FIA World Rallycross Championship 2018

[tbtstt 2,387]

What is frustrating about the World Rallycross this year is, unlike the last season, there are at least two teams out there that have the cars and drivers capable of challenging the Polo, but none of them seem to be able to get everything right. 

Timmy Hansen seems to be cursed this year, yet another incident that wasn't his fault and another podium snatched from him. In terms of pace I think Timmy should be challenging for the lead of the Championship, instead he is down in sixth. Second to sixth in the Championship split by just 10 points though, the real battle this year looks to be who is going to take second, as Kristoffersson looked flawless on track this weekend. 

[gfRally 449]

carpa said:

gfRally said:

I said it many many times, if you go all electric, you will lose.  Ever watch starwars (or name your favorite action movie) on mute?  Of course not, but thats what will it will br like watching WRX.

What will DiRT 6 sound like with electric WRX cars.  Are my speakers broke?? No they are electric cars, there is no sound...

Star Wars isn't exactly the best example because there is no sound in space... But we're all petrol heads here so we get what you're saying ;)

You must be a starTREK fan ?

[carpa 303]

gfRally said:

carpa said:

gfRally said:

I said it many many times, if you go all electric, you will lose.  Ever watch starwars (or name your favorite action movie) on mute?  Of course not, but thats what will it will br like watching WRX.

What will DiRT 6 sound like with electric WRX cars.  Are my speakers broke?? No they are electric cars, there is no sound...

Star Wars isn't exactly the best example because there is no sound in space... But we're all petrol heads here so we get what you're saying ;)

You must be a starTREK fan ?

Nope. I'm actually a SW fan :D but I was very impressed with Interstellar when they showed an explosion with no sound at all because it was in space. It felt really weird but amazing. I highly doubt a WRX without any noise would be as good, unfortunatley...

[Dytut 89]

I personally find electric performance cars an absolutely thrilling concept. Cars going that fast without making any loud sounds except for the spray of gravel and wind sound... it's a bit magical :-)

[gfRally 449]

Dytut said:

I personally find electric performance cars an absolutely thrilling concept. Cars going that fast without making any loud sounds except for the spray of gravel and wind sound... it's a bit magical :-)

Unfriended ;)

[Janneman60 154]

Anorher easy win for Kristofersson followed by Bakkerud and Grosset-Janin. Ekstrom had a hard move on Timmy Hansen which saw Timmy landing in the scenery and Ekstrom was set back to sixt place. From were I saw it happening it looks like a good decision.

[mats27 83]

Grosset-Janin was impressive all weekend. Great drive  :) 

[Janneman60 154]

I didn't find him that impressive. But maybe it is that the car was not very impressive at this track because Jerome himself I rate high as a driver. And it was his lucky day to first reach the finale and then others got into rrouble.

[RallyDriven 398]

Looks like Timmy and Ekstrom’s crash continued after the race outside the cars! To be fair, if I was Timmy I would have been very pissed off! He just rammed him straight off the track! Wasn’t a good place to go for that kind of move, especially when the gao was as small as it was, on a quick corner of the track

[tbtstt 2,387]

Janneman60 said:

Anorher easy win for Kristofersson followed by Bakkerud and Grosset-Janin. Ekstrom had a hard move on Timmy Hansen which saw Timmy landing in the scenery and Ekstrom was set back to sixt place. From were I saw it happening it looks like a good decision.

Yeah, maybe the penalty was a bit harsh, but Ekstrom did pile into Timmy. To be fair to Ekstrom many of the more recent incidents would, if they had occurred in isolation, been viewed as racing incidents. But considering what happened at Barcelona and everything he has done since, I am definitely seeing Ekstrom as a dirty driver this year.

Mattias always talked about "winning with respect". Perhaps the pressure of Audi Sport backing (and the need for results) is the cause for more aggressive driving? 

RallyDriven said:

Looks like Timmy and Ekstrom’s crash continued after the race outside the cars! To be fair, if I was Timmy I would have been very **** off! He just rammed him straight off the track! Wasn’t a good place to go for that kind of move, especially when the gao was as small as it was, on a quick corner of the track

Ekstrom getting some payback for Timmy barging past Mattias at Holjes before? (Though Timmy didn't get a penalty for that).

mats27 said:

Grosset-Janin was impressive all weekend. Great drive  :) 

Have to say I agree with @Janneman60, it was a good result for Grosset-Janin (and he is a great driver), but I didn't think his drive was that impressive. 

Both the Hyundai's were great. Fantastic recovery from Niclas Gronholm on Sunday and the best Timor has looked for a long time. Damn shame that they both had bad luck in the latter stages of the weekend.  

Gutted for Petter, really thought he might have a shout at victory. Looked like Timmy slow with an issue at the end as well? Really hope Peugeot can get that car sorted so someone can knock the Polo off the top step.

[Janneman60 154]

A many heard thing in the paddock on friday was that if Petter would drive the car like he did in free practise the car would not survive. Well he did drive like in free practise, which was great to watch, but the insiders were rright it didn't last. His teammate is such more smoother, hence bringingvthe car in the final and win agsin and again and again.

[DiRTKiNG808 15]

I am getting so tired of seeing Kristofersson win every event. I miss the rally cross were everyone struggled to win 2 or 3 races. Can someone check to see if VW is cheating? With the electric cars coming and only 1 driver winning this might be game over for me and WRX.

[Dytut 89]

Well VW did kind of take their (kind of superior) WRC car that they had put shitloads of money developing and turn it into a WRX car.  It has it's flaws that were apparent first season, but their base car has had a hell of a lot of development money put into it. The others will be hard pressed to catch up.

