2024 WRC News & Rumours

[Eli]

Unrelated to Fourmaux or Croatia but it saddens me to think it’s 5 years (to this weekend) since the last Wales Rally GB

[turdzi]

In before we launch a whole new Rally2 discussion, Rally2 and WRCars already had a tubular chassis, it was just combined with a cut up road car shell and therefore pretty expensive to develop.

But it is still based on a road car so there are a lot of panels you do not have to make. It has to be a massive cost to build those Rally1 shells. 448205986_866205238885534_8898326913719789245_n-e1718091839315.jpg

[Mirek]

But it is still based on a road car so there are a lot of panels you do not have to make. It has to be a massive cost to build those Rally1 shells. 448205986_866205238885534_8898326913719789245_n-e1718091839315.jpg

With rally2 the manufacturers have to use a suitable stock bodyshell which might not be in their production at all or when there is some it is definitely far from optimal. That itself prevents some manufacturers from entering the sport and makes the life hard for the everyone at the same time.
Any changes to the bodyshell to optimize the rally car must go through all processes of the stock production. Everyone who works or worked in the automotive knows that this is extremely time consuming, expensive and ofthen simply impossible process to do. The extreme case is Toyota Yaris GR where they developed a road going rally car like in the 80' to have best-suited possible bodyshell for the Rally2 however that was possible only because the Toyota management are crazy in rallying. The cost behind creating this car was definitely enormous and with any other manufacturer the managing board would kill it when it was still a power point presentation.
There are less and less usebale bodyshell being produced as the car industry changes, for the new cars the space frame will be necessary even for Rally2 because the pool of usable cars is drying.
The body panels for the future Rally2 may not be made of carbon. If the rules are different they can be pretty cheap glassfibre fabric produced by whomever. It's only about how the rules are written.
For the manufacturers a spaceframe prototype is an easier option because it allows them to separate the motorsport development from stock production.

[saco0o]

can we finish THIS subject on the 2027 rules topic? i posted there an image, i'd like your thoughts. leave this topic for wrc news

[Managarium]

I'm not so sure about that Fourmaux move to Hyundai thing. I think it is not a good news for us and for him himself.

Of course he will move up to Hyundai. It is nothing new. Just like Tanak, Ogier and Evans did it before him. If you look at Tanak's case, he departed from statistical best team in 2017.
More money for driver and more financial team stability makes the move. Even Neuville said that in 2014. he moved to Hyundai, even it was for him the same wage as in M-Sport, but he moved to more financial stability team.
But, on the other way, Fouurmaux could come back to M-Sport any time and he would be welcomed, just like Hirvonen and Tanak before him.

The obvious thing is that that automatically close the door for Young Solberg and his chance to get a seat in Rally1 car which he truly deserves.

He is good driver, no need for discussion there. But he had an golden opportunity and he blow it up in 2022.
His job was to finish events and pick up manufacturer points. Of 8 rallyes he crash in 3 of them (one burnt car) + one when he hit a rock. So that made him a much difficult job to convince Rally1 teams that he learned his lesion.

[Rallyper]

Of course he will move up to Hyundai. It is nothing new. Just like Tanak, Ogier and Evans did it before him. If you look at Tanak's case, he departed from statistical best team in 2017.
More money for driver and more financial team stability makes the move. Even Neuville said that in 2014. he moved to Hyundai, even it was for him the same wage as in M-Sport, but he moved to more financial stability team.
But, on the other way, Fouurmaux could come back to M-Sport any time and he would be welcomed, just like Hirvonen and Tanak before him.



He is good driver, no need for discussion there. But he had an golden opportunity and he blow it up in 2022.
His job was to finish events and pick up manufacturer points. Of 8 rallyes he crash in 3 of them (one burnt car) + one when he hit a rock. So that made him a much difficult job to convince Rally1 teams that he learned his lesion.

Fourmaux to Hyundai does mean money to Malcolm Wilson as well, doesn´t it?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Fourmaux to Hyundai does mean money to Malcolm Wilson as well, doesn´t it?

Maybe. But I'm sure he'd prefer to keep Fourmaux and be more competitive in WRC next year than be starting over again with another young driver...

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Rovanpera re-charged and ready for 2025 full-time return:

https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/...turn/10660781/

[Managarium]

Fourmaux to Hyundai does mean money to Malcolm Wilson as well, doesn´t it?

Why?
Fourmaux's contract expires at years end, so there is nothing legally binding him to M-Sport.

[Morte66]

Why?
Fourmaux's contract expires at years end, so there is nothing legally binding him to M-Sport.

M-Sport has had deals where they gave drivers a seat in return for a percentage of future earnings should they go to a higher-paying team.

I think Elfyn Evans was one such, they made money when he moved from M-Sport to Toyota?

I've a feeling they might have had a deal like that with Suninen, but it didn't pay off.