Anyone following WRC this year?

[Mirage]

Redbull picking up the coverage has been absolutely great, 3 30 minute reviews every day and a 1 hour live stage (usually with combined helicopter and incar footage) on saturday for free on redbull.tv or the app. I just starting watching this year after the complete lack of coverage in the US the last 5+ years. The new cars with the new rules are far more exciting and faster than the blando ones of the past couple years and the fact that in just 4 rallies there has been 4 different cars manufactures win bodes well for the future competition.

[Yw-slayer]

I must admit that I stopped trying after Subaru pulled out, but I occasionally read a few articles. I also thought about buying an Edox Chronorally watch - does that count?

I am, however, addicted to the Japanese Super GT 300/GT 500 series.

[Tom Servo]

I'll have to check out that coverage. Like you, just stopped paying attention when it got to be too damn hard to watch in the US. I also admit that Loeb made things a little boring after a while, and I never really made a big effort to get back to it.

[Random]

Been checking out highlights on YT. The cars look too wild. I liked last year's versions better. :(

Still hella fun to watch though. :)

[The359]

I am, however, addicted to the Japanese Super GT 300/GT 500 series.

I hope you're not a Honda fan ;)

[Yw-slayer]

I hope you're not a Honda fan ;)

Anything but German cars. ;)

[Rare White Ape]

Thanks for the heads-up!

I love to watch WRC but accessibility has been too damn hard in the last ten years, being on pay TV instead of free to air like it used to be.

[Mirage]

Argentina going on now for those that wanted to check it out.

[SkylineObsession]

Suggest that the World Rally Championship changes their name to European Rally Championship. And i'm not the only one in the world saying this.

Thirteen events next year. Ten of them in Europe... Australia, Argentina and Mexico are the only non Europe events. EVERYONE was asking for New Zealand to return, even the teams and drivers. Nope.
http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/september-2017/2018-calendar/page/4863--12-12-.html

What a friggen joke of an event.

They need to bring back the 'world' part of it. Russia, USA, Canada, Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, India, China etc etc.
I know it's all about money, which is why none of them are likely to happen, but still - wonder if they can legally use the World name if they only have a few token world events.

[Blerpa]

Honestly, aside from New Zealand... who the fuck has ever given a flying fuck about Rally running outside Europe beside in those 4 (Australia, Argentina, Mexico, NZ included) aforamentioned venues?
WRC is an European matter mostly, historically since ever and this should always be forever.

And fuck that "can legally use"... retarded americans call World League their own national baseball league, just saying.

[SkylineObsession]

By legally i meant more morally, but as you mentioned some events like to sound bigger than they are.

I don't know the full history of WRC, but maybe if they frequented other non European countries more often they may get more fans, and thus more money.

[Yw-slayer]

I don't think "European, Australian, and Middle and South American Rally Championship" has the same ring to it.

[Blerpa]

Point is, rally will never be much more popular: its swan song was in the Group B times.
But rally is:
1) Dangerous, both for the driver, navigator and spectators on the track
2) Convoluted, because of its own structure of racing
3) Last too much time: 3-4 days of racing from morning till late afternoon? Too much
4) Difficult to organize because it uses, for almost a week long, normal roads
5) BORING. Yes, I said that. Aficionados and late coming entusiasts may like it, but let's face it: time trial on a long winded road that stretches for quite some km is boring to experience (Yes, I've spectated rallies and yes, I've been also a fire marshall at rally events, included Targa Florio IRC sanctioned race in 2012 or 2013)

Rally costs too much for not much returns. And is not televised almost anywhere anymore.
Do you know what's *destroying* Rally's number of spectators both on TV and live on track, at least in Europe? Rallycross (the european one, not the american different stuff): ratings are going up and up and people loves it; flashy, quick races with a lot of car vs car banging. It really is polarizing a lot of people's attention nowadays. And it is televised, even on free air tv.
I don't see a way to get back to older glory for rally. This is it, about, to me.

[Yw-slayer]

Boring to watch in-person as a spectator, perhaps. But it’s great TV.

[The359]

The FIA requires events to be held on at least 3 continents to qualify as World Championship status. The second requirement is, I believe, at least three manufacturers represented in the series.

In 2018:
F1 visits 5 continents
WRC visits 4 continents
WEC visits 3 continents
WRX visits 3 continents
WTCC doesn't have a 2018 calendar yet, but visited 4 continents in 2017.

[SkylineObsession]

So all of them are only barely making the requirements. Penny pinching mofos.

Personally i do like rallying, have been to local/national events in my area (usually every year or two) and like watching it on TV, but i much prefer the tarmac version, Targa rally. Mainly because of the variety of cars competing, from Ferrari's to Mazda's, and because it is something i want to do. It's my favourite type of motorsport in the world. GT racing is prolly in second or third and rally/wrc maybe in 5th or 6th place.

WRC drivers are probably the ballsiest drivers on the planet, as with a single mistake they can completely destroy their car or end up in hospital because of the insane speeds they do on the roads. That's what i find entertaining about it.

[Leon]

Boring to watch in-person as a spectator, perhaps. But it’s great TV.

Disagree with you there. I've watched WRC, and various other rally cars in person, and they absolutely defy physics when you're watching them. The speed they're arriving, you look at every WRC car that arrives to a corner and think "fuck, that's insane, they are definitely going to crash and die". Then they don't.

[Yw-slayer]

I was speculating, as I've never watched a WRC event live. I'd love to be proved wrong!

[SkylineObsession]

Been recording and watching the races from this year, and my interest in WRC, and even local rally events has increased tenfold from what it's been over the past decade or so. I've come to again appreciate the sheer skill and reaction times, and BALLS of these drivers.

