09-17-2003, 05:04 PM
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#1
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Lugano, Switzerland
Posts: 23,178
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WRC - Hyundai will stop racing at the end of the season...
And will be back in mid 2006 with a new car and team, and in 2007 for a whole season..
Hyundai will pull out of the World Rally Championship at the end of 2003, but it will return with a new programme in 2006.
A statement from Hyundai Motor Europe has revealed a new mid-to-long-term motorsport strategy which will be outlined in more detail later in the year.
BH Lee, HMC's director of overseas marketing and promotion explained: "Withdrawing is a painful decision but also a realistic admission that a break is absolutely mandatory for us to reorganize and rethink our entire approach to motorsport. But we'll be back in 2006 in fighting form with a completely new engine and car to mount a more credible challenge for the WRC crown,"
The plan is to return in the second half of 2006 and mount a full WRC programme in 2007. Part of the re-organisation will involve the setting up of an all-new World Rally Team HQ at Hyundai's design and technical centre at Russelsheim in Germany.
Lee stressed that Hyundai wants to complete its 2003 programme, which is on-hold because of a contractual dispute with current team Motor Sport Developments. "We'd like to resolve this issue immediately so we can focus on competing in the four rallies left on the 2003 WRC calendar," said Lee.
Source: wrc.com
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09-17-2003, 06:00 PM
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#2
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 548
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lack of real manufactures taking the rally seriously is hindering the sport..
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09-17-2003, 06:08 PM
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#3
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Lugano, Switzerland
Posts: 23,178
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Dang, two cars per team, no more Hunday to put some competition with Skoda...
Luckily Mitsu is back, but I hope more manufacturers will come to WRC soon! :-/
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09-17-2003, 06:25 PM
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#4
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Belgium
Posts: 1,027
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Do you happen to know who will be the drivers for Mitsubishi?
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09-17-2003, 06:32 PM
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#5
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Lugano, Switzerland
Posts: 23,178
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Panizzi for sure and I don't remember if the second one is the young Kristian Sohlberg or somebody else dang, LOL
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09-17-2003, 06:45 PM
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#6
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Belgium
Posts: 1,027
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Panizzi for the asfalt and some Scandinavian for the rest probably. 
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09-17-2003, 06:46 PM
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#7
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Lugano, Switzerland
Posts: 23,178
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Hehe, yeh, I just hope the car will be up to the challenge, so we will see Peugeot, Citroen, Subaru and Mitus all fighting for the title
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09-17-2003, 10:31 PM
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#8
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: BOOM shakalaka
Posts: 1,362
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this fucking sucks, hyundai may not be the best car but they're competitive and it sucks seeing them leave. now who will skoda challenge? they'll be dead last all the time now
and no, mitsu will not be fighting for the championship next year. they'll compete but by no means fight for the championship. their car is OK at best but they don't have a strong enough lineup. panizzi is great on asphalt but that's the only remote chance they have
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