New WRC champ for 2013

I wouldnt be surprised if Loeb isnt able to win again only running a partial schedule. That guy is some sort of monster. I dont even remember what it was like when he wasnt dominating anymore.

http://www.motorstv.com/car/rally/wrc/27092012/loeb-only-do-partial-season-citroen-in-2013

Loeb to only do partial season with Citroën in 2013

Sébastien Loeb will only do a partial campaign in next year’s World Rally Championship with Citroën, the French car maker has announced.

Outlining its future motorsport plans at the Paris Motor Show, Citroën revealed it will enter three DS3 WRC models in the 2013 season. Mikko Hirvonen will contest the full season while Loeb – who is likely to secure a ninth consecutive world title on Rallye de France on 4-7 October – will do a partial programme starting at Rallye Monte Carlo. The driver that will compete in his absence is yet to be announced.

A team statement said that in the current economic climate it was important for commercial reasons that Citroën remains in motorsport. A new partnership with Abu Dhabi will allow the brand to continue in the WRC while reducing its spending on the project and will see Khalid Al Qassimi drive the third DS3, having previously competed with Ford when the emirate backed the Blue Oval.

Citroën has also revealed that it, together with Loeb, is considering entering the World Touring Car Championship in 2014 or 2015. Loeb has long held ambitions in circuit racing, competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours for Pescarolo, winning races in the Porsche Carrera Cup France and doing numerous tests in Formula 1 cars. He also tested a Chevrolet WTCC last year at the invitation of fellow Alsatian Yvan Muller.

Watch World Rally Championship action on Motors TV.

Peter Allen

If you are a competitor and you are never able to beat the top guy over 9 years, does that take away some of the "specialness" of winning after the champ is gone? Im a Hirvonen fan and I always hoped he would overthrow Loeb. Especially after coming over to Citroen.

It's funny to read "9 time World Rally Champion moves to a Chevy Cruise".

I'm a huge Loeb fan. But he's been flirting with retirement for a few years now. I have to admit though, I didn't see him fading away. I figured he'd just step away and move into endurance circuit racing in one step.

I would like to see Mikko take a championship. He's really consistent and he's been close so many times. I don't want to see Latvala win, I don't think he's world champion caliber.

I really hate to see him go, simply for the fact that he will almost always be considered "the best". I wish someone would have come along to beat him.

9 consecutive championships (it's pretty much inevitable this year) - and a 10th that he missed by a single, solitary point. 111 podiums (74 on the top step) out of 161 races. Heck, in his first season he beat out two world champions who were his teammates.

It wouldn't matter if someone eventually managed to beat him in the championship race, he's going to be right near the top of any list of the best race drivers.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

Yeah, he's in the pantheon of greats with John Force, Michael Schumacher, and Richard Petty. That many championships and victories is just insane.

Yeah, I have mixed feelings. It's awesome to have Loeb in the WRC just to see what a perfect drive looks like. On the other hand, it would be fantastic to have some real competition, and I think that will be good for the series. I feel like one of the reasons other manufacturers haven't gotten more involved is that there's no way to beat Loeb, thus no way to beat Cirtoen.

Thank God......

While it is certainly undeniable that Leob is the greatest rally driver of our (and arguably any other) generation, WRC has become sooooooo boring and predictable.

I'm a huge rally fan and I can't be bothered to watch anymore to be honest.

Funny thing is, when Seb Ogier was on Cirtoen it got really interesting. Drama, some one who could give Loeb a run for his money, entertaining stuff. Then the team boots him to keep #1 happy.

Back to dullsville....

Looking forward to 2013!

It'd be nice if the other manufacturer's came out and played. WRC got to be a Loeb fest when Mitsubishi, Subaru, Skoda, and Peugeot dropped out. All of a sudden there were fewer competitors to challenge Loeb...

I don't think you can blame the lack of manufacturer support on Loeb - but you will have VW to watch next year. According to their motorsport honcho, they're in it until they win the championship. MINI's going to come back full time for 2013, and Hyundai just announced they're throwing their hats in the ring too. Ford's been beating their heads against the wall all along, of course, with drivers who are either super-fact or consistent, but unfortunately not enough of both. So that's five major manufacturers gunning for the title next year.

It would be good to see Toyota, Subaru and Mitsubishi back for sure. Unfortunately, it's my understanding that the current rule set keeps Subaru out unless they abandon the boxer.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

WRC lost the plot with this semi-spec thing. The great hey-day of the late 90's/early 00's was due to actually having very-closely related to the real things cars from a huge number of manufacturers. Subaru, Mitsubishi, Puegeot, and Ford really had a great thing going there with Skoda and Citroen, too.

Now it's just "meh". I haven't watched any WRC since 2006.

Loeb is an alien; it isn't fair to compare him with mere human competitors. The WRC will do OK without his presence.

Citroen is considering an entry in the WTCC with Loeb as the driver. Seems like a logical progression for both the company and the driver. I hope the team succedes, but not in a dominant fashion.

Even Hyundai is now looking at an entry in WRC. Along with the VW Polo, things could get real interesting in the future.

Loeb should move into Nascar!

Why did WRC write rules that kept Subaru out? Does the engine layout really make that much of a difference?

