McDuck wrote:Loeb should just suck it up and race full time next year. Then he could be like "WRC? Yeah, I dominated that for an entire decade."
This only racing in WRC part-time next year nonsense smacks of laziness.
Do you really want another year of LOEBWINSLOL
Besides, Loeb has already said several times this year that he does not agree with the direction that the FIA is taking the WRC in (he was especially critical of the FIA's plans to revive endurance rallies). Added to that, after a certain amount of time that sort of level of continued success must start to diminish your competitive instinct - if you have as many titles as Loeb does now, what difference will one more title make?
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning: "The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
McDuck wrote:Loeb should just suck it up and race full time next year. Then he could be like "WRC? Yeah, I dominated that for an entire decade."
This only racing in WRC part-time next year nonsense smacks of laziness.
I don't agree with the laziness part. He's afraid. He's afraid Ogier, finally without Quesnel keeping him on a leash at Citroen, will go head to head for the title and beat him to it, diminishing his own reputation. This gives him an excuse to say "Oh, but I was only part-time that season, so I couldn't have beaten him for the title."
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
Don't understand what VW is thinking. The man is a liability not an asset. The only thing he'll bring to the team is bigger repair bills. They should have a three car team of Ogier, Hänninen and Mikkelsen. Maybe Sordo instead of Hänninen if they can pry him away from Mini, I don't know.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
Don't understand what VW is thinking. The man is a liability not an asset. The only thing he'll bring to the team is bigger repair bills. They should have a three car team of Ogier, Hänninen and Mikkelsen. Maybe Sordo instead of Hänninen if they can pry him away from Mini, I don't know.
You can always have the possibility Latvala gets his act together and stops having accident with frequency. He's fast, and a good match for Ogier if everything is fine.
Don't understand what VW is thinking. The man is a liability not an asset. The only thing he'll bring to the team is bigger repair bills. They should have a three car team of Ogier, Hänninen and Mikkelsen. Maybe Sordo instead of Hänninen if they can pry him away from Mini, I don't know.
You can always have the possibility Latvala gets his act together and stops having accident with frequency. He's fast, and a good match for Ogier if everything is fine.
Latvala's learning curve is completely the wrong shape. A good driver would have ironed out all his mistakes by this stage in his career. In the first couple of seasons as a works driver it would have been excusable, but by now he has been there for so long he should be keeping the car on the road more often.
Yes, I know, McRae and Makinen were also quite accident prone. However, those two were unbeatable on their day. Loeb and Ogier can still outdrive Latvala even when the Finn doesn't make a mistake.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
I have a feeling Latvala will resign with Ford/M-Sport for at least next year. It will pretty much be a Latvala vs. Ogier scrap for the title next season.
I would love to see Solberg run in a competitive car next year, so that, even if these drivers cannot claim to beat Loeb, they can claim to have beaten the last Rally champion prior to Loeb. (I wouls actually like to see Solberg win, but that last sentence holds up too in my opinion.)
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
DanielPT wrote:I think it is a quite sad for WRC that, after seeing the title 'fight' wrapped up this season, there is not one single post mentioning that fact.
Now that I look at it, I wrecked the whole silence thing!
You mean there's actually a driver's championship in the WRC?! I thought they just gave a trophy to Loeb at the start of every year.
Fetzie on Ferrari wrote:How does a driver hurtling around a race track while they're sous-viding in their overalls have a better understanding of the race than a team of strategy engineers in an air-conditioned room?l
DanielPT wrote:I think it is a quite sad for WRC that, after seeing the title 'fight' wrapped up this season, there is not one single post mentioning that fact.
Now that I look at it, I wrecked the whole silence thing!
You mean there's actually a driver's championship in the WRC?! I thought they just gave a trophy to Loeb at the start of every year.
He's talking about the new championship they run for drivers not called Loeb
DanielPT wrote:I think it is a quite sad for WRC that, after seeing the title 'fight' wrapped up this season, there is not one single post mentioning that fact.
Now that I look at it, I wrecked the whole silence thing!
I'm not slightly bored by Sebastian Loeb, I'm extrememly bored by Sebastian Loeb...
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
DanielPT wrote:I think it is a quite sad for WRC that, after seeing the title 'fight' wrapped up this season, there is not one single post mentioning that fact.
Now that I look at it, I wrecked the whole silence thing!
I'm not slightly bored by Sebastian Loeb, I'm extrememly bored by Sebastian Loeb...
I am, and always have been, slightly bored by Mikko Hirvonen.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
DanielPT wrote:I think it is a quite sad for WRC that, after seeing the title 'fight' wrapped up this season, there is not one single post mentioning that fact.
Now that I look at it, I wrecked the whole silence thing!
I'm not slightly bored by Sebastian Loeb, I'm extrememly bored by Sebastian Loeb...
I am, and always have been, slightly bored by Mikko Hirvonen.
Then it will worst for you next year. Hirvonen should be spearheading Citroen's effort and if the VW turns out to be uncompetitive, you might actually see him winning the title. Which makes me return to the fact that, while not completely undeserving said title, it would only come in Loeb's absence. Let's hope Ogier strikes a few titles in a row. It sure would be a smooth transition for any WRC fan, if such thing still exists.
