WRC 2018 Discussion.

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Everso Biggyballies
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#31

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Bottom post of the previous page:

It has been a week of confirmations of who goes where on the WRC front, with Meeke getting a gig at Toyota with Lappi moving to Citroen. A last 'roll' (sic) of the dice for Meeke who got fired from Citroen for crashing and being a general danger to his navigator amongst others. Meeke apparently won his first ever championship in a Toyota Corolla, co driving in a local championship for his brother. It will need more than sentiment for Chris to be a success at Toyota and whereas he might win a few he might also bin a few. (He is actually the last Citroen rally winner) Apparently a key factor in the move to Toyota was their belief in his development skills.

Ott Tanaka and Jari-Matti Latvala continue at Toyota.

As we know Ogier is returning to Citroen, I think on the likleyhood of the M-Sport team losing their works Ford backing, or at least having the support level reduced.. Elfyn Evans is out of contract at the end of the year, but is keen to remain in a Ford. I believe the team have also lost their Red Bull backing which may have influenced Ogiers departure.

AFAIK Hyundai men Hayden Paddon and Dani Sordo are understood to be nearing a continuation of their part-programme deal to drive a single i20 Coupe WRC next season.

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#32

Post by Puhis »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 5 years ago It has been a week of confirmations of who goes where on the WRC front, with Meeke getting a gig at Toyota with Lappi moving to Citroen. A last 'roll' (sic) of the dice for Meeke who got fired from Citroen for crashing and being a general danger to his navigator amongst others. Meeke apparently won his first ever championship in a Toyota Corolla, co driving in a local championship for his brother. It will need more than sentiment for Chris to be a success at Toyota and whereas he might win a few he might also bin a few. (He is actually the last Citroen rally winner) Apparently a key factor in the move to Toyota was their belief in his development skills.
That, and I think Toyota need a stop gap. I'm thinking they will bring at least one new (WRC 2) kid to WRC in 2020. I'm hoping it's Rovanperä, for he's been absolutely lights out. But Kalle still has time, and should not be rushed. Maybe Katsuta?
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Everso Biggyballies
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#33

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Rally Australia, the final round of the WRC for this year is underway at the moment. Three drivers can win the title although Tanak is an outsider, needing both Neuville and Ogier to DNF with him winning to take the title. Ogier is 3 points ahead of Neuville going into the rally.

On todays stages all three suffered badly with their start position leaving them all in the lower part of the top 10. However things got worse for Neuville, losing time on the final test when he ran into a hay bale, which marked out a chicane. Damage was slight but he lost 20 seconds, further compounded when he suffere suffered a left rear puncture. The tyre came off the rim upon landing from a jump. As a result, Neuville has dropped to 10th with the Hyundai driver 1:12.8s adrift of the rally leader Ostberg, but more importantly over 30 seconds behind Ogier. Ogier has moved to seventh in the M-Sport Ford while fellow title contender Ott Tanak (Toyota) has climbed to fifth which was helped by a victory on Stage 4.

There are two more runs through the Super Special stage held on the Coffs Harbour Jetty tonight, to end day 1.

Not looking good for Neuville at the moment, needing major issues to befall Ogier in the title race.

Molly Taylor, 2016 Australian Champion had a big crash, ending her weekend early....
Rally Australia: After Special Stage 6

Pos Num Driver Nat Team Car Time/Gap
1 10 Mads Ostberg NOR Citroen C3 WRC 50:47.3
2 7 Jari-Matti Latvala FIN Toyota Gazoo Yaris WRC +6.2
3 11 Craig Breen IRL Citroen C3 WRC +7.5
4 6 Hayden Paddon NZL Hyundai i20 WRC +9.7
5 8 Ott Tanak EST Toyota Gazoo Yaris WRC +19.9
6 9 Esapekka Lappi FIN Toyota Gazoo Yaris WRC +29.0
7 1 Sebastien Ogier FRA M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC +41.7
8 3 Teemu Suninen FIN M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC +45.2
9 2 Elfyn Evans GBR M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC +45.4
10 5 Thierry Neuville BEL Toyota Gazoo Yaris WRC +1:12.8

* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


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Everso Biggyballies
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Car(s) Currently Owned: Audi SQ5 3.0L V6 TwinTurbo
Location: Just moved 3 klms further away so now 11 klms from Albert Park, Melbourne.

#34

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Championship wise it all seems to be going Ogiers way atm, but Tanak is running 2nd in the event behind his teamate Latvala, so with an expected switch of those two to help Tanak he is doing all he can. He just needs Ogier to trip up. At the moment it is still all going Ogiers way as he slowly creeps up the leaderboard. Neuville is still just under a minute behind Ogier atm. :sorrow:
Live Championship position is Ogier +9 points on Neuville.
Still we have this afternoon and tomorrow to go yet so plenty of chance for dramas yet.

Rally Australia: After Special Stage 12

Pos Num Driver Nat Team Car Time/Gap
1 7 Jari-Matti Latvala FIN Toyota Gazoo Yaris WRC 1:29:32.3
2 8 Ott Tanak EST Toyota Gazoo Yaris WRC +3.2
3 10 Mads Ostberg NOR Citroen C3 WRC +8.0
4 6 Hayden Paddon NZL Hyundai i20 WRC +12.3
5 9 Esapekka Lappi FIN Toyota Gazoo Yaris WRC +31.8
6 1 Sebastien Ogier FRA M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC +1:12.1
7 2 Elfyn Evans GBR M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC +1:25.7
8 3 Teemu Suninen FIN M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC +1:54.7
9 5 Thierry Neuville BEL Hyundai i20WRC +2:04.0
10 11 Craig Breen IRL Citroen C3 WRC +5:46.5
Jari-Matti Latvala has claimed the Kennards Hire Rally Australia lead as Toyota surged to the front following the opening loop of stages on Day 2 at Coffs Harbour.

A more aggressive tyre strategy for the Toyota duo of Latvala and title contender Ott Tanak helped the former overhaul overnight rally leader Mads Ostberg (Citroen).

Latvala finished second in three of the four stages to move into the overall lead but its was title contender Tanak who took the spoils on Stages 10, 11 and 12.

Tanak’s surge has seen the Estonian climb from fifth overall to second, just 3.2s behind his Finnish team-mate.

Toyota appears set to switch places to help Tanak’s championship.

While Tanak has given his title hopes a boost, championship leader Sebastien Ogier remains in the box seat to claim the title in sixth position.

The M-Sport Ford driver holds a 23 point advantage over Tanak.

Fellow title hopeful Thierry Neuville, who is only three points behind Ogier, is back in ninth, some two minutes adrift of the lead for Hyundai.

His morning was not helped after grazing a bank in Stage 11.

As the Toyota duo starred on the morning stages, Ostberg has now fallen to third overall for the rally while his Citroen team-mate Craig Breen dropped from second to 10th.

The Irishman suffered a stuck throttle on Stage 10 but worse was to follow when he clipped a tree stump with the left rear on the following test.

Having claimed to have already picked up a puncture he completed the repairs in between stages costing him 3:50s of time penalties.

New Zealander Hayden Paddon remains in fourth having won the opening stage of the day, while Esapekka Lappi held fifth ahead of the afternoon stages.
https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/11/17/la ... pes-build/

* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


“Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows!” (Walter Röhrl)

* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always
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