I guess WRC did that for the same reason the FIA banned rotaries from LeMans; it was as a result of whining and crying from teams who couldn't beat them. Has not a damn thing to do with anything else, it's the old 'rewrite the rules to make me fast/make him slow or I'll hold my breath till I turn blue' thing.

I thought Subaru left for budgetary reasons. Its been awhile so my memory aint so good

Subaru wasn't really dominant at the time the specs were written. Far from it, actually. It was trying to make more of a spec car, and for some reason inline fours were specifically called out. I don't know why they couldn't have just said "production-based four cylinders".

Javelin wrote: In reply to Keith Tanner: WRC lost the plot with this semi-spec thing. The great hey-day of the late 90's/early 00's was due to actually having very-closely related to the real things cars from a huge number of manufacturers. Subaru, Mitsubishi, Puegeot, and Ford really had a great thing going there with Skoda and Citroen, too. Now it's just "meh". I haven't watched any WRC since 2006.

Isn't it funny how the great heyday of any race series always seems to be about 15 years ago? It was pretty difficult to buy some of those cars from the manufacturers - I don't think Peugeot ever sold a turbo AWD compact, and Ford never offered an AWD Focus. Mitsubishi and Subaru, definitely.

I actually don't watch WRC at all, but I follow it. You can get an RSS feed of updates that will give you stage-by-stage updates during a rally, it's much more immersive in the competition than watching a 30-60 minute recap at the end of the day. I highly recommend it.

Please, some US cable network pick up WRC for next season. I just can't get into it with my only option being random youtube postings.

GTwannaB wrote: Please, some US cable network pick up WRC for next season. I just can't get into it with my only option being random youtube postings.

+a billion

Keith Tanner wrote: I don't think you can blame the lack of manufacturer support on Loeb...

Oh, I don't know. This is pretty good timing to be coincedence, :

Hyundai to Re-Enter WRC

PHeller wrote: Why did WRC write rules that kept Subaru out? Does the engine layout really make that much of a difference?

No Subaru pulled out because they finished a marketing/advert program to display that their vehicles can be driven through anything and anywhere. Also the economy was tanking at the time, especially for the automotive industry so this was a good cop out for them cut expenses by getting rid of motorsports.

EDIT: And I don't think they have a 1.6L

Also I'm glad this topic is posted here, I was shocked myself to read it but with Latvala going FAST (when he isnt crashing because of it) and his old teammate against him it should be a good match.

But aside from that there are the best underdogs out there, Petter Solberg and Mads Otsberg.

Both former Subaru and privateers

next year will be interesting, especially with MINI, Ford, Hyundai, VW and Citroen. It will actually be rally variety again.

Unlike when I go to Rally America events and I feel like I'm at a subaru convention...

Javelin wrote: In reply to Keith Tanner: WRC lost the plot with this semi-spec thing. The great hey-day of the late 90's/early 00's was due to actually having very-closely related to the real things cars from a huge number of manufacturers. Subaru, Mitsubishi, Puegeot, and Ford really had a great thing going there with Skoda and Citroen, too. Now it's just "meh". I haven't watched any WRC since 2006.

Nope, they moved away from Group A which had a real link to Homologation cars around 96 when they launched the WRC (World Rally Car) spec from 1/1/97. That was the usueal unesxpected consequences that started an arms race. People said waaa waaa it's too expensive to build 4x4 homologation specials to race, so they built rules that allowed basing it off any 4cyl car of the right size with far more room to change suspension mounts etc than with Group A. Move forward 5-6 years and no one except Ford and Citroen can afford to compete so they all drop out.

The WRC rules were also brought about as the FWD 2.0L N/A S2000 cars were faster than the old Group A turbo 4x4 cars and even the eary WRC cars. But that was another arms race that killed itself which lead to Super 1600.

Wash repeat.

Keith Tanner wrote: Isn't it funny how the great heyday of any race series always seems to be about 15 years ago? It was pretty difficult to buy some of those cars from the manufacturers - I don't think Peugeot ever sold a turbo AWD compact, and Ford never offered an AWD Focus. Mitsubishi and Subaru, definitely.

Nhhaaa, the pinnacle of Rallying was Group B 81-86 with a brief resurgence in the early mid 90's with turbo 4x4 Group A cars.

For F1 it was 79 to 91

For Indy cars it was 75 through the split

For European/World Sports cars it was 65-71 then again with Group C through 88

IMSA sort of followed world Sports cars

I don't see 15 years ago as the heyday of anything in Motorsport.

fidelity101 wrote: Also I'm glad this topic is posted here, I was shocked myself to read it but with Latvala going FAST (when he isnt crashing because of it) and his old teammate against him it should be a good match. But aside from that there are the best underdogs out there, Petter Solberg and Mads Otsberg. Both former Subaru and privateers

Petter is a factory Ford driver, not a privateer. He's also the only guy to ever beat Loeb for the world championship. And I cheer every time Mads does well, I like both those guys.

Mikko vs Latvala will be good to watch, but we know how that's going to work out. Latvala will win some rallies and will fail to finish more of them. Latvala is a little bit unlucky, but I think a lot of that is self-induced. He's just a little careless, a little rough on the hardware. Mikko will be super-consistent and finish on top of the championship. Ogier will be an interesting guy to watch, I think he's still a bit immature and I don't know if he has what it takes to set up a brand new car. But he's got some speed, that's for sure.