2011 WRC Season

[HonkIfPartsFallOff!]

It's never too early to start discussing this.

New changes for 2011:

-S2000 cars will become World Rally Cars, they will be powered by a 1600cc turbo engine instead of the current 2000cc turbo unit. The new technical regulations for the future World Rally Car will become effective from 2011. The WRC Car will be based on the current Super 2000 cars, fitted with a supplementary kit, which includes turbo and rear-wing additions. The kit must be able to be fitted or removed within a defined time limit, to be determined.

-The sporting regulations will be amended to allow any tyre manufacturer to supply tires. Regulations will be implemented to control costs. The amended regulations will be presented to the WMSC for a fax vote before 20 July 2010. The FIA Junior World Rally Championship will continue with a single tire supplier.

-Michelin and Chinese tire firm DMACK will become the two tire suppliers for the season, following Pirelli's contract coming to a end and their announcement as the official tire supplier for Formula One.

-Additional championship points will be awarded to the top three crews on a televised stage on the final day of each rally. Three points will be awarded to the stage winner, with two and one for second and third respectively

-MINI returning to WRC with the backing of ProDrive

New Cars:
Citroën DS3 WRC

Ford Fiesta RS WRC

MINI Countryman WRC

Schedule: (note the dates are listed by finishing day the rallies will start the friday before)

13 February: Sweden
06 March: Mexico
27 March: Portugal
17 April: Jordan
08 May: Italy
29 May: Argentina
19 June: Greece
31 July: Finland
21 August: Germany
11 September: Australia
02 October: France
23 October: Spain
13 November: Great Britain

So what's your predictions, praise, gripes? lets hear it

[purecountry]

I'm ready to see that mini in action. But what I'm really ready for is a damn American stage for the WRC

[HonkIfPartsFallOff!]

all the new cars look even the Citroen, but I'm so sick of seeing them win. No doubt Sebastian Loeb is an incredible driver but damn 7 in a row? I'm surprised everyone else hasn't given up

[HonkIfPartsFallOff!]

Originally Posted by purecountry

But what I'm really ready for is a damn American stage for the WRC

As far as I can tell there hasn't been a WRC rally in the US since 1988 and the last one was won by a Lancia.

[WorldRallyTeam]

Amigos,

The WRC MEXICO website is back up and beginning to post info for the WRC MEXICO round March 3-6
http://www.rallymexico.com/rm2011/index.php



Who from here is interested in going?

Bongo!

[XJLI]

Originally Posted by HonkIfPartsFallOff!

all the new cars look even the Citroen, but I'm so sick of seeing them win. No doubt Sebastian Loeb is an incredible driver but damn 7 in a row? I'm surprised everyone else hasn't given up

Loeb was debating leaving bc of the new S2000 rules.

[SMC]

What the hell its it with WRC. Its seems like they are going the way of F1 had have had thier balls cut off. Christ, WRC cars are only 350 hp as it is. Yeah, lets make them smaller and give them smaller engines. Its no wonder so many MFG's are leaving the sport.

[Tigerchief]

Originally Posted by HonkIfPartsFallOff!

all the new cars look even the Citroen, but I'm so sick of seeing them win. No doubt Sebastian Loeb is an incredible driver but damn 7 in a row? I'm surprised everyone else hasn't given up

I'm wondering if that's what happened to Hirvonen. It's like he just quit the entire season.

The last guy to get close to him was Grönholm, and you could see him getting more and more pissed before he retired.

Last championship not to be won by Loeb was in 2003 (Solberg), which is mind blowing. Solberg probably would have done much better in the interim years if he didn't always get let down by the Subaru Team.

[Tigerchief]

Originally Posted by XJLI

Loeb was debating leaving bc of the new S2000 rules.

Link? Anything in particular or is it that he might not be top dog anymore without the killer citroen?

[HonkIfPartsFallOff!]

Kimi's running his own team this year, driving the new Citroen

Report: Kimi Raikkonen launching own WRC team for 2011

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) on Jan 12th 2011 at 11:00AM
Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen seems to have a bit of an unconventional relationship with the notion of contracts. The Finnish driver kept McLaren on the leash while negotiating his departure to Ferrari, then left Ferrari after he was offered a big cash payment to vacate his Formula One seat. After one season in the World Rally Championship, reports began surfacing in the motorsport press that he was negotiating a return to F1 with Renault, only to pull out again. The on-again, off-again rumors have prompted much speculation about the former F1 World Champion's plans for the near future, but now it appears the Finn has found a way to avoid contracts altogether.

Having confirmed his challenge for the season-opening Rally Sweden only days ago, just ahead of the registration deadline, reports now indicate that Raikkonen has launched his own WRC team for 2011. He'll be driving the new Citroën DS3 WRC under the ICE 1 team banner, an apparent reference to his Kilmer-tastic nickname of "Ice-Man". The team is reportedly financed entirely from Raikkonen's own considerable pool of sponsors. An interesting development for the World Rally Championship to be sure, and we'll be watching to see if Kimi can improve on the promising, if lackluster performance from his debut season.

[Source: ESPN | Image: Massimo Bettiol/Getty]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/12/r...team-for-2011/

[OTR]

Following Solberg's lead ?...

http://www.wrc.com/news/solberg-stil...ove/?fid=14025




k.

[XtremeJ]

Wonder if Kimi's manager is also involved? They ran a successful F3000 team for a number of years, and were good partners in business, Kimi bringing sponsors and money and Julian doing all things managerial.

Also saw on autosport.com that ESPN is now the official channel of WRC, but I wonder how much if any we will see on ESPN here in the US.

I think Kimi did a really good job adapting to a whole new style of racing, but wonder if he is up to the task of being team owner as well. I know Solberg said he found it almost overwhelming. And your whole attitude IN the car will change when you are the one paying the bills when OUT of the car, no more beachballing it during the test state Kimi.

Never liked him in F1, but actually root for him in WRC. Predict another year dominated by Loeb, and suspect this may be the last year we see Loeb in rally.

Damn that Mini if fugly.

[61scout80]

Originally Posted by SMC

What the hell its it with WRC. Its seems like they are going the way of F1 had have had thier balls cut off. Christ, WRC cars are only 350 hp as it is. Yeah, lets make them smaller and give them smaller engines. Its no wonder so many MFG's are leaving the sport.

all they are doing is making IRC bigger!

http://www.ircseries.com/html/Manufacturers.asp