Colin Kolles on F111, 2011 HRT challenger: The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car.
I refuse to watch the WRC ever again until Petter Solberg wins something. End of. Most of the field has a stick up their arse. Even when all the manufacturers f***ed off in 2006, the sport still had Marcus Gronholm, and that was enough for me. He was the last of the true "golden generation" to call it quits. Marcus alone made the sport worth watching. He was crazy, he was mad, and he was interesting - a quality the WRC is very short on right now. Hirvonen has the personality of a wooden plank, Latvala does nothing but crash into things and burst into tears, Loeb is...well, Loeb, Ogier has been lying low for the last year and Sordo was always a very grey shade of bland. Even Petter Solberg has lost his shine, not winning for so long has really got to him apparently.
There are no "characters" like the old days. Sainz fulfilled the Loeb role better than Loeb (from the viewers perspective) - he was the hard working consistent one, but he didn't win everything all of the time. McRae doesn't even require explaining; Tommi Makinen may have won four titles on the bounce, but twice he was very lucky to do so. 1998 was akin to an act of God, if you believe in such things. Plus, he was one of those Finns who were happy speaking their mind to good length, rather than maybe remaining quiet and subdued (nothing wrong with that, but a sport full of one type would get boring). Gilles Panizzi was a maniac. Francois Delecour was sort of like Panizzi's half-brother; they didn't get on at all well but were both a little bit crazy. Didier Auriol could make Rubens Barrichello look infinitely happy and content. Richard Burns - well, I didn't like him so much, but again, he didn't usually hold back with his words. He just got on with it. Juha Kankkunen was older and slower by the late 90s, but he was still his old self in personality; "What kind of tyres do you have on?" "Black, round Pirellis."
The people made a difference. I don't give a damn about any WRC driver out there anymore, they're all so bland in front of the camera. The WRC felt like a really big and popular community. Now it's just a hollow shell. The sport has no soul. Where the hell did all the Gigi Gallis go?
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
I've heard talk that Ford aren't going to offer him a contract for 2013. And with moments like that, you can see why.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
I've heard talk that Ford aren't going to offer him a contract for 2013. And with moments like that, you can see why.
That electrical pole falling at the end makes it seem like a typical comedy movie scene, yet it's 100% real! If those are grapes, then I guess Solberg decided to help the farmers in harvesting...
Fetzie on Ferrari wrote:How does a driver hurtling around a race track while they're sous-viding in their overalls have a better understanding of the race than a team of strategy engineers in an air-conditioned room?l
I've heard talk that Ford aren't going to offer him a contract for 2013. And with moments like that, you can see why.
I think I heard a naughty word at the end of this clip. It's a word that, when I learnt it, I was told not to confuse with the name of a famous Russian president...
And as far as I know, incidents like this are less common from Solberg than Latvala. I would be sad if Solberg lost his seat over something like this...
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
dr-baker wrote:And as far as I know, incidents like this are less common from Solberg than Latvala. I would be sad if Solberg lost his seat over something like this...
If Latvala goes off, it tends to be because he's pushing. But there is no excuse for Solberg in this incident. When he went off, his pace notes would have clearly told him that the right-hander was coming up, and they would have told him how sharp it was. Nevertheless, he continued to power through the vineyard, failed to notice the road he crossed, and kept going through the vineyard on the other side at speed, completely blind to what was approaching. It's one of the most ridiculous accidents I have ever seen.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
I am really afraid now. Because as a rally driver I think Solberg is finished. I really really wanted him to become his old self again, but after seeing this incident, I just don't think it can happen anymore. I was scared when I saw the look on his face driving through that vineyard. It looked like he had seen a ghost or something terrifying. The old Solberg wouldn't have done that. He's just not the same driver anymore.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
Captain Hammer wrote:Solberg's been past it for a while now.
Meh, The last Subaru cars sucked, driving a private citroën made it impossible to win. All in all I think Solberg showed good pace, and skills until this year, where it seems like he's gone into some sort of "finally I don't pay the damages, I can risk a lot" mode. And I do think he kinda misses the relationship with Phil Mills. Sadly.
There have only been two good-news story in WRC this year - the introduction of a few new manufacturers (Mini, VW) and Loeb's retirement. But this is outweighed by the bad news - Loeb wins his 9th title in a row, Mini's effort was very half-hearted, nobody has seriously challeged Loeb (not even Solberg), Wales Rally GB was not the final round and thus had a low entry list, the collapse of the WRC promoter with little being done to promote this season (at least for British TV coverage),... And this is just the icing on the cake as far as I am concerned. I couldn't tell you how many rallies Loeb hasn't won this year (2? 3? 1? ) and I don't care. At the start of the year, Mini had scored 3 podiums from their first 6 or 7 rallies, and Autosport were talking about how, with good preparation and development, they could be serious contenders. And I reckon they could have been. I would love it if they had been contenders, particularly at next year's Monte. But alas, it won't be. I am rather annoyed and frustrated at that, and I don't care nearly as much as I used to about this championship.
