12 Event Calendar

[cosmicpanda]

So, now that we've finally got a shorter calendar, what are the thoughts on it? Better or worse than the 16 event calendar?

Personally, I enjoy following rallying so I'm happy when there's more rallies to follow. However, I think that this year with the economy as it is it's perhaps a good thing that there were only 12 events.

I would not wish for the same amount in future, though.

[Anderton]

16 event calendar was better, more motorsport to watch!
But with Loeb being dominant on pretty much every surface, the championship could be over before the last round if it was a 16 round calendar. Whereas atm, it''s shaping up to be an interesting showdown.

[cosmicpanda]

16 event calendar was better, more motorsport to watch!
But with Loeb being dominant on pretty much every surface, the championship could be over before the last round if it was a 16 round calendar. Whereas atm, it''s shaping up to be an interesting showdown.

Well, to be fair, it could be over before the last round on a 12 event calendar, too.

[AndyRAC]

12 is the right amount, providing we get 'proper' events. It works out at 1 per month, which is fair - it should mean each Rally is an 'event', rather than just another round of the WRC, which is what we have now - 3 stages, service, then same 3 stages repeated. ISC/FiA are keen to spread events out as seen years ago.
If ISC/FiA have got brains, then we will get an even mix of Tarmac/Gravel/Mixed with an additional snow event. Rather a bias in favour of 1 surface, like this year.

[Josti]

I think a 12 round calender is ok, but if so, it should consist of the best rallies out there, which is a lack in 2009 and more so in 2010.

Still, I'd mostly prefer the 14 round calender like we had in late 90's, early 2000's.

[Josti]

12 is the right amount, providing we get 'proper' events. It works out at 1 per month, which is fair - it should mean each Rally is an 'event', rather than just another round of the WRC, which is what we have now - 3 stages, service, then same 3 stages repeated. ISC/FiA are keen to spread events out as seen years ago.
If ISC/FiA have got brains, then we will get an even mix of Tarmac/Gravel/Mixed with an additional snow event. Rather a bias in favour of 1 surface, like this year.

I agree, in history, rally's were really treated as a countrywide event that lasted more then 3 office days. That should be the case again.

[anthonyvop]

20 event calendar is needed.
Especially if they adopt the S2000 rules.

[A.F.F.]

20 event calendar is needed.
Especially if they adopt the S2000 rules.

Needed by whom among yourself ??

[Woodeye]

20 event calendar is needed.
Especially if they adopt the S2000 rules.

Sounds really realistic. Please also add that they should drive on every single continent.

This is purely economical decicion. At these times it's the best possible choice. I would also like to watch as many rallies a year as possible, but you have to remember also that the more rallies there will be, the more it will cost to teams to participate to the whole season. Thus, the more rallies there will be, the less teams are willing to participate.

[serial jeff]

Although I like having more rallies to watch, I think 12 events is a good number. 14 would be okay too but I think by 16 events, the competitors hardly have any spare time left between rallies- they'd barely get a week to make changes and test the car at home before having to ship off again to the next event.

I also agree with more surfaces... for a 12 event calendar, it'd be nice to have something like 2 snow, 2 tarmac, 4 gravel, and 4 mixed surface.

[lcd]

I guess 12 rallies per season Is O.K! There's plenty of time In between,
for checking what went wrong and what to be fixed...

[jimakos]

Although I like having more rallies to watch, I think 12 events is a good number. 14 would be okay too but I think by 16 events, the competitors hardly have any spare time left between rallies- they'd barely get a week to make changes and test the car at home before having to ship off again to the next event.

I also agree with more surfaces... for a 12 event calendar, it'd be nice to have something like 2 snow, 2 tarmac, 4 gravel, and 4 mixed surface.
Absolutely right opinion!
Especially about the surfaces I can't agree more...
I think everyone wants different surfaces for testing drivers in all conditions!
Now if happen 12 or 14 or 16 events believe is a little thing :D

[pino]

I would've prefered a 16 events Calendar with Sanremo replacing Sardinia offcourse :D

[koko0703]

16 events with less repeated stages and more competitive distance would be the best but I'll take 12 event calender if reducing number of events improves the quality of each event.

[lcd]

.... with less repeated stages...
I agree, but keep the reversed stages;always unpredictable!

[serial jeff]

16 events with less repeated stages and more competitive distance would be the best but I'll take 12 event calender if reducing number of events improves the quality of each event.

Agreed about the repeated stages, though at least repeating stages has the benefit of reducing the effect of road-sweeping duty.

Still, it would seem a lot better to control road-sweeping by having the stage start order be the current standings, not the final standings of the previous day.

