| WRXedUSA | 03-24-2006 09:41 AM |
There was a death on stage one. A co-driver of the #54 car was hit and killed while changing a tire in a transit area.
[url]www.wrc.com[/url]
[url]www.wrc.com[/url]
| iwanbo | 03-24-2006 09:44 AM |
[QUOTE=WRXedUSA]There was a death on stage one. A co-driver of the #54 car was hit and killed while changing a tire in a transit area.
[url]www.wrc.com[/url][/QUOTE]
[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/world_rally/4841358.stm[/url]
[quote]Co-driver dies in rally accident
German co-driver Jorg Bastuck has died after being struck by another car during the Rally of Catalunya in Spain.
He was hit while changing a wheel after his Citroen C2, driven by compatriot Aaron Burkart, had left the road.
He was flown to hospital by helicopter in a serious condition but later died from his injuries, said organisers.
Reuters reported Bastuck was hit by a Ford Fiesta driven by Britain's Barry Clark which left the road at the same place during Friday's second stage.[/quote]
[url]www.wrc.com[/url][/QUOTE]
[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/world_rally/4841358.stm[/url]
[quote]Co-driver dies in rally accident
German co-driver Jorg Bastuck has died after being struck by another car during the Rally of Catalunya in Spain.
He was hit while changing a wheel after his Citroen C2, driven by compatriot Aaron Burkart, had left the road.
He was flown to hospital by helicopter in a serious condition but later died from his injuries, said organisers.
Reuters reported Bastuck was hit by a Ford Fiesta driven by Britain's Barry Clark which left the road at the same place during Friday's second stage.[/quote]
| CirrusWRX | 03-24-2006 10:25 AM |
:(
1234
1234
| datageek | 03-24-2006 10:48 AM |
Rats. Gronholm has a mechanical problem. Which means that Loeb will now walk off with the rally. (Is anyone surprised?)
Well, it was nice seeing someone else leading for a change.
Well, it was nice seeing someone else leading for a change.
| fliz | 03-24-2006 11:32 AM |
rip Jorg Bastuck. :(
Hirvonen & Gronholm are both having turbo issues. Another bad rally for Ford.
Hirvonen & Gronholm are both having turbo issues. Another bad rally for Ford.
| MPME | 03-24-2006 01:27 PM |
Citroen 1-2-3 after leg one in Spain
Friday, March 24th 2006, 17:01 GMT
Sebastien Loeb holds a comfortable lead in the Rally Catalunya after main rival Marcus Gronholm suffered turbo problems at the end of day one.
Gronholm had edged away from Loeb during the opening stages, as the Kronos Citroen driver worked to get the car's handling to his liking.
A tight contest looked in prospect, until Gronholm slowed dramatically in SS5 with a loss of turbo boost. He continued through the last two stages of leg one but lost 2:33.6 to Loeb.
With Gronholm's team-mate Mikko Hirvonen hitting similar problems at virtually the same point and falling from fourth place to outside the top ten, Citroen took control of the top three.
Reigning Junior WRC champion and local hero Dani Sordo is now second, 27.7 seconds behind Loeb, with Xavier Pons third.
Ford's dramas also elevated the struggling Subarus up the leaderboard. Petter Solberg reported no particular problems with his Impreza, just a general lack of speed compared to the BF Goodrich shod cars. He ended the leg in fourth.
Stephane Sarrazin made major changes to his Subaru during the lunchtime service and was more comfortable with the handling by the end of the day. His team-mate Chris Atkinson, driving a 2005 Impreza this weekend, was the happiest of the Subaru trio, feeling that he had improved his personal performance since last year's event.
Privateers Alex Bengue (Peugeot 307) and Jan Kopecky (Skoda Fabia) were among the stars of the opening day. They set consistently fast stage times while battling with each other, and will start the day with fourth placed Solberg in their sights.
Other leading independent drivers had a tougher time. Francois Duval lost the brakes on his Skoda during SS1, Gilles Panizzi spent the whole day chasing a set-up, and Jari-Matti Latvala crashed in SS4 and will have to restart under SupeRally rules tomorrow.
Leading results after leg one:
Pos Driver Make Time
1. Loeb Citroen 1h 16:07.0
2. Sordo Citroen + 27.3
3. Pons Citroen + 1:01.5
4. Solberg Subaru + 1:25.6
5. Bengue Peugeot + 1:32.6
6. Kopecky Skoda + 1:36.0
7. Sarrazin Subaru + 1:50.4
8. Atkinson Subaru + 2:25.5
9. Duval Skoda + 2:32.3
10. Gronholm Ford + 2:33.6
11. Stohl Peugeot + 2:54.9
12. Wilson Ford + 4:22.4
13. Aigner Skoda + 4:51.7
14. Hirvonen Ford + 5:08.5
15. Panizzi Skoda + 5:32.8
16. Vojtech Peugeot + 6:06.5
17. Prokop Citroen + 9:15.5
18. Betti Renault + 10:13.2
19. Beres Suzuki + 10:48.0
20. Kosciuszko Subaru + 11:25.8
Friday, March 24th 2006, 17:01 GMT
Sebastien Loeb holds a comfortable lead in the Rally Catalunya after main rival Marcus Gronholm suffered turbo problems at the end of day one.
