Pons quits WRC!

[Daggernite]

Only 26 and he is quiting, especially after such a strong performance towards the end of 2006. No offers was good enough for him so he thought fuck it I wont compete at all. Details below.

http://www.eurosport.co.uk/rally/season/2007/sport_sto1033778.shtml

[dutchmasterflex]

How could someone want to quit the WRC..?

Either those offers he got were really crap or just non-exisitent.

[TopGearNL]

WTF? why is he giving up??? He was doing pretty well towards the end :shock: :? :(

[Mattk]

Surprising decision. He was doing very well in the latter rallies.

[HeilSvenska]

I also heard that Kris Meeke could quit too since he doesn't have a drive next year. So if Pons is "quitting", what happens to Dani Sordo? Do we know the Citroen lineup for next year?

[redbaron]

I think Pons will never come back in WRC with this attitude. He and especially his codriver can not perform under pressure. He will probably perform well in a (less stressful) M2 team, but if he only wants to drive for a works team he will never drive a WRC rally again.

[redbaron]

^^^
No doubt about the professionality of Del Barrio, but it was obvious he could not stand the pressure this season. He made many mistakes and just look at his eyes in the second half of the season (since rally Deutschland), they show fear...

[TopGearNL]

Remember Duval?

Classic example :?

[redbaron]

^^^

it is a classic example, but he did well with Sven Smeets.
Driving a rallycar consistently fast is all about the trust between the driver and co-driver.

[TopGearNL]

^^^

it is a classic example, but he did well with Sven Smeets.
Driving a rallycar consistently fast is all about the trust between the driver and co-driver.

True big part depends on that I agree.

[TopGearNL]

/\/\ Exactly, me too...

[redbaron]

It seems like in WRC there is no place for arrogant people.

That is why I like it.

[redbaron]

Looks like Pons could already be back in the WRC championship in the Monte
:arrow: http://www.wrc.com/page/News/BreakingNewsDetail/0,,10111~963866,00.html?
Surprise return

Less than a month after declaring that he would not be competing in the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship, Spain's Xevi Pons could be lining up for Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo next week in a Mitsubishi Lancer WRC.

Mitsubishi MMSP Operations Manager John Easton confirmed to WRC.com at the Autosport International Racing Car Show at Birmingham on Thursday that he has asked the FIA for permission to change the driver of its second car on both Monte Carlo and Uddeholm Swedish Rally from Khaled al Qassimi to Pons.

Easton also said MMSP had entered three cars for Rally Norway - Toni Gardemeister, Pons and Juho Hanninen. Pons has spent the last two days at the MIRA test track in Britain in a familiarisation programme with the Lancer.

Hanninen was Group N winner in Sweden and Sardinia last year, and an early Group N leader in New Zealand. He also won the S1600 category in Wales Rally GB.

Easton also told WRC.com that MMSP hopes to enter two World Rally Cars in Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

[nachete]

^ yes, but I think that Mitsubishi is not very fast... :? :?

[TopGearNL]

Good news for Pons, now lets hope the car is good!

[redbaron]

He also has a new co-driver:

:arrow: http://www.wrc.com/page/News/BreakingNewsDetail/0,,10111~964534,00.html


Former Kronos team driver Xevi Pons has split with co-driver Carlos del Barrio. His new partner will be 34-year-old Spanish champion Xavier Amigo, who helped fellow countryman Dani Sola to five victories during last year's Spanish championship success.

FIA permission for Pons to replace Khaled al Qassimi in the MMSP-entered Lancer WRC for the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo and the Uddeholm Swedish Rally has now been granted.

Pons and del Barrio, who had been rallying together for 18 months, parted company at the end of 2006 when Pons was unable to find a FIA World Rally Championship programme which enabled him to test before rallies.

Del Barrio, meanwhile, is waiting for Spanish champion Jesus Puras to finalise his plans to compete in Spanish rallies, possibly in a Citroen C2 or in a Ferrari 599.


Doesn't surprise me, I gave him this advise earlier in this tread 8)
The last sentence of this article is very interesting, a Ferrari 599 in the spanish rallies. I like that idea!