I might be overlooking something here but it seems like changing the start order to match the current standings would basically eliminate the road-sweeping disadvantage and also eliminate the stupid tactics drivers have played- slowing down so as to get a better starting position the next day.

[lcd]

...it seems like changing the start order to match the current standings would basically eliminate the road-sweeping disadvantage and also eliminate the stupid tactics drivers have played- slowing down so as to get a better starting position the next day.

Yes, I hate those tactics too...The worst Is everybody watching , can clearly understand when It's happening!That's sad...

[A.F.F.]

About that very stupid starting order... Nothing has changed. Slow ones are still slow and fasts are fasts. If the timegaps are smaller than before, they're only because of tactics.

When will FIA realise this ?

I wouldn't wait miracles for next couple of years. First they changed rules every week, now they stick with them for aeons. And don't even get me started about the point scoring... :D

[pino]

... And don't even get me started about the point scoring... :D

Neither :mad:

[raybak]

12 events is good, it means the drivers can do other events or more testing. 1 event per month works well I wreckon. We need more of the events not using repeat stages, but this does mean that recce will take longer.

It's hard to get the right balance in an event.

Ray

[cosmicpanda]

12 is the right amount, providing we get 'proper' events. It works out at 1 per month, which is fair - it should mean each Rally is an 'event', rather than just another round of the WRC, which is what we have now - 3 stages, service, then same 3 stages repeated. ISC/FiA are keen to spread events out as seen years ago.
If ISC/FiA have got brains, then we will get an even mix of Tarmac/Gravel/Mixed with an additional snow event. Rather a bias in favour of 1 surface, like this year.

So, do you think that the 3 stages, service, and 3 stages repeated (not the case on every event anyway) rule should be changed, or should the number of rallies be reduced instead to make this look like it's a spectacle?

This year, the rallies can be up to 400 km long, but none of the organisers have gone for this. It's a bit frustrating.

[AndyRAC]

So, do you think that the 3 stages, service, and 3 stages repeated (not the case on every event anyway) rule should be changed, or should the number of rallies be reduced instead to make this look like it's a spectacle?

This year, the rallies can be up to 400 km long, but none of the organisers have gone for this. It's a bit frustrating.

For some events it will work, but for nearly all to be the same just isn't very interesting. I agree it's frustrating, and it will probably take time for changes to take place. I really do wonder how brave some of the organisers will be, not wanting to 'upset' Ford/Citroen with a challenging/testing route. Ideally, there would be events of varying distances/days - 2,3,4 day events. So each event stands out from another one.

[J4MIE]

I still think it is a bit strange that there are only three events left this year, I am more used to the 15/16 events :p : But not really missing any that much to be honest. Agree about the starting order and points scoring.

[macksrallye]

I think 12 events is good, it seems to be enough to have most of the great events in while not over doing it for the teams. As for not enough rallys to watch, watch some of the regional stuff. The FIA needs to do more promotion of the regional championships & push for the big teams to event a few events in these championship. Remember when the Asia Pacific Championship was used as a kind of "junior" championship with McRae, Burns and Eriksson all competing. Rally is too WRC focused nowadays, we need to show that there is more than just WRC.

[AndyRAC]

I think 12 events is good, it seems to be enough to have most of the great events in while not over doing it for the teams. As for not enough rallys to watch, watch some of the regional stuff. The FIA needs to do more promotion of the regional championships & push for the big teams to event a few events in these championship. Remember when the Asia Pacific Championship was used as a kind of "junior" championship with McRae, Burns and Eriksson all competing. Rally is too WRC focused nowadays, we need to show that there is more than just WRC.

That is a good point - there was a time when the British Open Championship was probably the strongest in the world - the WRC drivers would take part in events, as well as the WRC. Can you imagine that happening now?

[cosmicpanda]

How about allowing any number of events in a year to qualify for the championship, provided they've met FIA approval? Allow the best 14 finishes to count for points for WRC, the best 6 or 8 for lower classes. Stipulate that a certain number of events must be outside Europe and everything's sweet.

Yes/no?

[macksrallye]

How about allowing any number of events in a year to qualify for the championship, provided they've met FIA approval? Allow the best 14 finishes to count for points for WRC, the best 6 or 8 for lower classes. Stipulate that a certain number of events must be outside Europe and everything's sweet.

Now that's using your noggin.

Imagine teams having to use strategy that is choosing events rather than stopping on stages. Doing events that compliment your drivers strenghts & supporting locals in the hope you can take points away from your rivals in the events you don't go to. Also, it would go some way to stopping the "this is a gravel season" rubbish.

