WRC2 news & rumors 2024

[Mirek]

And make the remaining European rounds part of the ERC.

God forbid!

ERC fine, don't destroy it.

[Backa]

If European drivers don't want to travel overseas, then maybe the WRC2 should have less European rounds. And make the remaining European rounds part of the ERC.

It's issue of budget, not desire or lack of it.

[saco0o]

If European drivers don't want to travel overseas, then maybe the WRC2 should have less European rounds. And make the remaining European rounds part of the ERC.

please do not mess with erc cuz its the only championship that is always 100% good.

[Jarek Z]

Yes, please don't touch ERC. It's in a good shape.

[denkimi]

It's issue of budget, not desire or lack of it.

Indeed. If they could, they would all drive every rally.

[mknight]

Indeed. If they could, they would all drive every rally.

The issue that started the discussion was that drivers actually avoid rounds that they could do (in Europe!) and instead pick other rounds (often overseas) to get better chance at title.

For Kajetanowicz it was the only way he could get the title (in 2022).
For Solberg and Rossel this year it just improves their chances.

So you have Rossel not nominating any fast gravel(or snow) and going to Chile (likely) and Solberg not nominating any tarmac and going to Chile instead of Greece (semi-confirmed).

[Mary Mary]

I'd like to ask you all what makes a championship good or in good shape?

In ERC, there are approximately 10 regulars, with 5 (point-scoring) drivers have started every round. Only one of the regulars has won a round, but that winner has missed a third of the season so far. The top 3 in the championship have 3 podiums between them from 18 starts, no wins. 5 of the 6 rally winners this season have only entered the round that they won, leaving them outside the top 10 in the championship. ERC is in great shape, it is said here.

On the flip side in WRC Rally1, there are also approximately 10 regulars, with 6 drivers have started every round. Only two of the full timers have won a round each, the same 2 are the only two in the top 5 in the championship to have won - excepting Ogier. Ogier has now flipped from a local/specialist driver mentality (part time wants to win rallies), to now being a championship regular with a point-scoring focus. WRC Rally1 is in terrible shape, we can read here. But ERC and Rally1 are very similar in these descriptions.

In WRC2, it is complained that the regulars can avoid each other, and the top 2 in the championship have not covered any asphalt, which begs the question are they even regulars or specialists/locals?

So what is it that makes a good championship? I have focused on championship points and scores here, so maybe missing the point on what makes things great/poor for a championship. But I think also to ask why do specialist local drivers add value to a championship?

[Mirek]

I'd like to ask you all what makes a championship good or in good shape?

In ERC, there are approximately 10 regulars, with 5 (point-scoring) drivers have started every round. Only one of the regulars has won a round, but that winner has missed a third of the season so far. The top 3 in the championship have 3 podiums between them from 18 starts, no wins. 5 of the 6 rally winners this season have only entered the round that they won, leaving them outside the top 10 in the championship. ERC is in great shape, it is said here.

On the flip side in WRC Rally1, there are also approximately 10 regulars, with 6 drivers have started every round. Only two of the full timers have won a round each, the same 2 are the only two in the top 5 in the championship to have won - excepting Ogier. Ogier has now flipped from a local/specialist driver mentality (part time wants to win rallies), to now being a championship regular with a point-scoring focus. WRC Rally1 is in terrible shape, we can read here. But ERC and Rally1 are very similar in these descriptions.

In WRC2, it is complained that the regulars can avoid each other, and the top 2 in the championship have not covered any asphalt, which begs the question are they even regulars or specialists/locals?

So what is it that makes a good championship? I have focused on championship points and scores here, so maybe missing the point on what makes things great/poor for a championship. But I think also to ask why do specialist local drivers add value to a championship?

That's normal in ERC (actually it used to be a lot worse before it merged with IRC a decade ago) and that is also one of the reasons why it makes no sense to compare it with WRC2 or even WRC. It's all different and that's why it shall be always standing separatly from WRC events.

The reason why I think absolutely everyone involved in ERC refuses merging of any ERC event with a WRC one is that in ERC the competitotrs fight for the overall results not for class one. The whole organism especially sponsorship stands on that very basis. If it is merged with WRC events it will become a class within WRC event and moreover a lot more expensive to run that to compete for overall glory in ERC. Naturally it means that in case of merging it would not help WRC events having more competitors but instead would quickly become an empty shell where noone competes.

On the plus side the ERC rules are a lot friendiler to the local competitors and that's what makes it very defficult to predict and completely different to WRC.

ERC is not WRC. Just keep it as it is.

[Backa]

The issue that started the discussion was that drivers actually avoid rounds that they could do (in Europe!) and instead pick other rounds (often overseas) to get better chance at title.

Kajto's sponsors are willing to pay extra to to give him overseas rounds to maximize his title chances but it doesn't mean he could easily convince them to pay for extra rounds that wouldn't count in classification.

Trying to resolve that, you either risks having guys with bigger budgets having too big advantage over talented drivers with more limited budgets or you risk overseas rounds to have even more weak WRC2 entry lists than it has now. I would keep it at it is personally, winning WRC2 title is less important than having chance to get rally1 experience (Pajari) anyway.

[saco0o]

I'd like to ask you all what makes a championship good or in good shape?
?

to be honest, "in general", your personal taste is what make a championship good or not. theres no objectively "better" or "worst". its just about 'how you feel' and 'what you like'. HOWEVER, one can say that "wrc is not in good shape" because theres just these same few entries, not much stories going on, no infos on how they plan to improve that in the next regulations etc. you can percieve this as "not good" or you can just see this as "well, but ogier is trying to beat neuville from now on, im excited!". so, its not good or bad, better or worst. its more about how you see it.
on the other hand "erc" is "in good shape" because its not a global championship trying to compete for attention against every other form of enterteinment. its just a place where some guys race, we have a decent way to watch the broadcast and thats it. ...nothing special tho.
i can only speak for me but maybe theres some truth to this. what are your thoughts on this general view?