Gronholm had edged away from Loeb during the opening stages, as the Kronos Citroen driver worked to get the car's handling to his liking.
A tight contest looked in prospect, until Gronholm slowed dramatically in SS5 with a loss of turbo boost. He continued through the last two stages of leg one but lost 2:33.6 to Loeb.
With Gronholm's team-mate Mikko Hirvonen hitting similar problems at virtually the same point and falling from fourth place to outside the top ten, Citroen took control of the top three.
Reigning Junior WRC champion and local hero Dani Sordo is now second, 27.7 seconds behind Loeb, with Xavier Pons third.
Ford's dramas also elevated the struggling Subarus up the leaderboard. Petter Solberg reported no particular problems with his Impreza, just a general lack of speed compared to the BF Goodrich shod cars. He ended the leg in fourth.
Stephane Sarrazin made major changes to his Subaru during the lunchtime service and was more comfortable with the handling by the end of the day. His team-mate Chris Atkinson, driving a 2005 Impreza this weekend, was the happiest of the Subaru trio, feeling that he had improved his personal performance since last year's event.
Privateers Alex Bengue (Peugeot 307) and Jan Kopecky (Skoda Fabia) were among the stars of the opening day. They set consistently fast stage times while battling with each other, and will start the day with fourth placed Solberg in their sights.
Other leading independent drivers had a tougher time. Francois Duval lost the brakes on his Skoda during SS1, Gilles Panizzi spent the whole day chasing a set-up, and Jari-Matti Latvala crashed in SS4 and will have to restart under SupeRally rules tomorrow.
Leading results after leg one:
Pos Driver Make Time
1. Loeb Citroen 1h 16:07.0
2. Sordo Citroen + 27.3
3. Pons Citroen + 1:01.5
4. Solberg Subaru + 1:25.6
5. Bengue Peugeot + 1:32.6
6. Kopecky Skoda + 1:36.0
7. Sarrazin Subaru + 1:50.4
8. Atkinson Subaru + 2:25.5
9. Duval Skoda + 2:32.3
10. Gronholm Ford + 2:33.6
11. Stohl Peugeot + 2:54.9
12. Wilson Ford + 4:22.4
13. Aigner Skoda + 4:51.7
14. Hirvonen Ford + 5:08.5
15. Panizzi Skoda + 5:32.8
16. Vojtech Peugeot + 6:06.5
17. Prokop Citroen + 9:15.5
18. Betti Renault + 10:13.2
19. Beres Suzuki + 10:48.0
20. Kosciuszko Subaru + 11:25.8
| CirrusWRX | 03-24-2006 03:38 PM |
<cough subarushoulddumppirelli cough cough>
| dwmoss_68 | 03-24-2006 04:46 PM |
[QUOTE=CirrusWRX]<cough subarushoulddumppirelli cough cough>[/QUOTE]
i'm fairly new the the wrc game, but I've wondered this myself a few times!!!
dm
i'm fairly new the the wrc game, but I've wondered this myself a few times!!!
dm
| Duo | 03-24-2006 07:56 PM |
:lol: [QUOTE=CirrusWRX]<cough subarushoulddumppirelli cough cough>[/QUOTE]
supposidly that is what Stephane Sarrazin is there to do. He is supposed to be developing the tires for tarmac. But i have seen nothing of this yet. Its in one of the videos on the swrt.com web page. :banana:
supposidly that is what Stephane Sarrazin is there to do. He is supposed to be developing the tires for tarmac. But i have seen nothing of this yet. Its in one of the videos on the swrt.com web page. :banana:
| XenoWolf | 03-25-2006 01:31 PM |
Howabout that Alex Bengue? First time driving a 307 WRC and he's on podium at the moment (although I bet Gronholm will hunt him down by the end of the 3rd leg). Can we get a little history of this guy? Personally I've never heard of him...
| WRXedUSA | 03-25-2006 04:42 PM |
Gsus. What's the point of testing and hiring a road-racer when your competition rolls out of the box and smokes you. Get your **** together Pirelli-Subaru.
Great Job to Sordo, Kopecky, Duval, Gronholm, Hirvonen, Bengue.
