2021 Rallying

[S griffin]

Bad luck for Tanak, but very good by Evans. Title fight is on

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by 52Paddy

Bad luck for Tanak. Did he hit something or was it a component failure in the suspension?

Tanak seemed to think something just failed - looking at Neuvilles problem too (he did hit something) maybe the suspension needs beefing up.

A good result for Evans and that's got to be Katsuta's best drive yet?

[52Paddy]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Tanak seemed to think something just failed - looking at Neuvilles problem too (he did hit something) maybe the suspension needs beefing up.

A good result for Evans and that's got to be Katsuta's best drive yet?

Interesting point about the Hyundai. Thanks for the info. And yes, agree about Katsuta.

[geordiecriag101]

Just to move away from the WRC, it was the first round of the BRC & 3rd round of the MSN Circuit Championship at Oulton Park on Monday.

While it wasn't perfect (no event ever is!!!) considering how things have been and the current rules I think you just have to be happy it went ahead and we could go see it live!!

The increased entry from the BRC crews was always going to cause problems due to the tight schedule and from what i could work out, almost no allowance for stoppages. Maybe the last stage could have been run as 1 lap dash as it normally is on this event.
Only other real gripe is that with the stoppages especially SS1, there wasn't much information being given out over the tanoy so it was hard to follow what was going on.
ON to the good bits, the level of driving from the whole field was great to see and looking at the stage and overall times just shows how clos the whole event was. Hope fully this wont be a one off the BRC to join as standing watching, these new gen R5 cars are stunning to watch being thrown around.

Plus for being a reduced capacity event, it didn't feel that much smaller than
normal.

Anyway here's my trackside vid if anyone interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNl4Mg17RPQ

[SnoodyMcFlude]

It was nice to see rally cars doing things again, and there's great chances to see the cars multiple times, but something about it just left me a bit cold. I think it's being so far away from a lot of it, a bit like a big airfield event. Also some of the chicanes put in to keep things slow are just a little too fiddly imo, would be better to have a few more quick ones in some places rather than ones like leading up to the water splash.

I disappeared part way through SS6 (I think) and haven't properly caught up with the event, but surprised that Matt Edwards didn't win because he was looking mega quick. The time he was putting into Simpson was really noticeable.
Also really highlighted how 'affordable' R5s must be, although it's got to be a little embarrassing to have a Nova putting in quicker stage times.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by geordiecriag101

Just to move away from the WRC, it was the first round of the BRC & 3rd round of the MSN Circuit Championship at Oulton Park on Monday.

....

Hope fully this wont be a one off the BRC to join as standing watching, these new gen R5 cars are stunning to watch being thrown around.


Anyway here's my trackside vid if anyone interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNl4Mg17RPQ

Thanks for the link - nice footage

I think the entry was optimistically large, realistically they were always going to hit the curfew with that many entries. Are there enough BRC entries to make it a stand alone BRC event? Whilst the purists may baulk at the BRC running a round at a single venue event it does bring top level rallying to the public rather than hiding it away in the forests - who knows, maybe some of the casual observers will be interested enough to watch other more traditional rallies.

Originally Posted by SnoodyMcFlude

It was nice to see rally cars doing things again, and there's great chances to see the cars multiple times, but something about it just left me a bit cold. I think it's being so far away from a lot of it, a bit like a big airfield event. Also some of the chicanes put in to keep things slow are just a little too fiddly imo, would be better to have a few more quick ones in some places rather than ones like leading up to the water splash.

I know what you mean - I think part of it down to rally cars running on their own rather than in packs (for the most part at least!). They need to be "doing something" to show what they're capable of - long straight sections are not ideal for rally cars. The fiddly chicanes are a necessary evil - the tighter chicanes tend to be put in ahead of slow sections, so they're used to force cars to lose speed before a properly 'nadgery' bit, if you make the chicanes quicker then cars will arrive at the next hazard carrying far more speed (more accidents, more delays). Rally drivers can't be trusted to behave without chicanes

Originally Posted by SnoodyMcFlude

Also really highlighted how 'affordable' R5s must be, although it's got to be a little embarrassing to have a Nova putting in quicker stage times.

It was certainly an impressive entry - I hadn't realised how many R5s there are kicking about! That Nova is a ridiculously quick bit of kit (and it's well driven) - it's embarrassed many 'superior' cars.

[BertMk2]

I've not caught up with all of the coverage of the Safari rally from the weekend - from what I have seen though it looked like a great event. It was punishing on the cars (as it should be) and the scenery was incredible - some of the photos from the event are stunning.

Hopefully it's an event that'll stay on the calendar now - maybe we'll see a return to properly beefed up Safari spec cars too, there were quite a lot of breakages so maybe things need to be made stronger.

[S griffin]

Yes it was great to have the Safari rally back. Not quite the old endurance it used to be, but at least better than when it was last on the calendar.

Plenty of conditions for them to cope with. Well done Ogier on that win

[tbtstt]

First of the next generation cars breaks cover...







...little disappointed it isn't a Fiesta (as that is my favourite of the current cars), but the Puma does look better than I expected. Oddly it reminds me of the Mk.2 Focus WRC.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

First of the next generation cars breaks cover...