[Wim_Impreza]

12 events for me is ok, but only two rounds outside of Europe is too few for a World Championship. At least they must go 3 times outside of Europe.
- Argentina: for the water splashes, the roads in the mountains and rally is there really popular.
- Australia in the one year and New Zealand in the other year.
- Japan: for the constructors, the nice roads and there were a lot of surprises in the results when it was in the WRC calendar. Maybe a real Safari Rally would be nice too.

I want to see one snow event each year in the calendar: Norway was for me good and has enough snow. Of course Neste Oil Rally Finland and Wales Rally GB must be each year in the calendar for a rally fan. Catalunya replacing by the ADAC Rallye Deutschland, which is very popular for teams and fans from Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark etc...

Rally Sweden is maybe better as a gravel rally, because there is not that much snow in the last two winters there.

My ideal WRC calendar would be this one:
1 Rallye Monte-Carlo (January - snow and ice, asphalt)
2 Rally Norway (February - snow)
3 Rally Portugal (March - gravel)
4 Rally Argentina (April - gravel)
5 Rally Japan or Safari Rally (May - gravel)
6 Rally Sweden the one year, Rally Poland the other year (June - gravel)
7 Acropolis Rally (June - gravel)
8 Neste Oil Rally Finland (August - gravel)
9 ADAC Rallye Deutschland (August - asphalt)
10 Rally Australia in the one year, Rally New Zealand in the other year (September - gravel)
11 Rally Sanremo (October - asphalt)
12 Wales Rally GB (November - gravel)

Maybe it is nice to make a topic about which WRC calendar with the events you want?

[Koppomsbo]

[quote="Wim_Impreza"]- Japan: for the constructors, the nice roads and there were a lot of surprises in the results when it was in the WRC calendar.
QUOTE]

The nice roads, without any chance to spectatce at all ?

[J4MIE]

Bring back the Safari to the calendar :bounce:

[koko0703]

Bring back the Safari to the calendar :bounce:

I will welcome Safari back in the calender, too!

[lcd]

Safari rally's return would be great Indeed! :up:

[A.F.F.]

I'd kill for that mud of Rally Indonesia.

Too bad it isn't likely to happen...

[WRCS14]

I too think going back to 12 or even 14 rounds as it used to be is the way to go. And while many might not agree I am not in favour of rotation or chopping out classic events to make way for new ones. The only "new" rally I would like to see kept is Germany. Other than that all the classics, Australia,Portugal,Monte, Safari etc etc should be kept as the jewels in the crown. While Poland, Japan, Ireland, Jordan etc are all fantastic rallies I dont believe they should get in at the expense of the classics.

[N.O.T]

a 10 to 12 event calendar i think its ideal...both cost wise and championship wise.....i would like to see safari in all its glory once again because although it wasn't compatible with the spirit of modern rallying it usually offered as much drama as all the rest of the calendar together plus it made good TV. The target group of countries should be those that either produce cars or have a strong car consumption base.

[Corny]

12 events calendar is okay, for me. Well, not if you have 6/7 winners a year like 10 years ago, but for this economic situation it's ideal. Next to that: we only have 3 different winners, so it would not bring much more excitement

[Francis44]

Well to be honest i preferred the 16 callendar...

This year with only 12 rallyes this part of the season gets kinda of boring!!!!

[Wim_Impreza]

- Japan: for the constructors, the nice roads and there were a lot of surprises in the results when it was in the WRC calendar.
QUOTE]

The nice roads, without any chance to spectatce at all ?

That is a problem there yes.

[seb_sh]

Seems like most people the 12 or 14 rally calendar better. I personally think 14 events with a balanced number of rallies on all surfaces (1 snow, 4 rough gravel, 4 smooth gravel, 5 tarmac or something along those lines but with mixed surface rallies) is the way to go. The FIA have finally taken a good decision and allowed rallies to have a particular style (number of days and distance-wise).

Interesting how this decision almost universally approved as being the good one is actually a decision to revert to the rules that were used in the 90's and early 2000's and at the time everyone opposed the switch to 16 events with more restricted routes. Manufacturers said it's much easier to do 14 events with 3 cars than 16 events with 2 cars. So instead of keeping more manufacturers with more cars/rally they went with less cars and more rallies and we can all see what the WRC has become. At least they finally saw the error of their ways and years later went back to how it was...

[A.F.F.]

The problem with FIA seem to be that they don't know how to go in the middle between. It's always either way, almost like on/off :confused:

[StevieWonder]

there just one rally, which should be cancelled 4ever:

the motorway-rally of spain !!!


or better:
get back to the northern region of catalunya !