Great Job to Sordo, Kopecky, Duval, Gronholm, Hirvonen, Bengue.
| piits | 03-26-2006 02:56 AM |
[QUOTE=leaknoil]What countries can they have it ? Seems like its always GO!!!!!!!! except in team shots. Seems like a bad sponorship deal. Not sure I'd want to payto have my company's logo plastered over all the time.[/QUOTE]
as mentioned before, tobacco ads are banned in most of the countries in Europe and some of the countries the wrc is visiting outside old world. Gauloises has been a major sponsor of motorsport events for a long time, and actually over here everybody knows, what is hidden behind that GO!!!!! check out some other teams, and you will find Marlboro signs without the actual name and similar. tobacco producers still get their publicity, even with actual advertising of tobacco products banned. if i remember right, as Monaco is not a part of the EU, on events during Monaco Rally (like the starting cermony) Kronos Ream cars had the full tobacco ad on their cars.
as mentioned before, tobacco ads are banned in most of the countries in Europe and some of the countries the wrc is visiting outside old world. Gauloises has been a major sponsor of motorsport events for a long time, and actually over here everybody knows, what is hidden behind that GO!!!!! check out some other teams, and you will find Marlboro signs without the actual name and similar. tobacco producers still get their publicity, even with actual advertising of tobacco products banned. if i remember right, as Monaco is not a part of the EU, on events during Monaco Rally (like the starting cermony) Kronos Ream cars had the full tobacco ad on their cars.
| piits | 03-26-2006 02:59 AM |
[QUOTE=XenoWolf]Howabout that Alex Bengue? First time driving a 307 WRC and he's on podium at the moment (although I bet Gronholm will hunt him down by the end of the 3rd leg). Can we get a little history of this guy? Personally I've never heard of him...[/QUOTE]
no, he's racing it in the French nationals (a very tough tarmac championship) with the 307, and is sponsored by a long-time motorsport sponsor Yacco, which is a motor oil producer. before this season, he was one of Skodas 5 drivers, and actually had some of the best results with a skoda prior Hirvonens and McRaes drives in the second half of the 2005 season :)
no, he's racing it in the French nationals (a very tough tarmac championship) with the 307, and is sponsored by a long-time motorsport sponsor Yacco, which is a motor oil producer. before this season, he was one of Skodas 5 drivers, and actually had some of the best results with a skoda prior Hirvonens and McRaes drives in the second half of the 2005 season :)
| FaastLegacy | 03-26-2006 04:20 AM |
Nice to see Hirvonen doing reasonably well. He's a good driver in anything that's not a Subaru.
| WRXedUSA | 03-26-2006 11:00 AM |
[quote=Team quotes]
SWRT sporting director, Luis Moya
We can take some consolation that today we saw some improvement over yesterday, and that Chris continues to learn and quicken on tarmac. We still have a lot of hard work to do with Pirelli in order to improve our asphalt performance.
Petter Solberg
Spain has been a very tough rally for us. We had hoped to get more points, but instead we have had to work hard to get those we did get. We have made some progress, particularly today, and have a new tyre that is more promising. We�ve used the event to learn from this experience as we want to prepare as best we can for Corsica, where the stages are more abrasive, and where I think we will have a better feeling with the car.
Stephane Sarrazin
Overall the rally has been a bit frustrating. After our testing, we were expecting a better result, however it has not worked out that way. We�ll go away from here and look at the data and do a lot of talking with the engineers to see what more we can learn. Corsica I hope will be much better. We�re expecting to be quick, as we were quick there last year, however I�ll be pushing at 200%!
Chris Atkinson
We�re fairly happy with how the rally�s gone for us. Okay, we�re back in eleventh but the speed is a lot faster, and if we hadn�t made a couple of mistakes we�d be up in the points, but that�s all part of the experience.
News from Pirelli
Mario Isola, Pirelli Competizioni Rally Manager
We are quite satisfied with the progress we have made today. It was however too hard to make up the time lost in the earlier Legs. We are nevertheless confident that what we learnt here in Spain will help us prepare correctly for Corsica. [B]We have some valuable feedback from Petter on the P Zero tyre. [/B]
[/quote]
The word is, your tires suck.
SWRT sporting director, Luis Moya
We can take some consolation that today we saw some improvement over yesterday, and that Chris continues to learn and quicken on tarmac. We still have a lot of hard work to do with Pirelli in order to improve our asphalt performance.
Petter Solberg
Spain has been a very tough rally for us. We had hoped to get more points, but instead we have had to work hard to get those we did get. We have made some progress, particularly today, and have a new tyre that is more promising. We�ve used the event to learn from this experience as we want to prepare as best we can for Corsica, where the stages are more abrasive, and where I think we will have a better feeling with the car.
Stephane Sarrazin
Overall the rally has been a bit frustrating. After our testing, we were expecting a better result, however it has not worked out that way. We�ll go away from here and look at the data and do a lot of talking with the engineers to see what more we can learn. Corsica I hope will be much better. We�re expecting to be quick, as we were quick there last year, however I�ll be pushing at 200%!
Chris Atkinson
We�re fairly happy with how the rally�s gone for us. Okay, we�re back in eleventh but the speed is a lot faster, and if we hadn�t made a couple of mistakes we�d be up in the points, but that�s all part of the experience.