I completely honestly cannot go the speeds they go out there in the real world when i play rally video games. I could probably get better with practice, and maybe a wheel, but on Dirt Rally and an older WRC game i just don't have the balls to push harder since it's so easy to crash and lose time (or get annoying penalties).

Aside from NZ's Hayden Paddon, i'm not really cheering for anyone or any team/manufacturer in particular. I'm just soaking in the awesome high speed racing through spaces barely big enough to fit one car let alone two.
There are rumours of him switching to Ford/M-Sport next year (https://rallysportmag.com/hayden-paddon-tipped-to-join-m-sport-for-2019-wrc-161018/), either way i hope he gets a full time drive.

He's just cleaned up the NZ Rally Championship, and got Hyundai it's first ever NZ Rally manufacturers title. And in all NZ rally events he competed in this year he broke the stage record for most/all stages in every rally. Almost consistently 2-3 minutes ahead of second place in every rally too - barely anyone could touch him, and some are driving similar spec cars. :twitch:

Crazy seeing the speed difference between a WRC driver vs a 'local'/part time rally driver.

In 2015 he won the rally in my neck of the woods in a classic BDA Ford Escort, beating all the modern day cars...
http://nzrallychamps.co.nz/paddon-takes-stunning-victory-at-otago/

Here he is this year at my hometown rally (this road is 10-15 mins south of us), which is i think his favourite (and many other drivers) rally event and rally stage in the world.

https://youtu.be/PScjE2GuZbw

An extremely basic description of the NZ 'AP4' rally cars: https://www.driven.co.nz/news/motorsport/ap4-cars-split-rallying-have-and-have-nots

And why he's so much faster than everyone else in NZ.
https://rallysportmag.com/paddon-well-aware-of-unfair-nzrc-advantage/

[FaultyMario]

Nope, VW and Hyundai are not particularly exciting brands in motorsport.

[SkylineObsession]

For the third time in a row, Hayden Paddon has won the Otago Rally with a lead of over 7 minutes (as he's done each time, 8 mins last year and 9 mins in 2016 i think). Above and beyond a WRC capable driver (despite Hyundai dropping him from their WRC team this year), for proof look no further than this clip of one of the stages near my city from the weekend.

Facebook video, so just click the picture to play it.

https://www.facebook.com/haydenpaddonwrc/videos/2081960951857116/

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EPCHszKXkAAholu.jpg

#WRC It's the drama-corner SS3 #RallyeMonteCarlo Infos & results http://bit.ly/2RJ7M2n (https://twitter.com/planetemarcus/status/1220624724516057088) (in FR)

[XHawkeye]

Rallye Monte-Carlo 2020 ES4 | St-Clément-sur-Durance - Freissinières 1 (20,68 km) ÉVÉNEMENT Grosse sortie de route pour Ott Tänak. L'équipage est OK. #WRC #HMSGOfficial #RallyeMonteCarlo (https://twitter.com/SebLoebMLDC/status/1220634796482793472) <--- Open for video

================

Tanak’s near 115mph shunt saw him get airborne, fell a tree and plunge down the arrowed rock face. Modern WRC cars are built tough, and thank god for that. #TGC #montecarlorally #wrc #otttanak #hyundaiwrc (https://twitter.com/The_Gravel_Crew/status/1220669998525489152) <--- Open for pictures

[Yw-slayer]

I have a Gazoo Racing jacket, and recently bought the Orient STI watch from 2011. Also the new Yaris WRC looks damn cool. I guess that counts!?

[Blerpa]

Accident similar to the one of Toivonen in the 80s. Tanak and navigator are fine. Toivonen and navigator died burned alive inside their destroyed car.
That's progress and safety.

[XHawkeye]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xD1VeHhuWo

[XHawkeye]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAGRr04LTvQ

[Freude am Fahren]

More angles. Holy shit.


https://youtu.be/Uy0wfWPcyGI


https://youtu.be/j44DpPbNTPk

[Alan P]

Seems that the suspension grounded out and he was a passenger from that point on. Big accident but both driver and navigator are fine apparently.

[XHawkeye]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXbWrwCKBV4

[XHawkeye]

mpresionante el ritmo de @thierryneuville y @nicolasgilsoul en el #RallyeMonteCarlo #WRC (https://twitter.com/inforallyes/status/1221515951667142657) <--- Open for video

[XHawkeye]

Are the fans happy to see WRC and Loeb back? (https://twitter.com/NicolasLv7/status/1484260166900015116) <--- Open for video


Accident de @AdrienFourmaux al #RallyeMonteCarlo increïble que no hagi passat res!!! (https://twitter.com/NogaredaJosep/status/1484557885321486336) <--- Open for video

Another view @AdrienFourmaux by Fredrik Delborn (https://twitter.com/paddocknews/status/1484474727708217344) <--- Open for video

[FaultyMario]

amazing:

https://twitter.com/Atraccion360/status/1484643746599735298?t=jEYDQjBGSjheljT27Z3Ycw&s=19

[Fiat500]

Holy crap! 😮

[Freude am Fahren]

Damn, when they first came up on it, I didn't realize the co-pilot had taken his helmet off.

[FaultyMario]

Damn, when they first came up on it, I didn't realize the co-pilot had taken his helmet off.

Catalonyan dude, all shaken from seing the wreck: Are you ok?
Co-driver: yeah, yeah.

.
.
.

Catalonyan dude: fuck, man!

[FaultyMario]

Loeb won Monte-Carlo this year.