End rant.
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
Fetzie on Ferrari wrote:How does a driver hurtling around a race track while they're sous-viding in their overalls have a better understanding of the race than a team of strategy engineers in an air-conditioned room?l
Lack of a decent promoter v. Loeb retiring. VW entering v. Ford leaving v.non-comittal Mini. I'm not sure WRC has had a future for a few years now, ever since Subaru and Mitshubishi left. Since their withdrawal, I have noticed that there are fewer Imprezas and Lancer Evos on the road....
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
Lack of a decent promoter v. Loeb retiring. VW entering v. Ford leaving v.non-comittal Mini. I'm not sure WRC has had a future for a few years now, ever since Subaru and Mitshubishi left. Since their withdrawal, I have noticed that there are fewer Imprezas and Lancer Evos on the road....
You do get more Mini Countrymans however...though they're more like milf-mobiles than wannabe-rally driver cars.
Mini are off at the end of the year anyway...
Mitch Hedberg wrote:I want to be a race car passenger: just a guy who bugs the driver. Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Man, you really like Tide...
Can't say I'm surprised. They came extremely close to dropping out at the end of last year as well, and given how incompetent Malcolm Wilson and his M-Sport cronies have been recently, I don't blame them for doing so. That pretty much confirms Latvala alongside Ogier next year at VW.
Whenever I see an Impreza or a Lancer on road, I admire the car for the rally tradition.
However no amount of success with any Rallying series will make me look at a regular Polo/Fiesta/DS3 anymore fondly ... they just happen to drive something that remotely looks like what they try to tell me it is ... therefore for me it makes no difference to have two 'fiestas' or not on road.
It is another blow for the championship. When Citroen retires at the end of next year (I think it is bound to happen), this will be a VW only show. Just the way they like (See Audi at Le Mans).
Colin Kolles on F111, 2011 HRT challenger: The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car.
Well, what a sad week for WRC yet again. I'm speechless.
Lets start with Loeb though. I've always been a Loeb fan, even as a Finn. His reputation is saved because he already won rallies in 2002 and 2003 against some of the best drivers ever. His performance at Monte 2002 (which he is still the moral winner of IMO) was out of this world. Without those two seasons Loeb drove in it would be easy to say Loeb never faced competition, which in these latter years is pretty much true since he built Citroen around him and has had the best resources available combined with his talent. I feel someone should've beaten him for the title before he retired. However, he is going out from full time competition a 9 time world champion. Respect to him.
I'm suprised Ford has decided to withdraw their manu support. It has been coming for a few seasons now but I really thought they would stick around now that the WRC looked to be on the up with Red Bull being the new promoter and Volkswagen and Hyundai joining the series. I guess M-Sport will still run the Fiesta's next year but they will play second fiddle to the Polo R and DS3 no doubt. Petter Solberg might soon drive his last "competive" rally. But it might be for his own good since he isn't the same driver as he was even a couple of years ago. It's funny how Loeb has been able to keep his form more or less throughout the years but Petter never really managed his outstanding 2003 season form after 2005. I don't believe Subaru is all to blame either.
All I can say about Mini is that it would've been a frickin great rally car. I really hate BMW now. The car was pretty much developed at no budget at all and still scored competitive podiums and they still didn't want to invest although it was clear to see that the potential was there. BMW should be banned from motorsport and I'll never buy a BMW in my life (I always hated that car brand anyway).
Jari-Matti Latvala moving to Volkswagen is expected. Ogier-Latvala is an interesting pairing. Latvala is the faster guy but Ogier I feel is more a complete driver at this stage. Plus, Ogier can play mindgames and more than likely get into JM's head if they go head to head.
Hirvonen has hit the jack pot now that he is Citroen's no. 1 for next year. That is all.
Why couldn't this have happened earlier in the season, especially with his crash in March? It's like when Vettel retired with a puncture in Aba Dabby last year, it makes no difference whatsoever.
Fetzie on Ferrari wrote:How does a driver hurtling around a race track while they're sous-viding in their overalls have a better understanding of the race than a team of strategy engineers in an air-conditioned room?l
East Londoner wrote: Why couldn't this have happened earlier in the season, especially with his crash in March? It's like when Vettel retired with a puncture in Aba Dabby last year, it makes no difference whatsoever.
It wouldn't have mattered. He has the cushion to be able to crash out several times from the 'loead'.
Colin Kolles on F111, 2011 HRT challenger: The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car.
For those of you that still care about rallying, one Robert Kubica has been cleaning up virtually every major event since the end of the WRC season with some Cirtoen C4 that the works team found at the back of the museum and decided to give him to wring the neck out of.
Biscione wrote:"Some Turkemenistani gulag repurposed for residential use" is the best way yet I've heard to describe North / East Glasgow.
Wizzie wrote:For those of you that still care about rallying, one Robert Kubica has been cleaning up virtually every major event since the end of the WRC season with some Cirtoen C4 that the works team found at the back of the museum and decided to give him to wring the neck out of.