News from Pirelli
Mario Isola, Pirelli Competizioni Rally Manager
We are quite satisfied with the progress we have made today. It was however too hard to make up the time lost in the earlier Legs. We are nevertheless confident that what we learnt here in Spain will help us prepare correctly for Corsica. [B]We have some valuable feedback from Petter on the P Zero tyre. [/B]
[/quote]
The word is, your tires suck.
| Rallycarperson | 03-26-2006 03:04 PM |
Ahhh, very frustrating. Is it too late to convert into a Loeb fan? :D
~Mark
~Mark
| The Tree | 03-26-2006 03:45 PM |
[QUOTE=Rallycarperson]Ahhh, very frustrating. Is it too late to convert into a Loeb fan? :D
~Mark[/QUOTE]
don't give into the devil ;)
~Mark[/QUOTE]
don't give into the devil ;)
| doghauler | 03-26-2006 03:49 PM |
Nothing wrong with liking Loeb. He's a good driver, friendly enough and has a great car/team. Back when we had real tv coverage, I remember when they showed him running just a partial season, tarmac only stages, and he was awesome. I had a feeling he would do well, but this is kind of like watching Schumacher/Ferrari those past few seasons.
| The Tree | 03-26-2006 03:52 PM |
[QUOTE=doghauler]Nothing wrong with liking Loeb. He's a good driver, friendly enough and has a great car/team. Back when we had real tv coverage, I remember when they showed him running just a partial season, tarmac only stages, and he was awesome. I had a feeling he would do well, but this is kind of like watching Schumacher/Ferrari those past few seasons.[/QUOTE]
he's good, I'm just sayig don't jump ship off your driver yet is all :banana:
he's good, I'm just sayig don't jump ship off your driver yet is all :banana:
| Rallycarperson | 03-26-2006 04:05 PM |
Haha, I was just kidding. But Subaru have just been in this looong slump, and I'm just wondering when it will end. Tarmac has never been Subaru's favorite, but still...
~Mark
~Mark
| WRXedUSA | 03-26-2006 08:38 PM |
Is there any way we can seed the clouds over Corisca??
Loeb is a fantastic driver, ambassador and person in general. Congratulations Loeb.
Loeb is a fantastic driver, ambassador and person in general. Congratulations Loeb.
| WRXdonkey | 03-26-2006 10:16 PM |
Damn it, why must this Loeb character be of French descent!?
Furthermore, why must he be winning and seem so aloof and confident whilst doing so! He's making the season boring and it seems like each rally dedicates less and less time to the exploits, achievements, and insights of the SWRT. Why does their stuff keep breaking?!? Every time this season, either something breaks or some part of the vehicle under-performs, thus contributing to a loss.
We're not so far back yet with the SWRT that we can't overcome this, but the management shift, etc. seems to be taking its toll on all individuals of the SWRT.
Furthermore, why must he be winning and seem so aloof and confident whilst doing so! He's making the season boring and it seems like each rally dedicates less and less time to the exploits, achievements, and insights of the SWRT. Why does their stuff keep breaking?!? Every time this season, either something breaks or some part of the vehicle under-performs, thus contributing to a loss.
We're not so far back yet with the SWRT that we can't overcome this, but the management shift, etc. seems to be taking its toll on all individuals of the SWRT.
| STiMULi | 03-26-2006 10:41 PM |
[QUOTE=CRASH.NET][SIZE=4][B]Subaru: That wasn't good.[/B][/SIZE]
Subaru sporting director, Luis Moya has admitted that they have a lot of hard work to do, if they are to improve their competitiveness on asphalt.
Subaru have had a tough start to the 2006 season and while there seemed to be 'light at the end of the tunnel' in Mexico, when Petter Solberg was battling for the win, that event was on gravel. Since the start of the Rally Catalunya on Friday, the Impreza's have failed to match the pace of the lead Ford's or the Kronos Racing ran Xsara's and they finished the second leg seventh, eighth and twelfth, way down the leaderboard and over 3.5 minutes off the battle for the lead.
"Clearly we are not happy with our performance," said Moya. "Yesterday we seemed to be able to be more competitive, however today both Petter and Stephane [Sarrazin - our two nominated drivers'] are suffering from a continuous lack of grip.
"We need to work very hard as a team together with Pirelli to improve our performance in these asphalt conditions. For tomorrow we will focus on finding a solution and improving on today's position and work towards a strong result in Corsica [the next event, which is also on asphalt]."
Solberg meanwhile was unsurprisingly not too happy either, although he is trying to remain as positive as possible, even if his title hopes do seem to be dwindling with the passing of each event.
"It's been a difficult day," added the Norwegian. "We are not at all close. There was so much loose gravel on the surface, more than we have seen before, and maybe that was a factor. It's encouraging that the car is working well, but still we need to look at every detail to see what we can do tomorrow."
[/QUOTE][url]http://www.crash.net/news_view~t~Subaru--That-wasn-t-good-~cid~4~id~127269.htm[/url]
Yep. That wasn't good.
Subaru sporting director, Luis Moya has admitted that they have a lot of hard work to do, if they are to improve their competitiveness on asphalt.
