real life 2020 FIA World Rally Championship

[Fedemaisonnave 48]

Malcolm Wilson said he think that by the middle of the season he hope to have at least 6 Cars, and this week maybe he could announce some drivers he said.
Suninen ended his contract with Oreca this week...

[TURBODEVIN19 19]

tbtstt said:

VW on the verge of pulling the plug on their WRC program? Perhaps just gossip...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/126924/volkswagen-could-pull-wrc-programme

...but an interesting snippet to read after the Audi announcement last week. Would they back out when they have already poured so much into development of a car for 2017? 

Jost Captio left VW Motorsport earlier this year to join the McLaren F1 team, could this have been an extra reason for him to leave?

[Dytut 89]

Seems rather unlikely that VW would just throw away all that work on the 2017 car. But then again, you never know. Really hope that's not the case.

[KingOfCoins 286]

I think they would atleast sell the cars to another non factory team to run for them. But I dont think VW will drop out. Maybe after next season, but not now

[tbtstt 2,387]

Dytut said:

Seems rather unlikely that VW would just throw away all that work on the 2017 car. But then again, you never know. Really hope that's not the case.

Yeah, I find it hard to believe that they would abandon the team after all the development, but if the purse strings are being tightened, they may have no choice.

KingOfCoins said:

I think they would atleast sell the cars to another non factory team to run for them. But I dont think VW will drop out. Maybe after next season, but not now

Perhaps things would be different if they were to pull out, but no Polo WRCars have ever made it into the hands of privateers, so I wonder if the whole program would just be locked away. 

[Rallycameraman 241]

https://youtu.be/5qP9ncoY9KE

so much for it being a dry one! GOt absolutely soaked on Friday 

[tbtstt 2,387]

Rallycameraman said:

so much for it being a dry one! GOt absolutely soaked on Friday 

It wouldn't be right to have a trip to Wales without it hammering down with rain at some point! Awesome video, love the clip at 1:37 from the inside of the bend (I think its Meeke: hard to tell with the car caked in mud!)

[KingOfCoins 286]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motorsport-wrc/updated-volkswagen-quits-world-rally-championship-end-2016

Well I guess that's it then...

I feel very conflicted about this

[tbtstt 2,387]

Forgive the double post, but the VW exodus from the WRC has been confirmed:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motorsport-wrc/updated-volkswagen-quits-world-rally-championship-end-2016

Such a shame, as I was looking forward to seeing them fend off the challenge of the returning marques, plus we'd have had five manufacturers in play. 

[sqdstr 107]

I wonder what Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen will do now, most contracts for 2017 have been arranged at Hyundai & Citroen, leaving only Ford & Toyota to reveal their full lineup.
It's quite sad really to see VW leave, WRC would have been more interesting with 5 contenders (car brands).

[Dytut 89]

Damn VW :-/ Hope they can just mothball it for one season and return in 2018 at least. 

But the drivers... Don't think Hyundai will snatch anyone, might be that M-Sport will try to get one (Ogier + Tänak would be a killer lineup if Ford would want to get a new title). Mikkelsen might go to Citroen, or can Neuville scrounge up a Hyundai seat for his friend? Wonder if Latvala won't just quit, felt like 2017 will be his last bid for a world title but not sure if he can reload his batteries for a new team. Or... will Mäkinen get his fellow Finn a Yaris?

[tbtstt 2,387]

Latvala to Toyota? Possibly unrelated, but Ogier sampled an EKS rallycross car a few weeks ago: might he turn his back on rallying and consider rallycross instead? Ogier back to Citroen seems a stronger possibility though, how secure is Breen I wonder?

[KingOfCoins 286]

I was thinking rallycross myself. It is audi after all which is under volkswagen. It could happen.

[Dytut 89]

On the bright side, in case Ogier won't be driving next year chances are the title fight will be incredibly open.

[KingOfCoins 286]

That's why I'm conflicted. On one side it's sad to see a manufacturer go, but on the other hand it will bust the dommination wide open. All the vw years you knew who was winning the drivers and what car was winning the manufacturers. And if ogier can pull a kankunnen and win with a different manufacturer and not having the car made for his style exclusivly I will have much more respect for him.

[tbtstt 2,387]

Dytut said:

On the bright side, in case Ogier won't be driving next year chances are the title fight will be incredibly open.

Yeah, but next years Champion will always be "the guy that won because Ogier had no drive that year"...

...the more I think about it the more annoyed I get at VW: all that development in the Polo and it's destined to be locked in a shed next year! 

[Dytut 89]

To be honest, Ogier was the guy that won because Loeb left in the beginning.

