What does it take to be in the WRC?

[GTO_VR4]

I mean what do you need to jump in the championship?


I got some skills out on the dirt 😈

 

[vat_man]

I think you need to be Finnish and insane.

 

[Vasco]

and have quite a lot of money

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Insanity does seem to be pretty much a prerequisite. I think the only one that's not instantly certifiable is Richard Burns, and he's not very good.

For evidence of this, read this thread... http://forums.gtplanet.net/showthread.php?postid=344439#post344439

 

[made in holland]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie
Insanity does seem to be pretty much a prerequisite. I think the only one that's not instantly certifiable is Richard Burns, and he's not very good.

The 2001 WRC World Champion not good???

 

[Talentless]

Well, I may be part Finnish, my @%^#^# relatives aren't sure.

 

[risingson77]

Well, I have a lot of Scottish blood but I'm not insane. Guess I could work on it.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by made in holland


The 2001 WRC World Champion not good???

Absolutely. I mean, look at it, he won his WRC title in a year when THREE other drivers won THREE rounds each. He only won one round!

I don't see how you can stand up for Burns, when there are drivers whose raw speed is simply frightening. Look, for example, at McRae, who, when not over-driving, is unbeatable. Makinen, Solberg: brilliantly fast, Gronholm: metronomic, Panizzi: scary fast on tarmac.

And look at how he's been blown away by his Peugeot teammates this year! He even failed to beat Solberg in a Subaru in San Remo. Now, OK, Solberg is VERY good, but really, a monkey could win in a 206. Except Burns.

 

[risingson77]

I have to get a satellite so i can start watching the WRC. I just know I'm missing out on a lot.

Does the BBC broadcast the WRC?

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by risingson77


I have to get a satellite so i can start watching the WRC. I just know I'm missing out on a lot.

Does the BBC broadcast the WRC?

No. We get coverage from Channel 4 and Eurosport, but the shows have a lot in common - same footage, but different presenters.

 

[-Fred-]

Burns won the 2001 Championship by consistency.

last year's 206 was too fragile, McRae being himself decided to reshape the Focus a few times and Makinen got screwed by Mitsubishi with the piggy EVO VII...


------
to be a good WRC driver? you need to be insane, concentrated, Scandinavian and you need factory support!

 

[GilesGuthrie]

So you concede then that perhaps Gronholm and Makinen were more deserving candidates for the Championship?

 

[-Fred-]

they both were ultimately faster, so if they didn't have any bad lucks, than yes, it would have gone to either Grunholm or Makinen.

besides, Burns is too arrogant to be liked... he looks like he spent too much time in F1 paddocks.

 

[made in holland]

Burns did win the most points of them all, so he was the best of last year. But that was mainly because he had a very good car under his ass

But i agree with you that Burns isn't the real rally driver prototype.
He is too carefull, doesn't take much risks. Just as this year in the 206, it's all a bit soft.

 

[risingson77]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie


No. We get coverage from Channel 4 and Eurosport, but the shows have a lot in common - same footage, but different presenters.

Are Channel 4 and Eurosport over-the-air (read: free), or do you have to pay for them?

 

[made in holland]

Eurosport is free.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by made in holland
Eurosport is free.

Not really. I get Eurosport from my cable operator, but I have to pay a fairly hefty subscription to get the level of package that gives it to me.

 

[risingson77]

Ah, that's what I was wondering. I would have to get either an expensive digital cable or satellite package in order to get the WRC.

I was hoping that the WRC was popular enough in Europe (and the outlying islands ) that you would get events broadcast by local networks. Oh well.

 

[made in holland]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie


Not really. I get Eurosport from my cable operator, but I have to pay a fairly hefty subscription to get the level of package that gives it to me.

Here, Eurosport is in the standard package which every viewer gets.

 

[freerider]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie
Absolutely. I mean, look at it, he won his WRC title in a year when THREE other drivers won THREE rounds each. He only won one round!

I don't see how you can stand up for Burns, when there are drivers whose raw speed is simply frightening. Look, for example, at McRae, who, when not over-driving, is unbeatable. Makinen, Solberg: brilliantly fast, Gronholm: metronomic, Panizzi: scary fast on tarmac.

And look at how he's been blown away by his Peugeot teammates this year! He even failed to beat Solberg in a Subaru in San Remo. Now, OK, Solberg is VERY good, but really, a monkey could win in a 206. Except Burns.

Richard Burns reminds me of Jacques Villeneuve. He did nothing before his title and he'll do absolutly nothing after.The right place at the right time?

 

[freerider]

Originally posted by made in holland
Burns did win the most points of them all, so he was the best of last year. But that was mainly because he had a very good car under his ass

But i agree with you that Burns isn't the real rally driver prototype.
He is too carefull, doesn't take much risks. Just as this year in the 206, it's all a bit soft.

It's not that he's too careful, it's that he doesn't stay on the edge very often. Look at Gronholm, he's very steady, consistent and knows how to stay on the edge without going over it. ei (C.Mcrae)

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by freerider
Richard Burns reminds me of Jacques Villeneuve. He did nothing before his title and he'll do absolutly nothing after.The right place at the right time?

Well, I wouldn't call an Indycar title, an Indy 500 win, leading your first GP until an oil leak, and a win in your first season as 'nothing'. That's a pretty harsh assessment of Villenueve, although the lure of money at BAR clearly proved too much for him, I will certainly concede that - it would have been good to see him in a McLaren or a Williams in the last couple of years.

