Last year's Power Stage was too Toyota-friendly so they had to do something about that? :D
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Last year's Power Stage was too Toyota-friendly so they had to do something about that? :D
A forest stage with the last couple km on town streets would be good I think. I think it was two years ago at the candidate event when they had the last stage in the actual center of the town, and it looked good. Fully street stage would be mickey mouse, though.
Actually, indeed, I clearly didn't think this one through! Can't recall any stage-suitable roads even near enough to the town border.
Yes, when I said it will be a Mickey Mouse stage, I didn't mean a street stage. It will likely be a gravel stage, but an artificial route, the route is not visible on satellite images.
I wouldnt exactly call it a mickey mouse stage. But they have built a lot of roads there. Some of the road is very very narrow. Especially one place where a dump truck had a rollover during the building phase. Lots of variations how to run the stage.
The entry list for this rally is absolutely mouthwatering. In WRC there are the usual suspects but WRC2/3 is looking great, i think 5-6 drivers could potentially win and all 5 manufacturers have good representation, only Lappi is missing (and well, Veiby but you know...).
Took some pictures from the powerstage. Totally new section which is situated on the east side of the landing strip. Last years track is on the western side.
These are taken from the eastern side. Western side is also improved with new sections.
https://i.postimg.cc/3k68z3fn/IMG-20210625-172525.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/LYFH6NpP/IMG-20210625-172739.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zbwqLKzc/IMG-20210625-172940.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/PNhtg3Ks/IMG-20210625-173049.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/1f7sN9Ss/IMG-20210625-173201.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/1V9sDX45/IMG-20210625-173351.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/bdTzpxFG/IMG-20210625-173512.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Wh1s3dQ5/IMG-20210625-173742.jpg
Should be something like this. Sorry for the very rough drawing.
https://i.postimg.cc/vxHbyMqc/Powerstage.jpg
Maps Are out.
https://www.rallyestonia.ee/pealtvaa...info/uldkaart/
you can now also buy day pass if you dont want to buy the whole rally one https://www.rallyestonia.ee/en/passes?rp=day
There have not been much rain in Estonia lately, if to not say it have been extremely dry.
If to look forecast, like https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-...u%20linn/Tartu - there is not much to expect as well.
From M-Sport PET video it's quite assumable, that dust can be quite an issue for this rally:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sdu...ature=youtu.be
And as road is most-likely try, sweeping for front-runners on Friday is proper workday.
Should be good with 3 minutes gap.
Here's PS video filmed on a bicycle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOe-...PriitPullerits
Well I am skeptical...seems like one car width with open grass next to it all the time. How do they avoid driving with half-car off the gravel most of the time?
Haybales/anticuts on all corners? But what about om the "almost" straights with small changes of direction?
The other thing is the character of the stage, Torsby PS in Sweden was partly artificial but was similar to parts of the rally, same for the artificial finish of the Rally Finland PS. This doesn't look similar to the rest of the rally to me (but I haven't studied this years route).
When hearing about this I jokingly said they made the new PS cause the fast PS from last year suited Toyota and not Tanaks Hyundai. Now I am starting to believe that's the real reason. Though I do agree that the last part of PS last year was boring to watch.
they made it because they wanted the power stage finish near service park (just few hundred meters away) , not because it didnt suit Hyunday
https://itgetsfasternow.com/2021/07/...-estonia-2021/
Route preview. Only one stage similar from last year, a few modified. One is reversed, four are completely new. A broad range from fast to slow with creative solutions but also brute chicanes and purpose-built sections. The power stage will stir up discussion.
Hi!I bought a ticket but I don't like watching rallies in the fan zone. I know what the organizer says, but what is the situation in Estonia? Do you think it will be possible to sleep the day before somewhere on the super stage to see the unofficial rally the next day in the forest? will it be a big problem? Rally Poland was supposed to be without fans. I watched it all over the place and nobody interrupted
Last year Estonia was pretty strict, even deploying enduro bike officers checking forests
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/hyund...rally-estonia/
Desperately using last straws to make any differences?
Like speed had been the problem.on last events..
Don't know how smart is it to use new engine on a very important rally..
They likely needed to homologate the engine for 2022 anyway with the deadline. So they did a "last" upgrade.
I wouldn't expect reliability issues from these kind of fine-tunes tbh.
Luky in a Skoda will be interesting. If he gels with the Fabia he will be very quick!
Mads Østberg
Great team effort on our two day development test in Finland @CitroenRacing
#ouninpohja
·
Im taking these Rolling on the floor laughing 8 dampers from the test in my carry-on bag for @RallyEstonia
https://twitter.com/MadsOstberg
Citroen is definitely the team that's throwing most money at WRC2 both this year and last year. A bit like Skoda used to in 2017-2018.
The car improvement is real.
Sure, but that's towards "future" at the expense of no development of current car and close to no starts.
Citroen is the one spending most money directly so far this year. Skoda still uses some money too, while MSport seems to be at minimal levels, but at least shows up for starts and does a test before every now and then.
its rally week and i guess i can say "its coming home"....it has been a very hot and dry summer, temperatures have been around 25-30 (and even up) degrees every day for the last month, and the same weather continues this week.
I dont expect big things on Friday, the guys mostly know the stages on that day but on Saturday there are new stages and region that even Tänak hasnt driven. Aava is saying in every interview that the first stage on Saturday, SS10 will be decisive one. Its very narrow and technical in places with rhytm changes, also a 1.5km long tarmac section which will eat your tires if you will go and attack there according to him, and at some point it should go very narrow and the forest is so close to the road that youre like driving in the tunnel.
So, he expects big gaps there or some happenings, he also said if you dont get into rhytm on that stage then you wont also get the rhytm on next stage on SS11.
Tänak is definitely the favourite for the win, excellent starting position and the speed on gravel with the Hyundai this year has been on 2019 level. Kalle is definitely the next big favourite, although he cant push like crazy too IMO because he has already 3 super rallys before Estonia.
Difficult to predict the rest, Ogier doesnt have to push because he has a good points lead and im sure he is happy with 4-5th place and PS points. Evans and Estonia hasnt been the most happiest couple in recent year but he needs big points to reduce the deficit. Taka has been brilliant this season and was very impressive also last year until the crash. Breen was second last year and Thierry showed also very good speed before the damage.
Well, all in all, as it is a fast rally it will be very tight with the gaps, maybe Tänak and Kalle will runaway from others at some point but this is just purely my observation and prediction.
I will be also there and i will be on RP3 https://www.rallyestonia.ee/passid
cant wait for Thursday!
One more thing to add to EstWRC's analysis: this rally won't be so rough that Hyundai should be worried with their durability. I don't think Tänak can be stopped. If Rovanperä can get a clean run he will be up there as well.
The three first Saturday stages all have a tarmac section so tyres will be worn.
There's a possibility of rain over the weekend, I wonder how soft the small and newly built roads will become in that case?
Btw. last year two Toyotas had their (Michelin) tires explode for no apparent reason on straights on the tarmac parts. Wonder if anything like that happens this time if someone runs softs very long (Sordo had one soft explode on motorway in Portugal).
M-Sport preview
https://www.m-sport.co.uk/single-pos...ore-in-estonia