chris atkinson - is he that good ?

[Duby]

"...It is the first time since the beginning of 2005 that any one driver has recorded three consecutive podiums for the Subaru World Rally Team, when Solberg and Mills secured their trio in Mexico, New Zealand and Sardinia..."

since the start of 2008 we see another chris atkinson in the subaru.
what changed in him ?


duby

[wwbroe]

"...It is the first time since the beginning of 2005 that any one driver has recorded three consecutive podiums for the Subaru World Rally Team, when Solberg and Mills secured their trio in Mexico, New Zealand and Sardinia..."

since the start of 2008 we see another chris atkinson in the subaru.
what changed in him ?


duby

I think it has a lot to do with his codriver, he is very good motivator and also has a lot of experience, i mean Stephane Prévot. ;)
Also Chris has now more maturity and experience also, what makes him a better driver, who choses sometimes to be third instead of taking to much risks to try and follow the fastest drivers around. That's what makes him different from Petter, who sometimes doesn't use his brain, despite all the experience he has. :D

[Tomi]

i belive that he gets now more test time, and maybe the new experienced co-driver cool him down a bit when needed, I think subaru should put all they effort on him from now on, at least this season, petter is out already.

[koko0703]

Agree. Stephane Prevot has brought much needed experience to the cockpit.

And up until recently Chris had everything to prove. Nobody knew if car has been really bad or Petter has been just unlucky. But now it's obvious that the car is crap, and I think Chris has learned getting best out of what you have will keep your seat. Now he has no pressure to compete against the past records of Subaru, and he actually starts doing the best with underperforming machine.

OK, his results so far this season is just too good and alot to do with other factors other than his speed but just being patient and keeping his car on the road is an improvement from last couple seasons.

[Duby]

but can he get a win this year ?

the subaru is old car now and the new car is suppose to arrive soon, may be...

we know now that he can drive with his head . i think that the car cant give him the speed he need to beat loeb or the fords .

its all about the cars in front that got problems and he is the best of the rest...

the right man in the right time.

personally i think that he os leading the team with his driving. he is driving very well this year and the most important finish rallies and bringing team points.



duby

[AndyRAC]

He seems to have matured as a driver, no doubt with help from Prevot. But, were would he be if the WRC was a really competitive Championship - I doubt he'd have had 3 consecutive podiums.

[A.F.F.]

but can he get a win this year ?



Yes he can.

But it will need much of disfortune for Loeb, Hirvonen and Latvala. Unfortunately purely speedwise, and I mean due the Subaru, it's just not possible.

[DonJippo]

since the start of 2008 we see another chris atkinson in the subaru.what changed in him ?

They let him use his own set-ups...also new co-driver seems to have been a right choice.

[Duby]

but what about his position in the subaru camp ?

we saw in argentina rally that the team orderd him to lift off and let peter solberg go and then not to push to much.

so they still dont count him that good. although he is the one that collect points for the team...


duby

[N.O.T]

even with a better car i don;t think that Atko can be faster than Latvala or hirvonen, hirvonen might be an easier target, but latvala is already at another level of speed.

Atko i think should be a target for a competitve team next year....he could replace and No2 driver easily i think...

[Daniel]

even with a better car i don;t think that Atko can be faster than Latvala or hirvonen, hirvonen might be an easier target, but latvala is already at another level of speed.

Atko i think should be a target for a competitve team next year....he could replace and No2 driver easily i think...

I think he could surprise you. Atkinson is the sort of driver who can bang in constantly good stagetimes stage after stage after stage if his car is up to it.

[L5->R5/CR]

They let him use his own set-ups...also new co-driver seems to have been a right choice.



I think it really boils down to DR back into team operations and Prevot.

Chris has a co-driver/co-driver relationship that allows for the rally to be managed better. Chris seems to be driving with less sense of urgency and raw agression and is finding a better balance of speed.

I also think that DR has decided to give the drivers more rope so to speak. I don't think it is purely coincidence that we are seeing better performances from the crap car with DR on site, even with less staff at rallies. The Subaru team always seemed to take the basic car set up from the computers and let the drivers tweak them. I get the feeling that DR is letting the drivers break away from this more. The drivers get to make more of the calls on their own, for better or for worse, and it seems that Chris is finding more workable base set ups and getting them slowly dialed in in the rally where as Petter is still chasing the holy grail the whole time...

