17.07.2008
What with the FIA fannying about with the regulations, and any interest in global motorsport currently being herded in the direction of Max’s shredded buttocks, the World Rally Championship’s current parlous state goes mostly unnoticed.
Currently only Citroen, Ford, Subaru and Suzuki have full factory WRC teams and indications suggest that Citroen might bail sometime soon. But it looks likely that Renault will step forward with a Megane Coupe to contest the championship from as early as 2010. And now DR has heard that there could be another high-profile entrant: Volkswagen could be ready to have a pop on the loose.
VW Motorsport boss Kris Nissen has managed the company’s relatively small budget –we’re talking Ferrari’s catering money here – so well that the suits look likely to back a higher-profile championship. He wasn’t willing to state anything concrete but did suggest that, “a championship with a global audience and around eight or nine rounds that fitted with VW’s brand values would be a good place for us.”
If Renault and VW join, Citroen might feel the need to continue, Ford will almost certainly remain and who’s to say that a Korean or Chinese manufacturer might not want to promote themselves in the mud and dust? It’s only peeping-out from under a large rock just now, but the WRC looks like it might have a bright future.
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2 Comments
Chris G
July 24, 2008The descriptive image of Max’s shredded buttocks is now indelibly on my brain. Thanks Chris… However I think that, whilst it was never my sport of choice compared with LMS/GT racing or F1, rallying is in such a parlous state and is a shadfow of its former self. For the casual viewer, part of it is TV companies’ insistence that the coverage should all about the top 8. Well that is short sited and ludicrous as the top 8 usually consist of only two manufacturers, or three at most. Boring… And when the viewers turn off, the manufactures start to pull out. And the vicious circle starts. It all started with limiting the number of cars and drivers per team, having to have young drivers in the second cars and so on. You can’t put limits on entries like that. It creates false levels of talent, personalities and excitement and, like now, a series of bland unknowns with difficult to pronounce names. Sorry to sday that but its true… Lets hope the whole thing gets turned on its head and excitement, personalities and finally manufacturers get involved all the way down the field (and show them all, TV!)
Chris G
July 24, 2008The descriptive image of Max’s shredded buttocks is now indelibly on my brain. Thanks Chris… However I think that, whilst it was never my sport of choice compared with LMS/GT racing or F1, rallying is in such a parlous state and is a shadfow of its former self. For the casual viewer, part of it is TV companies’ insistence that the coverage should all about the top 8. Well that is short sited and ludicrous as the top 8 usually consist of only two manufacturers, or three at most. Boring… And when the viewers turn off, the manufactures start to pull out. And the vicious circle starts. It all started with limiting the number of cars and drivers per team, having to have young drivers in the second cars and so on. You can’t put limits on entries like that. It creates false levels of talent, personalities and excitement and, like now, a series of bland unknowns with difficult to pronounce names. Sorry to sday that but its true… Lets hope the whole thing gets turned on its head and excitement, personalities and finally manufacturers get involved all the way down the field (and show them all, TV!)