WRC 2005, rumors and facts
12-07-2004, 09:31 AM
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WRC 2005, rumors and facts
Drivers (with their spot in the team):
Peugeot:
1) Marcus Gronholm (Fact)
2) Markko Martin (Fact)
3) Daniel Carlsson (Rumor)
3) Nicolas Vouilloz (Rumor)
Citroen:
1) Sebastian Loeb (Fact)
2) Francios Duval (Fact)
3) Simon Jean-Joseph (Rumor)
Ford:
1) Toni Gardermeister (Fact)
2) Roman Kresta (Fact)
3) Hennig Solberg (Rumor)
Mitsubishi:
1) Harri Rovanpera (Fact)
2) Gilles Panizi (Fact)
2) Gigi Galli (Fact)
Skoda:
1) Armin Schwartz (Fact)
2) Janne Tuohino (Fact)
2) Jani Paasonen (Fact)
2) Alex Bengue (Fact)
3) Mattias Ekstrom (Fact)
3) Jan Kopecky (Fact)
Subaru:
1) Petter Solberg (Fact)
2) Stephan Sarrazin (Fact)
2) Chris Atkinson (Fact)
Other drives:
Kris Meeke - if not in SWRT, then in JWRC in a Citroen C2
Alister McRae - PWRC in a R.E.D. Subaru
The season is starting to shape up pretty nicely. Every manufacturer has their number one and two drivers except Subaru. We should hear some interesting news soon about Subaru's lineup, as SOJ has just approved multiple second drivers. Most likely it will be Sarrazin on sealed surfaces and possibly some gravel. More likely then not, someone else will drive the 2nd car on gravel. Ford has a strong new lineups this next year. Kresta and Gardermeister are incredibly fast, and they both seem to be able to adapt to new cars quickly. If the Focus stays competitive (they aren't developing a new 05 WRC), then these two drivers stand a good chance of winning rounds towards the end of the season. Skoda's lineup is also very strong. I really want them to do well this year, and if the rumors of the Fabia's development are true, then they certainly stand a good chance.
My predictions for 2005?
I think it will be close again. Contenders for the Manufactures title will be Peugeot, Citroen and Subaru (if Subaru can play their second driver cards properly). I'm tempted to give the nod to Peugeot. The mechanical gremlins seem to finally be out of the 307, and with Martin on board, they will just fly. They may not win a lot of rallies outright, but I think they will have a strong showing every event. Hopefully budget cuts (and news of the 2006 departure) won't hurt them too much.
Contenders for the Drivers title. Sebastian Loeb, Marcus Gronholm, Markko Martin, Petter Solberg. I'm rooting for Petter, but honestly, I can't make a prediction. Sebastian and Petter probably have the best chance. Markko is an outside chance because he'll be in a new car. But the kid is adaptable, so maybe he'll be able to pull it off. Marcus has an outside shot too, I think. If he can keep his head cool, and if Peugeot can keep the 307 together, then he stands a great chance.
Peugeot:
1) Marcus Gronholm (Fact)
2) Markko Martin (Fact)
3) Daniel Carlsson (Rumor)
3) Nicolas Vouilloz (Rumor)
Citroen:
1) Sebastian Loeb (Fact)
2) Francios Duval (Fact)
3) Simon Jean-Joseph (Rumor)
Ford:
1) Toni Gardermeister (Fact)
2) Roman Kresta (Fact)
3) Hennig Solberg (Rumor)
Mitsubishi:
1) Harri Rovanpera (Fact)
2) Gilles Panizi (Fact)
2) Gigi Galli (Fact)
Skoda:
1) Armin Schwartz (Fact)
2) Janne Tuohino (Fact)
2) Jani Paasonen (Fact)
2) Alex Bengue (Fact)
3) Mattias Ekstrom (Fact)
3) Jan Kopecky (Fact)
Subaru:
1) Petter Solberg (Fact)
2) Stephan Sarrazin (Fact)
2) Chris Atkinson (Fact)
Other drives:
Kris Meeke - if not in SWRT, then in JWRC in a Citroen C2
Alister McRae - PWRC in a R.E.D. Subaru
The season is starting to shape up pretty nicely. Every manufacturer has their number one and two drivers except Subaru. We should hear some interesting news soon about Subaru's lineup, as SOJ has just approved multiple second drivers. Most likely it will be Sarrazin on sealed surfaces and possibly some gravel. More likely then not, someone else will drive the 2nd car on gravel. Ford has a strong new lineups this next year. Kresta and Gardermeister are incredibly fast, and they both seem to be able to adapt to new cars quickly. If the Focus stays competitive (they aren't developing a new 05 WRC), then these two drivers stand a good chance of winning rounds towards the end of the season. Skoda's lineup is also very strong. I really want them to do well this year, and if the rumors of the Fabia's development are true, then they certainly stand a good chance.