[koko0703]

but what about his position in the subaru camp ?

we saw in argentina rally that the team orderd him to lift off and let peter solberg go and then not to push to much.

so they still dont count him that good. although he is the one that collect points for the team...


duby

I think Petter is still considered to be No.1 driver at this point, but Chris is surely getting more popularity within the team. In Argentina case however, I assume that has more to do with keeping Petter motivated than status within the team.

[Daniel]

I think Petter is still considered to be No.1 driver at this point, but Chris is surely getting more popularity within the team. In Argentina case however, I assume that has more to do with keeping Petter motivated than status within the team.
I think at the moment you'd have to argue that they're equal. Chris is getting results. Petter isn't

[TKM]

I think he could surprise you. Atkinson is the sort of driver who can bang in constantly good stagetimes stage after stage after stage if his car is up to it.
OMG what's come of this world, I find myself agreeing with Daniel.

Given a decent car I think Atko could even show up Loeb.

[jiipee64]

There is one thing common with Atko and Latvala.

They are both very good on fast sections...

Just check the InCar action from last day of Swedish.

There Latvala shows his best...

[Daniel]

OMG what's come of this world, I find myself agreeing with Daniel.

Given a decent car I think Atko could even show up Loeb.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Atkinson still isn't as good as Loeb.

[gloomyDAY]

Yes, Chris is good enough to win rallies.

He's mature, fast, and confident. Just needs the right equipment!
I'm adamant that Chris is going to be the #1 driver in the near future.

Does anyone remember when Chris rallied for Suzuki in S1600?
Fcuk!

[grugsticles]

Chris has bloody got tallent!

It was clearly obvious it as soon as he started rallying and matching it with Group N competitors of the Australian Rally Championship in his 1st and second season of rallying - not rallying in Group N machiery, but rallying fullstop. At the time the ARC was regarged as the best competition in the world if I remember rightly featuring the late Possum Bourne (7 time ARC champion), Cody Crocker (2+ time ARC champion and now 2 time APRC champion), Neil Bates (3 time ARC champion), Ed Ordinski (multiple Gp N winner of Rally Australia) and current ARC champ, Simon Evans.
So, he definatly had speed.

I think Glen McNeil's appontment as his co-driver for the SWRT was needed as Glen had competed at WRC level many times before, and also had the advantage of knowing Chris personally beforehand. IMO, Glen has done his job and got Chris to a point where hes ready to attack for the WRC title.
The only down side was that Chris and Glen got on too well with each other meaning they seemingly lost the full-on professional approach required when in the car. Basically, they seemed to get to casual about everything which lead to mistakes.

The appointment of Stephan, and the fact that David Richards has more to do with the team nowdays, has allowed the profesional approach to return.
Its almost as though Chris has taken a leaf out of Richard Burnms's book - just finish the rally at a decent speed, winning doesnt matter, consistancy does.

Good on them I say!

As for Chris being compared to Loab...
Hmm, I dont think Chris is quite on Sebs Level, nor ever will be. Chris's background doenst really allow for the intense concentration and control that Seb has (through gymnastics).
As for raw speed, Id probably say that Chris would be faster if given the right equiptment that is is set to his liking. Unfortuatly, as we all know, were yet to see this. Hopefully the new car will be what Chris, and Petter for that matter, need.

On the point of who is No1 at Subaru, to me its pretty clear that Chris knows he is No2 and seems quite happy with that. The way he words his media interviews leads me to believe that he still has the impression that he is stil 'learning' which, as long as he doesnt use that as a poor excuse when mistakes happen, im happy with.

Now can Chris win an event this year?
Good question, but Id like to think he can. It seems that this season is bringing a few suprise occurances here and there -which is great!
Now the new Subaru arrives in Finland (I think) so if the car is as good as should be (hell, the have spent enough money and time developing it) then I think Chris is in with a good shot as its an event Chris is fast at, but hasnt got the desired results at in the last couple of years.
If not Finland, I think Japan and Wales are the other events that will suit him.

These are my thoughts and opinions and are based purely on my own observations.

[Daniel]

At the time the ARC was regarged as the best competition in the world if I remember rightly

You don't remember rightly :mark:

[grugsticles]

You don't remember rightly :mark:
Maybe best Group N competition then?