[ChristinaMc 784]

Dytut said:

To be honest, Ogier was the guy that won because Loeb left in the beginning.

Seeing a lot of RX fans discuss a move to WRX from Ogier. It's where the big-name competititors are at the moment! Would love to see that happen. World Champions everywhere, especially if JB decides he fancies a pop at RX too.

[tbtstt 2,387]

ChristinaMc said:

Dytut said:

To be honest, Ogier was the guy that won because Loeb left in the beginning.

Seeing a lot of RX fans discuss a move to WRX from Ogier. It's where the big-name competititors are at the moment! Would love to see that happen. World Champions everywhere, especially if JB decides he fancies a pop at RX too.

JB seems to be a strong rumour at the moment, though I'm on the fence with that one: although his family name is established in rallycross I have never really warmed to Jensen (perhaps moving away from F1 will change that though). Also the last time a big F1 star appeared in rallycross, they were a massive disappointment! 

Ogier is an interesting consideration. With a rallycross test drive already under his belt and Audi on the fence with a decision for EKS in the future, a move from Ogier might persuade them to put some money in to rallycross. 

[Fedemaisonnave 48]

Hyundai and Citroen Will stay the same, Ford and Toyota will dispute the drivers, Ogier Will go to MSport if he stay at WRC, and Latvala to Toyota, Mikkelsen and Lappi to DMack, just it is what I think

[versedi 39]

Ohhh nooo!
I was so excited to finally see in next season how VW gets beaten like a child in primary school by a bullies.

Whole situation is weird, which means it's about the money. VW took a serious hit with 80 bil. dollars to payup with the petrol-scandal.

IMO Ogier will have a break in upcomin season or how you've said he will try to fight in RX.
Almost certainly sure that Makinen already got Latvala or Mikkelsen (do you see any other countries in their team?). Ostberg wasn't confirmed so I think this is were replacement will have place in Ford...unfortunately because I really like his humble person and I believe he could have been really fast in future.

EDIT: I've read that VW will now do private teams in WRC. Maybe they'll create a private team for all 3 drivers? I suppose all 3 shouldn't have any problems with finding private sponsors for it (Ogier - RedBull, Latvala - ?, Mikkelsen - ?)

Edit2: I was wrong, Ostberg will drive in team Adapta Motorsport with Fiesta WRC 2017 (asap - possibly in Sweden). Tanak has rejected offer from Hyundai and will most likely drive for M-Sport next year.

Edit3: It was irrelevant. Now it gets really relevant: (quote)

Ogier last week @Rally_Forum ""I admire Malcolm and one of my regrets is not having worked with him, but who knows what the future holds"

[Porkhammer 78]

I wouldn't worry about VW and Ogier and whatever. Anybody remembers the 2006 season? Citroën pulled out of the championship while developing the C4, or something like that. Loeb used a privately entered Xsara for that season. Still champion.

[tbtstt 2,387]

Porkhammer said:

I wouldn't worry about VW and Ogier and whatever. Anybody remembers the 2006 season? Citroën pulled out of the championship while developing the C4, or something like that. Loeb used a privately entered Xsara for that season. Still champion.

The 2017 WRCars cannot be run by privateers. I could end up eating my words, but I'm 99.9% sure we won't see Ogier in a VAG car in 2017. At least not in rally anyway...  ;)

[F2CMaDMaXX 505]

tbtstt said:

Porkhammer said:

I wouldn't worry about VW and Ogier and whatever. Anybody remembers the 2006 season? Citroën pulled out of the championship while developing the C4, or something like that. Loeb used a privately entered Xsara for that season. Still champion.

The 2017 WRCars cannot be run by privateers. I could end up eating my words, but I'm 99.9% sure we won't see Ogier in a VAG car in 2017. At least not in rally anyway...  ;)

I think i saw that too, i think it's dumb tbh.

[tbtstt 2,387]

F2CMaDMaXX said:

tbtstt said:

Porkhammer said:

I wouldn't worry about VW and Ogier and whatever. Anybody remembers the 2006 season? Citroën pulled out of the championship while developing the C4, or something like that. Loeb used a privately entered Xsara for that season. Still champion.

The 2017 WRCars cannot be run by privateers. I could end up eating my words, but I'm 99.9% sure we won't see Ogier in a VAG car in 2017. At least not in rally anyway...  ;)

I think i saw that too, i think it's dumb tbh.

I wonder if there are safety concerns with regards to the new cars. It looks like the next generation of WRCars are going to be stupidly quick and the last time that the governing body of World Rally put "stupidly quick" cars into the hands of anyone who could afford them it ended badly.

Perhaps they will relax that element of the regulations in the future.