Subaru have had a tough start to the 2006 season and while there seemed to be 'light at the end of the tunnel' in Mexico, when Petter Solberg was battling for the win, that event was on gravel. Since the start of the Rally Catalunya on Friday, the Impreza's have failed to match the pace of the lead Ford's or the Kronos Racing ran Xsara's and they finished the second leg seventh, eighth and twelfth, way down the leaderboard and over 3.5 minutes off the battle for the lead.
"Clearly we are not happy with our performance," said Moya. "Yesterday we seemed to be able to be more competitive, however today both Petter and Stephane [Sarrazin - our two nominated drivers'] are suffering from a continuous lack of grip.
"We need to work very hard as a team together with Pirelli to improve our performance in these asphalt conditions. For tomorrow we will focus on finding a solution and improving on today's position and work towards a strong result in Corsica [the next event, which is also on asphalt]."
Solberg meanwhile was unsurprisingly not too happy either, although he is trying to remain as positive as possible, even if his title hopes do seem to be dwindling with the passing of each event.
"It's been a difficult day," added the Norwegian. "We are not at all close. There was so much loose gravel on the surface, more than we have seen before, and maybe that was a factor. It's encouraging that the car is working well, but still we need to look at every detail to see what we can do tomorrow."
[/QUOTE][url]http://www.crash.net/news_view~t~Subaru--That-wasn-t-good-~cid~4~id~127269.htm[/url]
Yep. That wasn't good.
| FaastLegacy | 03-27-2006 12:52 AM |
[QUOTE=WRXdonkey]Damn it, why must this Loeb character be of French descent!?
Furthermore, why must he be winning and seem so aloof and confident whilst doing so! He's making the season boring and it seems like each rally dedicates less and less time to the exploits, achievements, and insights of the SWRT. Why does their stuff keep breaking?!? Every time this season, either something breaks or some part of the vehicle under-performs, thus contributing to a loss.
We're not so far back yet with the SWRT that we can't overcome this, but the management shift, etc. seems to be taking its toll on all individuals of the SWRT.[/QUOTE]
I don't know that SWRT would be able to beat Loeb even if they were 100%, especially on tarmac. Loeb is the best driver, with the best tires, in arguably the best car. It'll be interesting to see what competition Gronholm can give him now that he has a good car.
Furthermore, why must he be winning and seem so aloof and confident whilst doing so! He's making the season boring and it seems like each rally dedicates less and less time to the exploits, achievements, and insights of the SWRT. Why does their stuff keep breaking?!? Every time this season, either something breaks or some part of the vehicle under-performs, thus contributing to a loss.
We're not so far back yet with the SWRT that we can't overcome this, but the management shift, etc. seems to be taking its toll on all individuals of the SWRT.[/QUOTE]
I don't know that SWRT would be able to beat Loeb even if they were 100%, especially on tarmac. Loeb is the best driver, with the best tires, in arguably the best car. It'll be interesting to see what competition Gronholm can give him now that he has a good car.
| WRXedUSA | 03-27-2006 08:48 AM |
[QUOTE=FaastLegacy]I don't know that SWRT would be able to beat Loeb even if they were 100%, especially on tarmac. Loeb is the best driver, with the best tires, in arguably the best car. It'll be interesting to see what competition Gronholm can give him now that he has a good car.[/QUOTE]
The frightening thing was, Gronholm was handily beating Loeb before boost problems hit, then, he made up all that time.
Gronholm and the Focus are the guys to fear this year. I donb't buy Loeb driving 8/10th either. Doing that will get you wrecked.
The frightening thing was, Gronholm was handily beating Loeb before boost problems hit, then, he made up all that time.
Gronholm and the Focus are the guys to fear this year. I donb't buy Loeb driving 8/10th either. Doing that will get you wrecked.
| STiMULi | 03-27-2006 01:03 PM |
[QUOTE][B]We have some valuable feedback from Petter on the P Zero tyre[/B][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=WRXedUSA]The word is, your tires suck.[/QUOTE]
[URL=http://www.pzeronero.com/en_PZ/homepage.jhtml][IMG]http://www.tmf.net/nothing/noimages/nothingsmhigh.GIF[/IMG][/URL]
[QUOTE=WRXedUSA]The word is, your tires suck.[/QUOTE]
[URL=http://www.pzeronero.com/en_PZ/homepage.jhtml][IMG]http://www.tmf.net/nothing/noimages/nothingsmhigh.GIF[/IMG][/URL]
| jpsimon | 03-27-2006 03:57 PM |
so i feel like.... petter needs to start winning... this is pathetic.
| WRXedUSA | 03-27-2006 05:18 PM |
Well, it's not often we don't have a mechanical failure or a crash, so when the car is in one piece at the end of the rally, you expect a better result.
Subaru got thier ass handed to them by Skoda. I never thought I would see the day.
Subaru got thier ass handed to them by Skoda. I never thought I would see the day.
| STiMULi | 03-27-2006 05:46 PM |
I can see it now...