[Brother John]

there just one rally, which should be cancelled 4ever:

the motorway-rally of spain !!!


or better:
get back to the northern region of catalunya !


:up: :up: :up: Don´t use the word rally for this race in Spain. ;)

[General Prim]

Do not worry, I agree is the worst tarmac event now, but next year will be asphalt-gravel-asphalt like in the old days

[General Prim]

there just one rally, which should be cancelled 4ever:

the motorway-rally of spain !!!


or better:
get back to the northern region of catalunya !

how many years have you been in Spain for Cataluña Rally?. Thanks

[Livewireshock]

The only stipulation I think that is valid for a WORLD rally championship is that it must travel the world. At least one event in every FIA Regional Championship region. One event each in the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, rather than having a glorified European Rally Championship as 2009 has been with only two fly away rounds.

This allows greater exposure for rallying across the world while Europe can still maintain the majority of rounds in any given year.

So if having 12 events makes that affordable then I agree it should be only 12 in the current economic climate.

In reality, this is almost a selfish topic where every fan desires more and to have it close and accessible to themselves. As such, no format or structure will ever suit everybody but I prefer to see the WRC take the wonderful sport of Rallying to the World.

[Priorat]

You could have MC,Swedish, Argentina,Safari,Acropolis,1000 Lakes,Corse, NZ and RAC with 4 days of real rallying and higher scoring (say 15 points for the winner) and then another group with Sanremo,Portugal,Deutschland,Ireland,etc (even Catalunya) with 2 days and 10 points from where every team or driver could choose what they want.

And above all I would go for a second snow rally and third manufacturer driver

[Saabaru]

The only stipulation I think that is valid for a WORLD rally championship is that it must travel the world.

I have always wondered how they call it the WORLD Rally Championship when most all the events are held in Europe with only a minority of events held in other areas of the world. If they are going to call themselves a “world championship” they should be required to host at least one event per year on each continent. To be fair I have also wondered the same about organizations here in the Americas like Pro Baseball having the World Series, it might sound good and add nobility to the name but in reality it’s just a big fat lie.

[jimakos]

I have always wondered how they call it the WORLD Rally Championship when most all the events are held in Europe with only a minority of events held in other areas of the world. If they are going to call themselves a “world championship” they should be required to host at least one event per year on each continent. To be fair I have also wondered the same about organizations here in the Americas like Pro Baseball having the World Series, it might sound good and add nobility to the name but in reality it’s just a big fat lie.

That's true!
All the rallies are in Europe!
I would like to see a real w(orld)rc taking part all over the world.
Really though...

[Corny]

there just one rally, which should be cancelled 4ever:

the motorway-rally of spain !!!


or better:
get back to the northern region of catalunya !
The thing I have always loved about the WRC are the varations of the events.. So to have such a rally (of Grand Prix) in the championship is very okay IMO

[RS]

The thing I have always loved about the WRC are the varations of the events.. So to have such a rally (of Grand Prix) in the championship is very okay IMO

Absoultely. I think Spain has it's place, and it usually makes for a close rally too.

In fact variety of events is what WRC has been lacking recently. Have they decided on a calendar for next year yet or are they going to keep changing their minds every 3 days about that too?

[Wim_Impreza]

RS, the last WRC rallies in Spain were very boring. The results were so predictable and already before the event we knew the winner. There are a lot of places which would be much better, as example Sanremo.

[Priorat]

My home is less than 15 minutes drive from 4 stages of R Cat. and, altouhg it is very comfortable for me, I must say it is not interesting at all. After attending other rallys like Sweden, Finland or Wales among others, where every spot is worthy, I feel Catalunya is a bit sad. It's almost impossible to find an interesting place to watch it and I'm never in the spectator areas.

Even if you consider hairpins as interesting places you will find that they drive them like Loew's hairpin in the MC GP F1.

And it is not only the surface that is boring. Also the schedule with two loops of three stages with a big rest time in the middle and that they have been using the same stages for years.

In fact there are interesting places in the same area like La Riba or Escaladei but for some reason they don't use them.

They say that they have problems getting permissions and that with this schedule, the organisation is perfect.

But I think that if they can't produce a quality rally whatever the reason, they should take it somewhere else.

[seb_sh]

I have always wondered how they call it the WORLD Rally Championship when most all the events are held in Europe with only a minority of events held in other areas of the world. If they are going to call themselves a “world championship” they should be required to host at least one event per year on each continent.

The FIA rules say that a World Championship is required to visit at least 3 continents (among other things) so if they have a rally in Australia and one in Argentina and the rest are in Europe it's fine according to the rules. However I agree the calendar should be more balanced even if with more European rallies because there are more traditional/important rallies in Europe.