...little disappointed it isn't a Fiesta (as that is my favourite of the current cars), but the Puma does look better than I expected. Oddly it reminds me of the Mk.2 Focus WRC.

Largely agree with that - it's not as bad as I thought it would be. They seem to have made it look less top heavy than the road car.

Given all the 'Ford' branding on it - is there any Ford money behind this or is it all M-Sport?

Also does this mean that we can expect a Puma R5 car?

[SnoodyMcFlude]

There's something in the headlights which reminds me of the original Puma too.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Also does this mean that we can expect a Puma R5 car?

Was wondering the same. Be surprised to see a different car used in the two categories but, given that the R5 class has more of a connection with the production chassis, perhaps it will still make sense to utilise the Fiesta for R5?

Hope so!

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by SnoodyMcFlude

There's something in the headlights which reminds me of the original Puma too.

You mean the one Steve McQueen ‘drove’?

[NaBUru38]

It looks to me like a Fiesta with a Puma front end, isn't it?

[Alex Langheck]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Given all the 'Ford' branding on it - is there any Ford money behind this or is it all M-Sport?

You'd hope for M-Sport, and the competitiveness of the WRC, that Ford are indeed properly backing them with $$$$$$$. Otherwise it's them fighting an uphill battle - and have trouble attracting the top drivers. The current line up isn't good enough; the odd fastest time, isn't cutting it against the other two.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

It looks to me like a Fiesta with a Puma front end, isn't it?

Fiesta:


Puma:


Puma Rally1:



Personally, I can't see any resemblance to the Fiesta in the Rally1.....

[SnoodyMcFlude]

Originally Posted by S griffin

You mean the one Steve McQueen ‘drove’?

That's the badger

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Personally, I can't see any resemblance to the Fiesta in the Rally1.....

The door is definitely off a Fiesta, the front is definitely off a Puma

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by SnoodyMcFlude

The door is definitely off a Fiesta, the front is definitely off a Puma

Now you highlight - yes I can see that now. The crease that runs through the handle definitely looks more Fiesta than Puma.

I had concentrated on the rear window lines.

[SnoodyMcFlude]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Now you highlight - yes I can see that now. The crease that runs through the handle definitely looks more Fiesta than Puma.

I had concentrated on the rear window lines.

It was only the rear window which stopped me thinking the whole back end of the car is Fiesta. After looking at it the whole thing seems a bit of a crossbreed

[BertMk2]

Interesting shot of the Puma/Fiesta mashup showing some of the roll cage:

https://twitter.com/fernischumi/stat...701826/photo/1

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Interesting shot of the Puma/Fiesta mashup showing some of the roll cage:

https://twitter.com/fernischumi/stat...701826/photo/1

In that image, you can see that the rear quarter window is from a fiesta too.

I take my previous observation back - closer inspection reveals that it's a fiesta in all but name.

[crossfades]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

In that image, you can see that the rear quarter window is from a fiesta too.

I take my previous observation back - closer inspection reveals that it's a fiesta in all but name.

First impression was of sheer size. It’s bigger, longer than the current Fiesta ... The funky 2022 livery does well to disguise some of the aero lines from a distance, but up close the comparisons to a 2017 Fiesta are understandable.

Don’t forget two things: this car will take Rally1 back to the 2017 World Rally Car-style of aero. There won’t be the endless dive planes and wings added to every possible flat – or semi-flat – surface of the car.

Fundamentally speaking it’s a snowplow at the front and an ironing board out back, with the potential for some air intake trickery mid-ships. The second thing not to forget is that this is a prototype car.

Basically, it’s the front end of a Puma bolted to the rear of M-Sport’s test car. What’s coming at the actual unveil will be different from the b-pillar backwards. Not massively different, but different. That’s when it’s all Puma.

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/spott...n-at-goodwood/

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by crossfades

First impression was of sheer size. It’s bigger, longer than the current Fiesta ... The funky 2022 livery does well to disguise some of the aero lines from a distance, but up close the comparisons to a 2017 Fiesta are understandable.

Don’t forget two things: this car will take Rally1 back to the 2017 World Rally Car-style of aero. There won’t be the endless dive planes and wings added to every possible flat – or semi-flat – surface of the car.

Fundamentally speaking it’s a snowplow at the front and an ironing board out back, with the potential for some air intake trickery mid-ships. The second thing not to forget is that this is a prototype car.

Basically, it’s the front end of a Puma bolted to the rear of M-Sport’s test car. What’s coming at the actual unveil will be different from the b-pillar backwards. Not massively different, but different. That’s when it’s all Puma.

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/spott...n-at-goodwood/

Thanks - I hadn't picked up on the 'prototype' reference previously.
So reading between the lines, the Goodwood reveal is not the final car....

[NaBUru38]

Eurosport Events will stop promoting the European Rally Championship. The WRC Promoter will take over in 2022.


- o -


The Asia-Pacific, African, Middle East, Codasur and NACAM rally champions will get a scholarship to drive a Hyundai i20 Rally2 at a WRC race.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Thanks - I hadn't picked up on the 'prototype' reference previously.
So reading between the lines, the Goodwood reveal is not the final car....

In amongst all of the other chatter about the Puma I noticed comments that M-Sport have had access to Ford design facilities and their moving floor wind tunnel, so that does suggest that Ford are at least a bit more interested/invested than they were with the current car.