"It's Lapworths fault! David did this and that and..."
It is always the fault of the last guy that left.
Oh well, on to Corsica.
"It's Lapworths fault! David did this and that and..."
It is always the fault of the last guy that left.
Oh well, on to Corsica.
| Berns | 03-27-2006 06:49 PM |
I just wanted to send a shout out to C.W. for posting up the WRC footage. :D
| HomerJay | 03-28-2006 12:34 AM |
Is it time to dump pirelli or prodrive?
| WRXedUSA | 03-28-2006 09:12 AM |
[QUOTE=HomerJay]Is it time to dump pirelli or prodrive?[/QUOTE]
Sadly, I think Pirelli. I wish SWRT could do a 'secret' test with the BFG tires. Look how fast Sarrazin was with the Subaru WRC03 and Michelin in Spain 2004.
Sadly, I think Pirelli. I wish SWRT could do a 'secret' test with the BFG tires. Look how fast Sarrazin was with the Subaru WRC03 and Michelin in Spain 2004.
| CirrusWRX | 03-28-2006 10:34 AM |
I just can't comprehend how difficult it is to replicate a tire. I guess I just don't understand it enough, but it's not like trying to disect a sealed engine - they're friggin tires! Just order some up, disect the hell out of it under a microscope and figure out how the hell they stick so well.
<sigh> just depressed blabbering, making excuses where there are none. I hope Gronholm keeps winning - hearing him say, "I am SO happy with this car" is unbelievably satisfying to hear after all his troubles the last 2 years with crappy mechanical problems.
<sigh> just depressed blabbering, making excuses where there are none. I hope Gronholm keeps winning - hearing him say, "I am SO happy with this car" is unbelievably satisfying to hear after all his troubles the last 2 years with crappy mechanical problems.
| Mopho | 03-28-2006 12:36 PM |
[QUOTE=HomerJay]Is it time to dump pirelli or prodrive?[/QUOTE]
time to dump Subaru. I wouldn't be surprised if Petter leaves SWRT when his contract is up at the end of this year. Unless of course, Subaru offers him a deal($) he can't refuse
IMO the current Impreza platform is flawed compared to the smaller two door hatchbacks. I remember Prodrive complaining about the current platform when it came out in 01, it is too big and heavy
[QUOTE]Sadly, I think Pirelli. I wish SWRT could do a 'secret' test with the BFG tires. Look how fast Sarrazin was with the Subaru WRC03 and Michelin in Spain 2004.[/QUOTE]
Different car, different conditions, you can't compare. It's the WHOLE package, car/driver/tires/conditions, you can't point the finger at just one thing. Loeb is fast, but he has been really fast because of the combination of his driving and the Citroen. Put him in a different car and he will not be so fast. Gronholm dominated in the 206 and then the car changed and he fell out of contention. Now he is in a different car and back on form.
To note, many involved in the WRC think that Gronholm is generally a better driver than Loeb.
[QUOTE]I just can't comprehend how difficult it is to replicate a tire. I guess I just don't understand it enough, but it's not like trying to disect a sealed engine - they're friggin tires! Just order some up, disect the hell out of it under a microscope and figure out how the hell they stick so well.[/QUOTE]
Tire technology is far more a black art. The technology in BFG/Michelin is likely patented. Besides, you can't just order up a set to dissect, the tires are custom made by hand, very secretive and I they are highly regulated as to who and where they go.
I believe it was last year that one tire went missing and Michelin immediately knew about it. There was a big stink about the theft and corporate espionage...
time to dump Subaru. I wouldn't be surprised if Petter leaves SWRT when his contract is up at the end of this year. Unless of course, Subaru offers him a deal($) he can't refuse
IMO the current Impreza platform is flawed compared to the smaller two door hatchbacks. I remember Prodrive complaining about the current platform when it came out in 01, it is too big and heavy
[QUOTE]Sadly, I think Pirelli. I wish SWRT could do a 'secret' test with the BFG tires. Look how fast Sarrazin was with the Subaru WRC03 and Michelin in Spain 2004.[/QUOTE]
Different car, different conditions, you can't compare. It's the WHOLE package, car/driver/tires/conditions, you can't point the finger at just one thing. Loeb is fast, but he has been really fast because of the combination of his driving and the Citroen. Put him in a different car and he will not be so fast. Gronholm dominated in the 206 and then the car changed and he fell out of contention. Now he is in a different car and back on form.
To note, many involved in the WRC think that Gronholm is generally a better driver than Loeb.
[QUOTE]I just can't comprehend how difficult it is to replicate a tire. I guess I just don't understand it enough, but it's not like trying to disect a sealed engine - they're friggin tires! Just order some up, disect the hell out of it under a microscope and figure out how the hell they stick so well.[/QUOTE]
Tire technology is far more a black art. The technology in BFG/Michelin is likely patented. Besides, you can't just order up a set to dissect, the tires are custom made by hand, very secretive and I they are highly regulated as to who and where they go.
