A Friend Remembered A Tribute to Mike Bell 2021 Calendar

**BertMk2** · 6 Jan 2021, 10:32 (Ref:4027119)

So with the new WRC season planned to kick off shortly it's time for a new thread

What do we know so far?

M-Sport
Greensmith (full season)
Suninen (part season)
Formeaux (part season)

Toyota:
Ogier (full season)
Evans (full season)
Katsuta (full season)
Rovanpera (full season)

Hyundai:
Tanak (full season)
Neuville (full season)
Breen (part season)
Sordo (part season)

Sweden has already been cancelled, other events could be lost to Covid as well.

Looks like another scrap for the title between Hyundai and Toyota - the driver lineup at M-Sport is pretty uninspiring, the loss of Lappi leaves them with a very inexperienced set of crews, I can't see them getting much in the way of results.

WRC2 looks like it's in for a good season - some interesting entries, the most obvious being Oliver Solberg - let's see if he's as good as his dad!

S griffin · 6 Jan 2021, 11:03 (Ref:4027126)

Last I heard is that Monte Carlo is still due to go ahead as planned, although I wouldn't bet my house on it. Hopefully we can have more rallies than last year though

SnoodyMcFlude · 6 Jan 2021, 12:10 (Ref:4027142)

Oliver has been going well in other championships and in the few WRC rounds he's done, will be interesting to see what he can do with factory support.

I also have my doubts about Monte going ahead, and tbh I don't think it should (much as I want it to). Does look like it could be another good battle, there's 4 drivers more than capable of taking the title. In terms of teams, looks to me that M-Sport are just there to show that their cars are capable of competing so that they can flog a few more of them, and I don't really have an issue with that.

**BertMk2** · 6 Jan 2021, 13:39 (Ref:4027157)

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnoodyMcFlude

I also have my doubts about Monte going ahead, and tbh I don't think it should (much as I want it to).

Agreed - realistically I think going ahead would be foolhardy, whilst the Monte is one of my favourite events of the year I don't think now is a good moment to be doing it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnoodyMcFlude

In terms of teams, looks to me that M-Sport are just there to show that their cars are capable of competing so that they can flog a few more of them, and I don't really have an issue with that.

Yep - they're making up the numbers (and they're still pretty small numbers tbh). They're a privateer team so I'm just greatful they're in for the full season, they can't compete financially with the works teams so they're just going to be picking up scraps really. Shame they couldn't keep Lappi though.

crmalcolm · 6 Jan 2021, 14:01 (Ref:4027166)

Quote:

Originally Posted by S griffin

Last I heard is that Monte Carlo is still due to go ahead as planned, although I wouldn't bet my house on it.

Isn't betting your house on things a Monte Carlo pastime?

crossfades · 6 Jan 2021, 15:57 (Ref:4027199)

You forgot Loubet, Bert, full season with 2C Competition in a Hyundai.
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/full-...21-for-loubet/

**BertMk2** · 6 Jan 2021, 16:42 (Ref:4027214)

Quote:

Originally Posted by crossfades

You forgot Loubet, Bert, full season with 2C Competition in a Hyundai.
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/full-...21-for-loubet/

Ah - I saw he was entered for the Monte Carlo - I didn't realise he was a full season entry

**BertMk2** · 8 Jan 2021, 17:02 (Ref:4027691)

No rally GB in 2021

The worry is that once it's gone it won't be coming back.

It's replaced on the calendar by Ypres - the first time the WRC has gone to Belgium?

S griffin · 9 Jan 2021, 06:32 (Ref:4027790)

Motorsport UK is working on bringing it back. Fingers crossed it comes back when all this is over and the economy is hopefully more settled

Alex Langheck · 9 Jan 2021, 10:59 (Ref:4027816)

Well that's good to hear; it has to be said they were asleep at the wheel. 20 years in sports sponsorship is very good; and sooner or later the deal was going to end. Every time they re-signed a deal with Wales, it just meant it was going to be harder to get new backers.
Unfortunately, also in the last 20 years, the media exposure & general interest in the sport has fallen of a cliff.

Imagine the British GP was left off the F1 calendar - there'd be outrage and campaigns to save it. Rallying has fallen so much in the last 10-20 years that nobody seems that bothered - a shrug of the shoulders.

Let's be honest, RallyGB is now just another gravel event, that fits the WRC template; 2 and a bit days of action. It's a long time since it was an iconic event, despite them calling it the 'Rally of Legends'.

