programme-more-tempting

Asked if taking Peugeot's 208 World RX cars in-house with his Sebastien Loeb Racing team was a possibility, he told Autosport: "That's one of the options we're thinking about."

I think most logical is that SLR and the Hansen family will work together next year.

[tbtstt 2,387]

GCK will field just two cars in South Africa as the third car is too badly damaged to fix in time. Chichiret and Marklund will be driving, Liam will be watching from the sidelines.

[JorritVD 1,236]

Quite a suprise. Scott Speed joints Subaru for 2019 ARX season. No VW in ARX next year?

[tbtstt 2,387]

JorritVD said:

Quite a suprise. Scott Speed joints Subaru for 2019 ARX season. No VW in ARX next year?

That was my first thought as well. 

[Oscar97 25]

The entire European championship will be broadcasted live, in the end.

[mats27 83]

tbtstt said:

GCK will field just two cars in South Africa as the third car is too badly damaged to fix in time. Chichiret and Marklund will be driving, Liam will be watching from the sidelines.

That sucks, really enjoyed watching Liam drive. Hoping we get to see him again next year!

[tbtstt 2,387]

mats27 said:

tbtstt said:

GCK will field just two cars in South Africa as the third car is too badly damaged to fix in time. Chichiret and Marklund will be driving, Liam will be watching from the sidelines.

That sucks, really enjoyed watching Liam drive. Hoping we get to see him again next year!

Yeah, shame that Liam is without a drive when it was Marklund's car that got smashed up in Germany: guess Anton is paying more for his drive though, so Doran is out!

[mats27 83]

tbtstt said:

mats27 said:

tbtstt said:

GCK will field just two cars in South Africa as the third car is too badly damaged to fix in time. Chichiret and Marklund will be driving, Liam will be watching from the sidelines.

That sucks, really enjoyed watching Liam drive. Hoping we get to see him again next year!

Yeah, shame that Liam is without a drive when it was Marklund's car that got smashed up in Germany: guess Anton is paying more for his drive though, so Doran is out!

Probably, I think Doran is primarily there to develop the car which is why he's still flying out to South Africa.