I believe it was last year that one tire went missing and Michelin immediately knew about it. There was a big stink about the theft and corporate espionage...
| datageek | 03-28-2006 11:16 PM |
[QUOTE=Mopho]time to dump Subaru. I wouldn't be surprised if Petter leaves SWRT when his contract is up at the end of this year. Unless of course, Subaru offers him a deal($) he can't refuse[/QUOTE]
I'd wondered about that... Problem is, where would he go? Both of Ford's drivers are under contract for next year. Kronos/Citreon might be interested -- but they've already got Sebastien committed to them. Why pay for both Seb and Petter? I don't think Suzuki will be in for the full 2007 season (such as it will be), and will have a new car with little experience. Maybe the Stobart Fords could be an option. I think it's safe to say Petter would probably not be particularly interested in paying to drive a Skoda or a 307.
Random trivia: Number of points Petter had after 4 rounds in 2003: 9
Number of points Petter has after 4 rounds in 2006: 10
Something to think about.
I'd wondered about that... Problem is, where would he go? Both of Ford's drivers are under contract for next year. Kronos/Citreon might be interested -- but they've already got Sebastien committed to them. Why pay for both Seb and Petter? I don't think Suzuki will be in for the full 2007 season (such as it will be), and will have a new car with little experience. Maybe the Stobart Fords could be an option. I think it's safe to say Petter would probably not be particularly interested in paying to drive a Skoda or a 307.
Random trivia: Number of points Petter had after 4 rounds in 2003: 9
Number of points Petter has after 4 rounds in 2006: 10
Something to think about.
| FaastLegacy | 03-29-2006 12:15 AM |
I don't see Petter leaving Subaru. SWRT is having some tough times no doubt, but they're still one of the best teams in the world. You don't just arbitrarily drop that after a bad season, but even that's putting the cart before the horse. It's still a long season yet, and tarmac has never been SWRT's strong suit.
| Mopho | 03-29-2006 02:15 AM |
[QUOTE=datageek]I'd wondered about that... Problem is, where would he go? Both of Ford's drivers are under contract for next year. Kronos/Citreon might be interested -- but they've already got Sebastien committed to them. Why pay for both Seb and Petter? I don't think Suzuki will be in for the full 2007 season (such as it will be), and will have a new car with little experience. Maybe the Stobart Fords could be an option. I think it's safe to say Petter would probably not be particularly interested in paying to drive a Skoda or a 307.
Random trivia: Number of points Petter had after 4 rounds in 2003: 9
Number of points Petter has after 4 rounds in 2006: 10
Something to think about.[/QUOTE]
Anything can happen, and as you pointed out, it can completely turn around FTW. But if things keep going the way it is, I doubt he is going to want to stick around or at least he will have leverage for a pay raise. :lol:
Random trivia: Number of points Petter had after 4 rounds in 2003: 9
Number of points Petter has after 4 rounds in 2006: 10
Something to think about.[/QUOTE]
Anything can happen, and as you pointed out, it can completely turn around FTW. But if things keep going the way it is, I doubt he is going to want to stick around or at least he will have leverage for a pay raise. :lol:
| Mopho | 03-29-2006 02:18 AM |
[QUOTE=FaastLegacy]I don't see Petter leaving Subaru. SWRT is having some tough times no doubt, but they're still one of the best teams in the world. You don't just arbitrarily drop that after a bad season, but even that's putting the cart before the horse. It's still a long season yet, and tarmac has never been SWRT's strong suit.[/QUOTE]
Well, it is going into two seasons of tough times now. I sure wouldn't bet on him leaving, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did
Only time will tell ;)
Well, it is going into two seasons of tough times now. I sure wouldn't bet on him leaving, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did
Only time will tell ;)
| bemani | 03-29-2006 05:01 AM |
[QUOTE=datageek]
Random trivia: Number of points Petter had after 4 rounds in 2003: 9
Number of points Petter has after 4 rounds in 2006: 10
Something to think about.[/QUOTE]
Yes but Richard Burns only had 26 points back then while Sab has 36 points now. Plus there were so many more potential winners back in 03 like Loeb, Sainz, Burns, Martin, Gronholm, McRae, Makinen to spread out the points instead of 10 points going to either Loeb or Gronholm after every rally.
Random trivia: Number of points Petter had after 4 rounds in 2003: 9
Number of points Petter has after 4 rounds in 2006: 10
Something to think about.[/QUOTE]
Yes but Richard Burns only had 26 points back then while Sab has 36 points now. Plus there were so many more potential winners back in 03 like Loeb, Sainz, Burns, Martin, Gronholm, McRae, Makinen to spread out the points instead of 10 points going to either Loeb or Gronholm after every rally.
| Yotsuya | 03-29-2006 04:40 PM |
Well,with Galli being hit and miss in the series, I'm going to start rooting for Kopecky (and hope the Eurovision folks learn how to say his name). Galli will be in Corsica with a Peugeot, I think, though.