In Burns' case, I would be inclined to agree, though. He was in a much stronger line-up this year and it showed - if he doesn't pull his finger out next year he might be in a bit of bother, methinks. I don't think he'll deliver - there's too many good guys out there now.

 

[freerider]

Originally posted by vat_man
Well, I wouldn't call an Indycar title, an Indy 500 win, leading your first GP until an oil leak, and a win in your first season as 'nothing'. That's a pretty harsh assessment of Villenueve, although the lure of money at BAR clearly proved too much for him, I will certainly concede that - it would have been good to see him in a McLaren or a Williams in the last couple of years.

In Burns' case, I would be inclined to agree, though. He was in a much stronger line-up this year and it showed - if he doesn't pull his finger out next year he might be in a bit of bother, methinks. I don't think he'll deliver - there's too many good guys out there now.

Don't be under the impression that the cart series requires skill, to drive on an oval all you need is a brick to set on the throttle and a length of rope for the wheel. Look at any Cart driver that goes to F1, driver actually have to turn to the right outside the cart series.

 

[freerider]

The only reason Villeneuve went to BAR was because he'd started burning his bridges with the other teams, kind of like now. He thinks next year he'll drive for Ferrarri, he'll be lucky to go back to Cart.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by freerider
Don't be under the impression that the cart series requires skill, to drive on an oval all you need is a brick to set on the throttle and a length of rope for the wheel. Look at any Cart driver that goes to F1, driver actually have to turn to the right outside the cart series.

He did dominate on the road courses. His first CART win was at Elkhart Lake, a demanding road track. I personally rate him as one of the best talents of recent years - he was pretty impressive at the Melbourne GP on debut (which I had the pleasure of attending).

Sadly, his talent and best years have been wasted at that tobacco marketing exercise that is BAR.

 

[Vasco]

Yes, he was fantastic until he went to BAR.

 

[Wastegate]

Perhaps I'm biased about Burns because he came from around where I live, but even if Burns is not the most naturally talented WRC driver he is surely one of the most accomplished.

His speed comes from the accuracy of his notes, which are more detailed than most and are one of the reasons he has done well in foggy conditions in the past. But he does have a lot of ability too.

He has consistently beaten Harri Rovanpera on gravel this year, and Petter Solberg and Juha Kankunnen in previous years. Only poor luck and a couple of accidents have kept him from winning a WRC round this season.

What does it take to be in the WRC? Well you're not going to be able to do it without awesome commitment, an ability to control cars at speed on all surfaces and a successful pedigree in junior and regional rally championships. All the current drivers have all of these - including Burns.

 

[Karvajorma]

I'm Finnish and a bit insane...

Right now all roads are covered with snow and temperature is -25* celcius. There's nothing better than driving with our RWD car on those snowy curvy roads... Meaby in 5 years I'll be driving a WRC.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by Wastegate
Perhaps I'm biased about Burns because he came from around where I live, but even if Burns is not the most naturally talented WRC driver he is surely one of the most accomplished.

His speed comes from the accuracy of his notes, which are more detailed than most and are one of the reasons he has done well in foggy conditions in the past. But he does have a lot of ability too.

He has consistently beaten Harri Rovanpera on gravel this year, and Petter Solberg and Juha Kankunnen in previous years. Only poor luck and a couple of accidents have kept him from winning a WRC round this season.

I'm not sure that he is that accomplished. It took him far too long to get used to the Peugeot (contrast this with Makinen, who won his first rally in the Subaru, and who is increasingly acknowledged as being past it). His notes may be detailed, but is this really a blessing, or is it a means of covering a lack of natural talent? His notes didn't save him from his spin or his shunt at Rally GB, or in Australia, or New Zealand, or his broken intercooler (after overcooking a jump) in Finland. Perhaps he is relying too much on the notes, and not enough on an at-the-time skill, which prevents him from successfully adapting to changing conditions.

You say he regularly beat Harri Rovanpera, like this is a good thing. Who didn't regularly beat Harri Rovanpera? Harri was briefly the 'next big thing' after a successful run to second place in Rally Sweden in a Mitsubishi (the scene of Makinen's first massive chasing-team-mate-shunt), but what's he done since then? His star has waned since moving to Peugeot, to the point where the team are preferring Panizzi on gravel. You also say he beat Solberg and Kankkunen while at Subaru. This is true, but Solberg didn't have the experience of Burns, and Burns had 20 years on Kankkunen. Neither of these drivers then would have put up much of a fight - especially not Kankkunen, who was on a very limited program with Subaru. I do not think that Burns would have beaten Solberg in 2002 had he remained at Subaru. Indeed, Solberg beat Burns on several occasions in 2002 while Burns was in the World-Champion car.

I would agree with freerider in that it was a case of right place + right time for Burns, and while Gronholm is at Peugeot, Burns will not win another title. I would even go so far as to say that Burns will not win another rally that Gronholm runs competitively.

 

[vrmx]

Originally posted by risingson77
I was hoping that the WRC was popular enough in Europe (and the outlying islands ) that you would get events broadcast by local networks. Oh well.

A little bit old topic but...

Here in Finland we get atleast about 2 hours of material of each rally but when it comes to Neste Rally Finland we get ~8 hours of tv footage. And all on a free channel (only in Finland though).
I have a 10 hour VHS with all the material from 2002.

BTW. I don't like the way most (all) of you spell our Finns names.
Like Grönholm is Gronholm and so...
Others Mäkinen, Pykälistö, Rovanperä... Oh, and Kankkunen seems to be hard too.
And there's one Estonian, Markko Märtin.
(If you can't see those properly let me know.)