My predictions for 2005?
I think it will be close again. Contenders for the Manufactures title will be Peugeot, Citroen and Subaru (if Subaru can play their second driver cards properly). I'm tempted to give the nod to Peugeot. The mechanical gremlins seem to finally be out of the 307, and with Martin on board, they will just fly. They may not win a lot of rallies outright, but I think they will have a strong showing every event. Hopefully budget cuts (and news of the 2006 departure) won't hurt them too much.
Contenders for the Drivers title. Sebastian Loeb, Marcus Gronholm, Markko Martin, Petter Solberg. I'm rooting for Petter, but honestly, I can't make a prediction. Sebastian and Petter probably have the best chance. Markko is an outside chance because he'll be in a new car. But the kid is adaptable, so maybe he'll be able to pull it off. Marcus has an outside shot too, I think. If he can keep his head cool, and if Peugeot can keep the 307 together, then he stands a great chance.
Last edited by Nick Koan; 12-17-2004 at 08:49 AM.
12-10-2004, 07:18 AM
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Bump! Subaru has signed Stephane Sarrazin "for at least half of the season"
http://origin.wrc.com/News.aspx?PO_I...lse&lang=en_GB
French former Formula 1 racer Stephane Sarrazin will drive for the factory Subaru team in at least half the 2005 World Rally Championship rounds – starting his campaign with the Monte Carlo Rally in January.
Sarrazin had a mercurial first season in rallying in 2004, after switching from circuit racing when he won a scholarship drive backed by Subaru France and the French Federation, the FFSA. The 29-year-old won the French Championship and made three massively impressive WRC appearances, finishing ninth in Germany, sixth on Corsica and a brilliant fourth in Catalunya.
Subaru has now handed Sarrazin, who contested one Grand Prix (Brazil in 1999) with Minardi and spent several years as a F1 test driver with Prost and Toyota, a one-year contract. And it will give him the chance to tackle new surfaces – all the 11 rallies he has contested to date have been on asphalt.
Subaru team principal David Lapworth commented: “We've been very impressed by what Sarrazin has done this year. It's remarkable that someone who has done 11 rallies and only three at WRC level can run at the pace he has. His approach is very professional, he's serious about everything he does and we're expecting to see the same sort of commitment when we look to broaden his experience onto other surfaces and other WRC rallies.
“Initially we've signed Stephane for one year but the intention of our development programme is to find a future world champion. We've selected him because we think he's got what it takes. Signing Stephane is another crucial step in our driver strategy for 2005 and the door remains open for other fresh talent to join him in the team.”
Sarrazin said: “It's really a very big chance for me, after one year in rally it's a great opportunity. This year I pushed a lot to improve myself, to improve my drivability and everything, and now it's just incredible to be in the official team. I will push the same as this year to improve, I will give the maximum I can, they give me a big chance, and because this team is the top team in the World Championship it's exceptional.”
Sarrazin will have a change of co-drivers in his new job with Jacques-Julien Ranucci - who sat alongside Brice Tirabassi during his title-winning 2003 JWRC season - replacing Patrick Pivato.
French former Formula 1 racer Stephane Sarrazin will drive for the factory Subaru team in at least half the 2005 World Rally Championship rounds – starting his campaign with the Monte Carlo Rally in January.
Sarrazin had a mercurial first season in rallying in 2004, after switching from circuit racing when he won a scholarship drive backed by Subaru France and the French Federation, the FFSA. The 29-year-old won the French Championship and made three massively impressive WRC appearances, finishing ninth in Germany, sixth on Corsica and a brilliant fourth in Catalunya.
Subaru has now handed Sarrazin, who contested one Grand Prix (Brazil in 1999) with Minardi and spent several years as a F1 test driver with Prost and Toyota, a one-year contract. And it will give him the chance to tackle new surfaces – all the 11 rallies he has contested to date have been on asphalt.
Subaru team principal David Lapworth commented: “We've been very impressed by what Sarrazin has done this year. It's remarkable that someone who has done 11 rallies and only three at WRC level can run at the pace he has. His approach is very professional, he's serious about everything he does and we're expecting to see the same sort of commitment when we look to broaden his experience onto other surfaces and other WRC rallies.
“Initially we've signed Stephane for one year but the intention of our development programme is to find a future world champion. We've selected him because we think he's got what it takes. Signing Stephane is another crucial step in our driver strategy for 2005 and the door remains open for other fresh talent to join him in the team.”
