dkstz
Read it on rally-live.com, and don't understand a thing.
"...2007 season will be made up of eight or nine rallies run from January to May. The World Champion for each of the titles will be known at the end of that period.
The 2008 season will be run over two calendar years, beginning in August 2007 and ending in May 2008. ..."
What did they mean with that? If thats official, they're changing so much in rally 👎
2007 season lasting half-year, 2008 season starting mid-year... anyone can comment on that please??
read more:
http://www.wrc.com/page/BreakingNewsDetail/0,,10111~732684,00.html
ps. Citroen will come back in 2007. officialy.
Crash.net's "comment"-
"The calendar for the World Rally Championship for 2007 and beyond is set to be revamped following the latest meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Rome.
While the 2006 calendar which was confirmed at the same meeting will again consist of 16 events spread throughout the year, the 2007 WRC championship will run from January to May and will be made up of just eight or nine rallies before the WRC switches to a format where the season will be split over two calendar years.
The 2008 season will therefore start in August 2007 and run through to May 2008 meaning that the WRC will not face competition from other leading championships such as Formula One and MotoGP for television exposure, with the new A1GP series the only other high profile championship to run through the European 'off-season'.
The 2006 calendar will see the WRC visit the same 16 nations as it did this season, although the schedule takes on a decidedly different look.
As per normal the year will start with the Monte Carlo Rally in January, but two more asphalt events the back-to-back events in France and Spain which are currently taking place will move from their autumn slot to the spring. Rally New Zealand switches from April to November to form part of a Southern hemisphere double-header leading into the final round of the season Wales Rally GB returning to its traditional position at the end of the season, but a December date as the championship is spread more evenly across the year.
A ten week break between the Acropolis Rally in June and Rallye Deutschland in August will also mean the WRC avoids a clash with the football World Cup which takes place in Germany from 9 June to 9 July.
Changes also occur in both the Production and Junior World Rally Championships, with the Production championship for Group N cars now including the season-opener in Monte Carlo while the Super 1600 Junior cars will compete on the snow of Rally Sweden for the first time.
The Production championship will also include Rally Mexico and the Acropolis Rally, while the Junior runners will compete in Turkey and on Wales Rally GB.
2006 FIA World Rally Championship calendar:
20-22 January
Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo *
3-5 February
Uddeholm Swedish Rally **
3-5 March
Corona Rally Mexico *
24-26 March
Rallye de España **
79 April
Rallye de France - Tour de Corse **
28-30 April
Rally Argentina *
18-21 May
Rallye Italia-Sardinia **
2-4 June
Acropolis Rally of Greece *
11-13 August
OMV ADAC Rallye Deutschland **
18-20 August
Neste Rally Finland **
1-3 September
Rally Japan *
22-24 September
The Cyprus Rally *
13-15 October
Rally of Turkey **
27-29 October
Rally Australia *
10-12 November
Rally of New Zealand *
1-3 December
Wales Rally GB **
* - denotes Production Car World Rally Championship round
** - denotes Junior World Rally Championship round"
Personally, I'm glad to see this happen as rallye sport should be contested in less than ideal situations. I mean honestly, if I was just wanting to watch somebody run around bright, sunny, dry courses I'd keep my eyes on F1, and have no real use for AWD. However, the technology employed in the WRC is really only beneficial when conditions are less than ideal. Beyond that changing conditions will "seperate the men from the boys", and hopefully someone other than an severly understeering frenchman can stand on the top of the podium.