And this is the first time I've seen Loeb's car on stage with the cigarette ad; I'm pretty sure they were using Go!!!1!!uno! for Monaco. I'll have to re-check the Eurovision footage.
And this is the first time I've seen Loeb's car on stage with the cigarette ad; I'm pretty sure they were using Go!!!1!!uno! for Monaco. I'll have to re-check the Eurovision footage.
| datageek | 03-30-2006 12:53 AM |
[QUOTE=bemani]Yes but Richard Burns only had 26 points back then while Sab has 36 points now. Plus there were so many more potential winners back in 03 like Loeb, Sainz, Burns, Martin, Gronholm, McRae, Makinen to spread out the points instead of 10 points going to either Loeb or Gronholm after every rally.[/QUOTE]
Ah, but there are two more rounds this year than in 2003 -- including the only event on the calendar that Seb has never won. (Rally Japan.)
Personally, I think having too many points early in the season throws off Petter's rhythm. He starts focusing more on playing the points game and less on going flat-out. So I'm not convinced that a rocky start to the season is such a bad thing.
Ah, but there are two more rounds this year than in 2003 -- including the only event on the calendar that Seb has never won. (Rally Japan.)
Personally, I think having too many points early in the season throws off Petter's rhythm. He starts focusing more on playing the points game and less on going flat-out. So I'm not convinced that a rocky start to the season is such a bad thing.
| CirrusWRX | 03-30-2006 11:10 AM |
[img]http://www.artechnik.com/subaru/orally.jpg[/img]
| WRXedUSA | 03-30-2006 12:55 PM |
*right click save as*
| Chromer | 03-30-2006 10:08 PM |
[QUOTE=datageek]I'd wondered about that... Problem is, where would he go? Both of Ford's drivers are under contract for next year.[/QUOTE]
Mitsubishi will be back with the all-new EVO X next season, won't they? Don't know if they have anyone lined up to drive or not. Then again, would Petter really going to want to do development on an all-new car?
Mitsubishi will be back with the all-new EVO X next season, won't they? Don't know if they have anyone lined up to drive or not. Then again, would Petter really going to want to do development on an all-new car?
| Slick33 | 03-31-2006 07:49 PM |
[QUOTE=Chromer]Mitsubishi will be back with the all-new EVO X next season, won't they? Don't know if they have anyone lined up to drive or not. Then again, would Petter really going to want to do development on an all-new car?[/QUOTE]
Mitsu have pretty much said they "hope" to be back in for the 2008 season, but it really all depends on if the company can turn their financial difficulties around. I think it's far too early to say with any certainty whether or not they'll be back.
Mitsu have pretty much said they "hope" to be back in for the 2008 season, but it really all depends on if the company can turn their financial difficulties around. I think it's far too early to say with any certainty whether or not they'll be back.
| STiMULi | 04-01-2006 01:13 PM |
Things WILL get better. There were some bad decisions as well as bad luck.
Petter is not the best driver in the world right now. Subaru does not have the best rally car in the word right now. Pirrelli does not make the best tire in the world right now. The stars are not aligned properly right now.
Petters confidence is awry given he is used to fighting towards a winning season and winning the fight.
Loeb Kicks ASS and he has the confidence needed to win another championship. Gr�nholm has the car and the confidence he did not have a few years ago. I pick him and Loeb to compete for the Grand Finale. I see Subaru down the leader board all year long.
I truly hope I am so wrong.
I still think Skoda is a good looking car :)
Petter is not the best driver in the world right now. Subaru does not have the best rally car in the word right now. Pirrelli does not make the best tire in the world right now. The stars are not aligned properly right now.
Petters confidence is awry given he is used to fighting towards a winning season and winning the fight.
Loeb Kicks ASS and he has the confidence needed to win another championship. Gr�nholm has the car and the confidence he did not have a few years ago. I pick him and Loeb to compete for the Grand Finale. I see Subaru down the leader board all year long.
I truly hope I am so wrong.
I still think Skoda is a good looking car :)
| Rallycarperson | 04-01-2006 03:04 PM |
[QUOTE=STiMULi][b]Petter is not the best driver in the world right now.[/b] Subaru does not have the best rally car in the word right now. Pirrelli does not make the best tire in the world right now. The stars are not aligned properly right now.[/QUOTE]
I have to disagree with that, but I agree with you on everything else. Petter is a very good driver, and if given the right opportunity he [i]can[/i] be drivers champion. I think his bad scoring is a result of yes...bad luck, but its also partly because of Subaru's relieability and performance.
I bet if Petter drove the new 06 Ford or a Citroen, he would be right up there in points with Gronholm and Loeb.
~Mark
I have to disagree with that, but I agree with you on everything else. Petter is a very good driver, and if given the right opportunity he [i]can[/i] be drivers champion. I think his bad scoring is a result of yes...bad luck, but its also partly because of Subaru's relieability and performance.
I bet if Petter drove the new 06 Ford or a Citroen, he would be right up there in points with Gronholm and Loeb.
~Mark
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