[BTCC] BTCC 2018 Rumours & Silly Season

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

The big man has spoken:

http://www.motorbaseperformance.co.uk/boss-blog.html

Well that certainly goes even further to back up that the cars are not new...

'for the 2018 season, we have completely re-worked the Focus'


Whilst he portrays the message as clarifying a couple of points and drawing the line under things, I get the feeling that this is a little bit of getting the first blow in before Mat says anything publicly.

If matters are best kept behind closed doors, then silence would have been better surely? Instead, he takes a pop at Mat's integrity and loyalty.

Also, you have to wonder why they waited a number of weeks before terminating the contract - was it because there were no longer any viable drives left elsewhere?

[billy bleach]

[QUOTE=crmalcolm;3804555]Well that certainly goes even further to back up that the cars are not new...

'for the 2018 season, we have completely re-worked the Focus'


Whilst he portrays the message as clarifying a couple of points and drawing the line under things, I get the feeling that this is a little bit of getting the first blow in before Mat says anything publicly.

If matters are best kept behind closed doors, then silence would have been better surely? Instead, he takes a pop at Mat's integrity and loyalty.

Also, you have to wonder why they waited a number of weeks before terminating the contract - was it because there were no longer any viable drives left elsewhere?[/QUOT

I bet you think the CIA killed JFK and blew up the twin towers

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

I bet you think the CIA killed JFK and blew up the twin towers

Not quite sure what those incidents have to do with the BTCC 2018 season???

[Robin Marriott]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

I get the feeling that this is a little bit of getting the first blow in before Mat says anything publicly.

I’d be inclined to agree here, although it depends on what happened. If Mat feels that he’s messed up big time, he might not say a word!

[btccbloke]

Sometimes its better to say nothing, but the message from Bartrum was quite a scathing attack on Mat which is almost begging for a reaction.

But Mat doesnt really say much about anything anyway to be fair.
With Mat not being interested in the last remaining AMD drive, it strikes me he will just be the bigger man and walk away from the series rather than get involved in this spat

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

I’d be inclined to agree here, although it depends on what happened. If Mat feels that he’s messed up big time, he might not say a word!

So far, I've only seen one comment from Mat - "On Wednesday this week, my contract to drive the Motorbase Performance car was terminated.
"Unfortunately, this is quite late in the day [in terms of preparing for the season] and therefore I might be a spectator this year.".

[crmalcolm]

Looks like Tordoff is completing the duties for testing the 3rd car so far...

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

So far, I've only seen one comment from Mat - "On Wednesday this week, my contract to drive the Motorbase Performance car was terminated.
"Unfortunately, this is quite late in the day [in terms of preparing for the season] and therefore I might be a spectator this year.".

It cant have been a surprise if it was ongoing for weeks as implied.
We also know despite being the so called lead driver for the team over the past few years he was missing from any media releases, twitter comments etc so he will have known since at least the start of February this was on the cards.

If it was a complete surprise he was incredibly naive not having a further back up plan if a Honda move fell through or has been sitting on something all along.

If he had any intention of staying at Motorbase surely he would have scurried back tail between his legs offering to drive slowly for mister Chilton at all times etc. rather than a continued fall out

Shaun at AMD made a comment a few days back about not knowing WHERE Mat will be racing https://twitter.com/AmDessex/status/966671099160354817 which suggests to me he wont be racing in the BTCC but probably more likely WTCR. If he was staying in BTCC it would be with AMD, it was a very strange response to the comment before i thought

[Robin Marriott]

Shaun has also said ‘you can lead a horse to water...’ when someone asked him about Mat in an MG.

That only leaves the BMR seat as a possibility.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

Shaun has also said ‘you can lead a horse to water...’ when someone asked him about Mat in an MG.

That only leaves the BMR seat as a possibility.

strikes me Shaun contacted Mat, offered the drive and Mats response was along the lines of "I dunno I might be doing something else now", and that's the last he heard about it

As for BMR, I said before, Plato wont want 2 drivers beating him in the car he keeps telling us was his vision, though I'm not sure why they don't just announce James Cole already, hes too anonymous for anyone to really care so not something they will be able to make a big deal out of

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Well that certainly goes even further to back up that the cars are not new...

'for the 2018 season, we have completely re-worked the Focus'

When the cars were unveiled at ASI, it was announced by DB and Mountune, that the cars were reworked.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by RS67

When the cars were unveiled at ASI, it was announced by DB and Mountune, that the cars were reworked.

They've also claimed:

“The car’s looking fantastic,” said Bartrum. “It really is all-new”.

The only genuine all-new car for 2018 is the Civic AFAIK.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

The only genuine all-new car for 2018 is the Civic AFAIK.

Alfa.

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

They've also claimed:

“The car’s looking fantastic,” said Bartrum. “It really is all-new”.

The only genuine all-new car for 2018 is the Civic AFAIK.

The Alfa is new, plus one team is going to be running s new chassis. So it will be a new car, just a current model we already have on the grid.

[Robin Marriott]

Parker?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by BobJones

Alfa.

Aren't some of the parts in the Alfa reused from another NGTC car? And hence, not entirely all-new?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Love the look of the new Honda, hopefully it'll look as good in Halfords colours

It's being reported that the livery will be revealed ahead of Media Day, and on the 22nd March.

'the Halfords Yuasa Racing team in a raw-looking form – the official 2018 livery won’t be unveiled until March 22'

[S griffin]

I feel like Barty just needed to get something off his chest, as everyone has been speculating why he got rid of Mat. Hopefully can find a drive, if not in the BTCC, then certainly a series worthy of his talent

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I feel like Barty just needed to get something off his chest, as everyone has been speculating why he got rid of Mat. Hopefully can find a drive, if not in the BTCC, then certainly a series worthy of his talent

I agree, as he says he just wanted to put matters straight, but as always, it's a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't, there will always be dissenters and conspiracy theorists on forums...

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Aren't some of the parts in the Alfa reused from another NGTC car? And hence, not entirely all-new?

You really are the master of splitting hairs....

Good post from Bartrum, it clears up some unnecessary speculation that would take the shine off the new driver who is still to be announced.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

You really are the master of splitting hairs....

Good post from Bartrum, it clears up some unnecessary speculation that would take the shine off the new driver who is still to be announced.

Whilst we are in the separating rabbits situation, can I also point out that Motorbase referred to the 2018 Focus RS being heavily revised when launched at Autosports in January...

[Alfisti]

It's like the common misnomer "New and improved": if it's improved it has, by definition, existed previously and is therefore not new.

I'm just wanting to see some racing, bored stiff of silly season now!

[btccbloke]

we are getting a bit hung up on this now, if i bought a second hand car id say to a mate "do you want to see my new car" its a figure of speech.

We kind of know what cars are being run now so if the Focus is brand new, slightly used, part worn or fit for spares doesnt really matter

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

You really are the master of splitting hairs....

It's all about attention to detail.

I like to know about the technical details behind a car, and would like to be aware of accurate facts when considering the difference between:
TD having an entirely new car,
HMS having a partially new car,
Motorbase having a remodelled car.

That way, when comparing their relative progress, we're not trying to judge them as being in comparative situations.

[Alfisti]

Who says TD is entirely new? The suspension off of Matts 2017 car could be headed for the second of the new cars. So newish car! 😜