which shows you cant make any assumptions based on a small rally where they are mostly testing
just saying...
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I mean, Loubet has had now full year in the WRC car and he's completely lost. Solberg was posting great stage times already in his first event in Arctic. OK, Loubet has also shown some pace here an there, but especially the two last events have been throwaways.
One more thing about Safari, difficult to predict how the starting order will affect things. Unlike most gravel rallies, there won't be a hard-based road to clean from loose gravel, it will just dig deeper into the soil, and whether it will make for better traction or not, I don't know. Dust could also be a big issue. I'm ready to put my money on Ogier's win.
Loubet drove 3 WRC rallies last year.... 3. (+ 2 testing tarmac events), and 5 this year. In Monte (on tarmac that he has most WRC experience ) he did post a few decent times 2., 4th... (changing conditions though).
In terms of starts, Portugal and Sardinia this year were similar to for example Latvala at start of 2006. Wasn't exactly setting the world on fire. Tanak in 2012 is also somehow similar experience level, that one usually ended with crash after posting top 5 times for first few stages.
Smart to give a car to Solberg. He will learn a lot, and have the experience of his life so far.
If he drives sensible he will do well. This rally also has an endurance side to it.
It's though life as a Loubet-fan :(
https://itgetsfasternow.com/2021/06/...ri-rally-2021/
Route preview. Like I already posted, there's a lot of unknowns in the unique surface. Many stages are driven on tracks, some contain also built roads (especially on Sunday). Kedong and Hell's Gate will be likely the fastest stages, while Malewa, Chui Lodge and Oserian should be among the slowest ones.
Kenyan Rally3 army on Safaricom sponsored presentation
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E39NVMkW...jpg&name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E39NVMcX...jpg&name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E39NVMcX...g&name=900x900
and all those 3 Kenyan Rally3 drivers are young ones, not gentleman drivers.
I would be suprised if none of the factory teams have send scouts to kenya to go and watch the route from up close.
I would if i had the money.
I still remember the story about kris meeke driving around on a Mountain bike in the area surrounding ypres, weeks before the rally.
Wrc cars arrive for the Safari Rally. https://fb.watch/6avE_ZNoKu/
I hope this event will notbe a cluster F. I was born in Kenya in the 70s and have seen plenty of Safaris and know how these things are run. If they're run by the same group it will be a mess! Not sure what kind of oversight takes place via WRC, but let's hope things don't go missing and drivers and crew are kept safe.
Look forward to seeing this one live. I've been busy raising twins and haven't had much time. This rally will require patience.
I no longer live in Kenya, but have plenty of family and contacts there.
The VW polo of Kenya's Carl Tundo is the only POLO with a snorkel. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Rall...4995196576392/
Hell's gate is quite tricky, with deep ruts and quite narrow..
It will headache for cars behind!
Malewa a bit first, but rocky.. should be puncture prone!
I am doing an official role as a post chief, will be stationed in stage 2 Chui..
Will give real time updates to this forum!
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Ott Tanak Attachment 2120
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Meme's Attachment 2121
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https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/is-20...s-robert-reid/
I am afraid Nicky Grist is right. Route is very short and the recce videos show it rather soft. Maybe FIA should examine some change in the distance limits for certain rallies, like Safari and Acropolis. A rally championship without some truly endurance events is lacking a certain aspect of the sport.
[IMG][/IMG]Attachment 2124
Acropolis couldn’t even make it to the minimum of 300 km this year…
You can't make the rallies longer by just increasing the limit, the whole structure must support the longer format. More tyres, more service visits, more driving days, more days of recce...equals more expenses. Who pays for that? Who wants that other than a small group of old farts who crave for nostalgy? The average spectator who watches the two live stages on TV or goes to spectate one stage on his domestic rally? The drivers for example have said rallies could be already shorter than they are now.