[KingOfCoins 286]

This is why I'm kinda looking forward to the Electric series. I think it will even things out. But in the meantime, I'm really enjoying ERX instead. It feels much rawer there

[bogani 756]

Domination from one team or driver is never good for a sport. Never ever.

[Oscar97 25]

Also, with Ekström taking out the competition, it will be a long time before Kristoffersson stops winning.

[DiRTKiNG808 15]

It was hard to enjoy Kristoffersson's clean sweep in Hell. It just felt meh, like it was handed to him. Bakkerud worked like hell (excuse the pun) to get his clean sweep in 2016, fighting for it every race. I was watching the racing at the edge of my seat cheering him on almost in disbelief to how it was happening. Doing it in the Hoonigan car was also amazing, I really miss that team. To bad the new electric rules turned them away. 2016 is miles ahead of 2018 as the racing goes.

[tbtstt 2,387]

DiRTKiNG808 said:

I am getting so tired of seeing Kristofersson win every event. I miss the rally cross were everyone struggled to win 2 or 3 races. Can someone check to see if VW is cheating? With the electric cars coming and only 1 driver winning this might be game over for me and WRX.

As @Dytut has said VW have already put a hell of a lot of development into that chassis. The engine was already proven in the GRC and a lot of other parts have been easily adapted (or just used as is) from the WRC program.

It's clearly a car that suits Kristoffersson as well, where as Petter has had to adapt. 

bogani said:

Domination from one team or driver is never good for a sport. Never ever.

Agreed. Thing is, I think that Johan is a great driver and, with his family history in the sport, I think he is a very deserving World Champion: I want to see him have to fight for the title though! 

[sjoerdFTW 0]

So, RX is going electric in 2021.
Thoughts?  

[RallyDriven 398]

sjoerdFTW said:

So, RX is going electric in 2021.
Thoughts?  

It was supposed to be 2020, luckily they’ve pushed it back a year

[JorritVD 1,236]

sjoerdFTW said:

So, RX is going electric in 2021.
Thoughts?  

No, the plan was going electric in 2020, but they not had 4 manufacturers in time for the deadline. So the new deadline is for March 2019. If they have 4 manufacturers commited before that deadline, than WRX becomes electrix in 2021. For now there will be kinda wildcard electric entries allowed for 2020. 

I really liked WRX and GRC/ARX, but the VW are to dominant seeing them always win. Currently WRX is a bit the same as F1. Three top teams, and the others are in a B league. And I think it is mostly because of VW. When VW entered in 2017, after Audi and Peugeot put in more budget to close the gap to VW, what the privateers can't do. 

Till the end of 2016 the FIA WRX got more populair rapidly. But the domination of VW killed this growing. And somehow IMG and FIA don't see this. 

2018 we saw 2 different winners, 7 different podium finishers and 11 different top 6 drivers. 
2017 we saw 3 different winners, 8 different podium finishers and 15 different top 6 drivers
2016 we saw 7 different winners, 10 different podium finishers and 18 different top 6 drivers
2015 we saw 8 different winners, 11 different podium finishers and 21 different top 6 drivers
2014 we saw 7 different winners, 13 different podium finishers and 20 different top 6 drivers

Where top rallycross was till 2016 the era for factory supported privateers and other privateers, now the factory teams dominate. 

I think WRX should follow a bit the BTCC or V8 Supercars regulations. Common parts, but still a lot of areas where the teams can develop. And those championships have manufacturers. This will bring down costs, manufacteres as well as privateer can build cars more easily and the competition will be more closer. 

[tbtstt 2,387]

RallyDriven said:

sjoerdFTW said:

So, RX is going electric in 2021.
Thoughts?  

It was supposed to be 2020, luckily they’ve pushed it back a year

Yeah, I wonder why the have chosen to defer it. There was early talk about nine manufacturers all expressing a serious interest, but I wonder if they are struggling to get manufacturers to commit? 

It is known that at least one of the current works team are only there because of the promise of electric, so it's obviously a big thing for at least some manufacturers. Perhaps others don't feel as strongly about it though. 

In other news I see that the OMSE Civic has now been homologated, so we might see that racing in Europe before the end of the year. 

[JorritVD 1,236]

Would be awesome to have next to the WRX/ARX cars also these unique Supercars like the Civic, Dodge Dart, Veloster and older Supercars like the Saab in a Codemasters Rally(cross) game. "how more the merrier"

[Janneman60 154]

tbtstt said:o

RallyDriven said:

sjoerdFTW said:

So, RX is going electric in 2021.
Thoughts?  

It was supposed to be 2020, luckily they’ve pushed it back a year

Yeah, I wonder why the have chosen to defer it. There was early talk about nine manufacturers all expressing a serious interest, but I wonder if they are struggling to get manufacturers to commit? 

It is known that at least one of the current works team are only there because of the promise of electric, so it's obviously a big thing for at least some manufacturers. Perhaps others don't feel as strongly about it though. 

In other news I see that the OMSE Civic has now been homologated, so we might see that racing in Europe before the end of the year. 

As far as I heard only 4 manufacturers put their name on the list before the deadline for 2020. Far that reason it is delayed with a year. 

After thia I am not so convinced it will be better a year later?

[JorritVD 1,236]

https://e-racing365.com/other-series/ewrx/ewrx-postponed-until-2021/

" The adoption of electric cars in the FIA World Rallycross Championship has been delayed until 2021, series officials announced on Thursday.

It comes after the FIA was unable to secure a minimum of four manufacturers for the planned all-electric championship, which was due to debut in 2020." 

So could be 3 or even less manufacturers that were secured.