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View Full Version : lowcost WRC future??


redbaron
09-30-2004, 05:41 PM
Just read this on WRC.com

Max Mosley, the president of the FIA - world motorsport's governing body - has put forward a proposal for new regulations for the World Rally Championship which he says will cut costs and could encourage new manufacturers to enter the sport.

The Super 2000 regulations, which encourage the use of common parts and limit sophisticated and expensive components and development, have been highly successful in the FIA's European Touring Car Championship and could be adapted for use in rallying. Costs to produce such a car are likely to be substantially less than their current level, which could encourage firms such as Suzuki, Renault and Fiat - who are currently not in the WRC - to enter if the rules were introduced for 2006.

Super 2000-style rally cars would be powered by a two-litre, normally aspirated engine producing around 250-270bhp, and highly-complex transmission systems such as the active differentials which are de rigeur on modern WRC cars would be banned in favour of more cost effective solutions. Gearboxes would likely be standard sequential units, and the use of exotic materials, such as titanium, ceramics, magnesium and composites would be banned unless they are already used on the original homologated production car.

Manufacturers currently competing in the WRC are currently in discussion about how to cut costs in the championship and Mosley is asking for feedback about his proposal ahead of a meeting in October. Any discussion about the future regulations of the WRC would have to take into account the plans of manufacturers - such as Citroen with the new C4 and Ford with the 2006-specification Focus - in developing cars for 2005 and beyond.

Mosley wants to change the WRC into a lower cost motorsport, just like he wants to do to F1. I.M.O A tuned natural aspirated engine will be more expensive than a 300bhp limited turbo engine. Those engines will be small F1 engines.....

I don't see why he wants to bann high tech parts and materials out of the top of the rallysport, that make the WRC-cars so special.
I don't think he is a big rallyfan, first he came with that superally thing and now this. He will destroy the essence of WRC with all his stupid plans. Hopefully the teams will destroy his plans....

TT
09-30-2004, 05:44 PM
Well, since some time now they are trying to cut the costs.. and well.. even if I don't like the idea, you should consider the hyperlow number of manufacturer interested and involved in WRC seriously lately.. soon it will be just a threeway fight and that would be sad :( I'd rather have a lower grade WRC with more competitve manufacturer than a new Group B with just two cars involved I think..

Now for the way to cut the costs, I'm no expert and I don't think it is up to me to give suggestions LOL

Ford Capri 2.8i
09-30-2004, 06:17 PM
Firstly im not very confident with the S2000 idea in many aspects....IMO, the problem of increasing of costs in rallying its just the implementing of active elements and investments on rally cars such as the differentials, the stabilizing bars, the suspensions........(although nobody hasnt launched the active suspensions, the brands have been investing a lot of money in the active suspensions, and pug has almost launched the active suspensions for the 307)...as a result, i see a good decision the banning of active and electronic aids for the cars

Secondly...I agree with the dutch guy that the turbo engines dont make the engines more expensive in rallying because the turbo air intake diameter is limited as well as the final power of the engine, and as a result the investment in turbo engine cars is different from group B era of the Formula 1 era were the turbo size, dealing with the turbo....didnt have any limit

Thirdly...the drivers say that nowadays the rallying cars are very boring to drive, once they have a very good grip due to the active elements of the cars, the sophisticated suspension systems, the good quality of wheels, the 300 bhp to pull 1200 kg...and the people say that the S2000 car will be even more boring to drive.....and im 100% agree with them since the current cars without the turbo, and maintaining the similar weight about 30 or 40 kg less..........simply this aspect concerns me a lot, because nobody fancies watching rallying car that dont have much power...for instance...watching the S1600 cars is less exciting so far than watching the Kit Cars, the WRC, the GrA 4x4 Turbo cars, or even the F2 cars

Ford Capri 2.8i
09-30-2004, 06:20 PM
In addition....i never liked Mr Mosley......apart from being a man which comes from the racetrack, IMO he is a man who is dominated the 100% by Bernie Ecclestone...and everything knows who much Ecclestone likes every motor sport except the Formula 1

frozzu
10-03-2004, 04:16 AM
Yep. I heard about it too. They are trying to get the costs a little lower so more teams could join. But atleast subaru team leader(if I remember right) said that atleast Peugeot, Subaru, Skoda, Mitsubishi(?), Maybe Ford and Citroen has agreed to run on these rules which they run on now. So that they would like the rules to stay this way. And the superrally rule isn't going to be there next season. That's the rule meaning that even if you retire you can continue to drive on the next day, but you can't get any points. So it has kind of a testing matter to it.

ZfrkS62
10-03-2004, 04:25 AM
i think mosley is going to end up destroying the FIA. His cost reduction plans are well meaning but are pissing off all the teams that are governed by the FIA.
at the rate he's going, the costs will all drop to 0 because everyone will have left the FIA to form their own groups.

This man is a control freak. Every year it seems as if he has another novel of rules and regs changes. Dammit man leave it ALONE! Rally and F1 are doing fine without you dropping wrenches into the gearboxes!!!!!

James_Ish
10-03-2004, 06:40 AM
Well this really made my day hearing about this news

Teams for 2005

Subaru - Solberg and Hirvonen
Peugeot - Gronholm and Martin with Carlsson and Robert as there 3rd drivers sharing the drive
Citroen - Loeb and Duval (maybee) with Sainz as test driver and doig the occasional drive as third driver
BP FORD - they are going for a set of young guys next year - Tuohino, latvala, but they are very keen to leep Martin and Duval if ford get to continue next year
Mitsubushi - Panizzi, Sohlberg, Sola, Galli but one of them has to go
Skoda - Gardemeister, Schwarz, Ekstrom

Next years callender (provisional)

Monte carlo - January 20-23
Sweeden - February 10-13
Mexico - March 10-13
New Zealand - April 7-10
Italia - April 18 - May 1
Cyprus - May 28-29
Acropolis - June 16 -19
Argentian - July 7-10
Finland - August 4-7
Germany - August 25-28
Wales - September 15-18
Japan - September 29 - October 1
Corsica - October 13-16
Catalunya - October 27-30
Australia - November 10-13

Ford and next years WRC

It looks more like ford could be still in the WRC next year, they have allready begun development on the NEW car based on the NEW FOCUS that is due out at the end of this year

Ford are very keen to keep there existing drivers but if they dont get a certain answer soon it looks doubtful that this will happen. This means that there will be a selection of young guns ready to enter the ford team such as Janne Tuohino, Jari-Matti Latvala and even Malcom wilsons son Matthew which i think is taking the piss a bit since he has only been competing in any type of rally event atall for about a year but if ford get there way then its between those three who gets the third drive

New Cirtoen C4 and Suzuki Swift

The New C4 that is going to replace the old Xsara is not getting into the main development stages atthe moment while they are testing it it is basically running the same chassis as the Xsara is at the moment but it is not getting the full deveolpemt on it in the next few months withCarlos Sainz testing it

The new suzuki Swift has been made to replace the Suzuki Ignis in the JWRC for next year but there is roumer that in a few years that there could be a 4WD turbo version that could be suzukis entery in the WRC should be good