S griffin · 9 Jan 2021, 12:54 (Ref:4027832)

Would have been fun to see it in Northern Ireland as planned this year

Alex Langheck · 10 Jan 2021, 10:49 (Ref:4027934)

I wouldn't mind seeing a WRC round in Ulster; but not RallyGB - it should be a mainly gravel/forest event.
I dare say they'd take it to Silverstone if the BRDC put the money up for it. And that's were RallyGB started to go wrong when they saw £££££££ flashing. Year 2000 and tickets came in, and they weren't cheap either, all for standing in a forest. Really?? And then the money from the Welsh, which kept coming - and they had no plan in case it dried up.
Architects of their own downfall....

NaBUru38 · 10 Jan 2021, 21:38 (Ref:4028027)

The Dakar Rally had the marathon stage 7 today.

Cars:

1. FRA Stéphane Peterhansel (Mini), 26:36'
2. QAT Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), + 7'
3. ESP Carlos Sainz (Mini), + 41'
4. POL Jakub Przygonski (Toyota), + 1:22'
5. ESP Nani Roma (Prodrive), + 1:59
6. RUS Vladimir Vasilyev (Mini), + 2:25

UTV / SSV

1. POL Aron Domzala (Can-Am), 32:30
2. USA Seth Quintero (Overdrive), + 8'
3. USA Austin Jones (Can-Am), + 9'
4. CHI Francisco López (Can-Am), + 25'
5. POL Michal Goczal (Can-Am), + 34'
6. RUS Sergei Kariakin (Can-Am), + 52'

Quads:

1. ARG Manuel Andújar (Yamaha), 35:46'
2. FRA Alexander Giroud (Yamaha), + 21'
3. CHI Giovanni Enrico (Yamaha), + 26'
4. CHI Italo Pedemonte (Yamaha), + 2:08'
5. USA Pablo Copetti (Yamaha), + 2:12'
6. CZE Tomas Kubiena (Yamaha), + 4:46'

Bikes:

1. CHI José Ignacio Cornejo (Honda), 28:51'
2. AUS Toby Price (KTM), + 1 second (!!!)
3. GBR Sam Sutherland (KTM), + 2'
4. FRA Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna), + 2'
5. ARG Kevin Benavides (Honda), + 7'
6. ESP Joan Barreda Bort (Honda), + 10'

NaBUru38 · 10 Jan 2021, 21:41 (Ref:4028030)

Trucks:

1. RUS Dmitry Sotnikov (Kamaz), 29:12'
2. RUS Anton Shibalov (Kamaz), + 45'
3. RUS Airat Mardeev (Kamaz), + 1:05'
4. CZE Ales Loprais (Praga), + 1:21'
5. CZE Martin Macik (Iveco), + 1:42'
6. BLR Aliaksei Vishneuski (Maz), + 1:46'

NaBUru38 · 12 Jan 2021, 15:22 (Ref:4028440)

Dakar Rally - standings after stage 9

Cars:

1. FRA Stéphane Peterhansel (Mini), 34:26'
2. QAT Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), + 18'
3. ESP Carlos Sainz (Mini), + 1:02'
4. POL Jakub Przygonski (Toyota), + 2:16'
5. ESP Nani Roma (Prodrive), + 2:42
6. UAE Khalid Al Qassimi (Peugeot), + 3:01'

Quads:

1. ARG Manuel Andújar (Yamaha), 46:35'
2. FRA Alexander Giroud (Yamaha), + 19'
3. CHI Giovanni Enrico (Yamaha), + 24'
4. USA Pablo Copetti (Yamaha), + 2:57'
5. CHI Italo Pedemonte (Yamaha), + 3:04'
6. POL Kamil Wisniewski (Yamaha), + 6:10'

Bikes:

1. CHI José Ignacio Cornejo (Honda), 36:51'
5. ARG Kevin Benavides (Honda), + 11'
3. GBR Sam Sutherland (KTM), + 14'
4. USA Ricky Brabec (Honda), + 17'
5. ESP Joan Barreda Bort (Honda), + 29'
6. AUS Daniel Sanders (KTM), + 38'

Trucks:

1. RUS Dmitry Sotnikov (Kamaz), 37:42'
2. RUS Anton Shibalov (Kamaz), + 45'
3. RUS Airat Mardeev (Kamaz), + 1:13'
4. CZE Ales Loprais (Praga), + 1:30'
5. CZE Martin Macik (Iveco), + 1:49'
6. BLR Aliaksei Vishneuski (Maz), + 2:14'