Rally star Thierry Neuville demands major changes to the World Rally Championship. Hyundai’s Ykköskuski is partly pursuing his own cause, but the proposals still make sense, writes Urheilu’s Micke Suopuro.
Micke Suopuro Sports journalist
The World Rally Championship in Kenya will be followed in the application and at EPN.fi/eruhili hetki from the moment of Wednesday, June 21. since shakedown.
I’ve been writing and speaking for years until I’m tired about the future of the World Rally Championship. Attracting new car manufacturers is vital for the future of the sport.
Car manufacturers have to be specifically attracted, because the rally is a marketing channel for car companies. Increasing interest should be the main task of the umbrella organization FIA, the series promoter and the current teams.
Still, I rubbed my eyes when I read what one of the sport’s biggest stars had to say about it.
Driving a Hyundai Thierry Neuville suggested In an interview with Autohebdo among other things, shortening the Finnish World Cup Rally to less than a two-day “sprint” and halving the points awarded for the race.
At first, the proposals caused a stir, especially when Neuville verbally approached the Finnish World Rally Championship. Compared to previous years, the rallies are considerably shorter and more compact. There’s nothing wrong with the rally concept, is there?
After chewing for a while, Neuvillen is on the right track with his ideas – except for the part about Jyväskylä. I’ll come back to that later.
But first, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty: the World Rally Championship concept needs to be aired out.
The icy mountain roads of Monte Carlo, the exoticism of the Swedish snow rally or the Safari rally on the Midsummer weekend alone are not enough to stir the hearts of even the most sporty people.
Although rallies are run in different parts of the world in different conditions, the repeated competitions follow the same pattern: the races almost always start with a public special test, after which a few sections of the forest are driven twice during the three driving days.
The format is the same, so the stories or confrontations do not change: the top driver of the World Series suffers from loose gravel in the gravel rallies, and on Sunday the tires are saved for the final stage.
Next, I will present a few consciously sharpened options that could be used to break the pattern.
What if there was a week-long endurance race in Kenya that would measure everything from drivers and equipment and even more?
On the other hand, Sardinia could only be raced in two days and only four special tests, but those races would be more than 50 kilometers long.
The starting order of the rally could be determined by a time trial replacing the special test, where the drivers would have three drives to set the best time.
What if teams could choose a race or two for their drivers to score double points for?
The examples are not necessarily feasible as such, but behind them is the ultimate message derived from Neuville’s thoughts: something must be done.
I still think that the seed for the rally’s vitality is in its DNA. That is, in that cars that resemble passenger cars are driven for hundreds of kilometers on roads that are normally used for civilian traffic. The natural trump card needs to be brightened into a form where it would arouse the interest of a wider audience and thus the interest of car manufacturers.
The only thing that is certain is that the current measures are not enough, because only Toyota and Hyundai are fully involved among the car brands. Therefore, those who decide the future of the World Series cannot be afraid of changes.
The inability to make decisions eventually only leads to slow death.
Neuville also pursued his own cause
Neuville is on the right track, but in shortening the Finnish World Cup Rally, the Belgian was only doing his own thing. Kalle Rovanperän the number one contender has not been successful in Central Finland for years. A shorter race and lower WC points would suit him perfectly.
The forced shortening of the Finnish World Cup Rally makes no sense from the point of view of the World Series. In no other World Cup rally can you see a similar kind of charm in the service park and near the special stages.
It is the flagship product of the World Cup, which is also in a sport of its own. Jyväskylä is an extreme speed endurance race, where you drive from the start to the finish line with the gas at the bottom. Special test after special test, drivers drop out of the ride, until only the most daring ride to victory.
That’s why the summer “Jyskälä” was the place where Toyota’s number one boss Akio Toyoda convinced that the world’s largest car manufacturer should return to rallying.
The World Championship must ensure that similar experiences are created in other rallies as well.
What other ways are there to improve the vitality of the World Rally Championship? The topic was discussed at the beginning of the season on Radio Suomen Urheiluhullui.
You can discuss the topic until Wednesday 21 June. until 11 p.m. Tunnus is required for commenting.