Sarrazin said: “It's really a very big chance for me, after one year in rally it's a great opportunity. This year I pushed a lot to improve myself, to improve my drivability and everything, and now it's just incredible to be in the official team. I will push the same as this year to improve, I will give the maximum I can, they give me a big chance, and because this team is the top team in the World Championship it's exceptional.”
Sarrazin will have a change of co-drivers in his new job with Jacques-Julien Ranucci - who sat alongside Brice Tirabassi during his title-winning 2003 JWRC season - replacing Patrick Pivato.
12-10-2004, 07:36 AM
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Also, Solberg has thrown down the gauntlet.
http://origin.wrc.com/News.aspx?PO_I...lse&lang=en_GB
Petter Solberg says he’s aiming for a record-mangling 10 World Rally Championship wins in 2005 and the first target for Subaru’s 2003 World Champion is the Swedish Rally in early February.
“I’m very optimistic for next year,” Solberg told his Norwegian supporters’ club. “We will have a new car in Mexico. This car will test in Sweden in December. There are a lot of new components on the car, and I’m really looking forward to driving it for the first time.
"Next year we will win 10 rounds in the championship, and the first win will come in Sweden. I’m very focused on the Swedish Rally, and will do everything to win there next year.”
Solberg won five rallies in 2004, one fewer than World Champion Sebastien Loeb. The Frenchman’s tally equalled the current records for wins in one season set by Didier Auriol when he was driving for Lancia in 1992.
Solberg also explained where he thinks he lost the 2004 title to Loeb. “Sebastien Loeb and Citroen were better than us this year. We lost too many points in Mexico, Turkey and Cyprus, and then we retired in Argentina, Finland and Germany. We lost the championship title in those six rallies, and not on the asphalt in Corsica and Spain.”
Petter Solberg says he’s aiming for a record-mangling 10 World Rally Championship wins in 2005 and the first target for Subaru’s 2003 World Champion is the Swedish Rally in early February.
“I’m very optimistic for next year,” Solberg told his Norwegian supporters’ club. “We will have a new car in Mexico. This car will test in Sweden in December. There are a lot of new components on the car, and I’m really looking forward to driving it for the first time.
"Next year we will win 10 rounds in the championship, and the first win will come in Sweden. I’m very focused on the Swedish Rally, and will do everything to win there next year.”
Solberg won five rallies in 2004, one fewer than World Champion Sebastien Loeb. The Frenchman’s tally equalled the current records for wins in one season set by Didier Auriol when he was driving for Lancia in 1992.
Solberg also explained where he thinks he lost the 2004 title to Loeb. “Sebastien Loeb and Citroen were better than us this year. We lost too many points in Mexico, Turkey and Cyprus, and then we retired in Argentina, Finland and Germany. We lost the championship title in those six rallies, and not on the asphalt in Corsica and Spain.”
12-10-2004, 09:45 AM
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harri made a bad mistake going to mitsu, but he did have a bad season especially all the tranny problems, and martin shouldnt have left cause now he is number two man and has to work his way up, and i liked watching the ford race.... now the guys who used to be in the top 5 wont be seen on tv now
12-15-2004, 12:33 PM
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Petter finished the 04 season well off pace, I hope it was something that he'll work through- when he's hot he is far and away the fastest driver out there, but between DNF's and the poor pace the last few races of this year, he's gotta step up to another level if he's going to pull something like that off-
I'd love to see it though
I'd love to see it though
12-16-2004, 09:07 PM
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Did we ever figure out what happened to Petter and the Impreza in the last few rallies of the season?
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12-16-2004, 10:22 PM
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Originally Posted by IS2Scooby
Did we ever figure out what happened to Petter and the Impreza in the last few rallies of the season?
12-17-2004, 08:51 AM
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And there we have it. Subaru has finalized their driver lineup next year. Chris Atkinson was just signed by SWRT for at least 8 rounds. Chris is relatively out of the blue to me, but seems like a good choice. He's got some good results, but no experience at the world level or in a WRCar. It's an interesting choice, to say the least.
12-17-2004, 09:57 AM
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has anyone heard any new rumors about the possible rule changes that were gonna force Subaru to get rid of the boxer engine, and use an inline 4 like everyone else? Remember a few months back this was being talked about, but I dont know if anything actually materialized with it. Anyone have any info?
-Ted
-Ted
12-17-2004, 10:09 AM
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Its not going to happen, at least not right away. The FIA was trying to scare manufacturers into reducing costs, so they made these insane rules to get everyone up in arms.
Right now the FIA is focused on reducing electronics and active componets in WRCars. They are going to stick with a modified version of the WR Car formula, rather then switch to the Super 2000 rules.
Right now the FIA is focused on reducing electronics and active componets in WRCars. They are going to stick with a modified version of the WR Car formula, rather then switch to the Super 2000 rules.
