2019 World Rally ChampionshipRally

[Torneo]

​

Calendar

Round 1: Rallye Monte Carlo - 24-27 January
Round 2: Rally Sweden - 14-17 February
Round 3: Rally Mexico - 7-10 March
Round 4: Tour de Corse - 28-31 March
Round 5: Rally Argentina - 25-28 April
Round 6: Rally Chile - 9-12 May
Round 7: Rally de Portugal - 30 May - 2 June
Round 8: Rally Italia Sardegna - 13-16 June
Round 9: Rally Finland - 1-4 August
Round 10: Rallye Deutschland - 22-25 August
Round 11: Rally of Turkey - 12-15 September
Round 12: Wales Rally GB - 3-6 October
Round 13: Rally de Catalunya - 24-27 October
Round 14: Rally Australia - 14-17 November

2018 Drivers' Champion: Sébastien Ogier
2018 Co-drivers' Champion: Julien Ingrassia
2018 Manufacturers' Champion: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Current Standings, Results and Entry List: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_World_Rally_Championship

 

[ShiftingGears]

Last season was exciting but I hope we get a new world champion this year, as having only two different drivers champions in the past 15 years is not healthy for the sport.

 

[Torneo]

Highlights of the rallies so far:

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[Simmpa]

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/142909/new-zealand-tipped-for-oneoff-wrc-return

I hope New Zeeland stays as Aussies have alot lower interest in WRC. I also hope Hayden Paddon gets a seat in Toyota. Neither Kris Meeke or Jari Matti Latvala does a good job.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

https://www.fia.com/news/fia-announces-world-motor-sport-council-decisions-14

There'll be a new generation of WRC cars in 2022 with a hybrid system. "The aim is to enable the cars to run on pure electric power in cities and provide an electric power boost on special stages."

 

[Simmpa]

https://www.fia.com/news/fia-announces-world-motor-sport-council-decisions-14

There'll be a new generation of WRC cars in 2022 with a hybrid system. "The aim is to enable the cars to run on pure electric power in cities and provide an electric power boost on special stages."

I can imagine spectators getting hit by the car as they can´t hear the sound of a roaring engine.

 

[Torneo]

Ogier will retire from WRC after 2020.

https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/ogier-2020-retirement-citroen/4505098/

 

[Simmpa]

Ogier will retire from WRC after 2020.

https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/ogier-2020-retirement-citroen/4505098/

Which means we will be guaranted a new champion in 2021

 

[Torneo]

Which means we will be guaranted a new champion in 2021

That might happen sooner since the championship fight has been close in the last two seasons and is currently really close too.

 

[Simmpa]

That might happen sooner since the championship fight has been close in the last two seasons and is currently really close too.

Nothing can be taken for granted, remember the Loeb era? In 2006 he won with 1 point and he missed 4 rallies because of a mountainbike accident

 

[Carbon_6]

Nothing can be taken for granted, remember the Loeb era? In 2006 he won with 1 point and he missed 4 rallies because of a mountainbike accident

The image of him sitting at home with a celebratory cup of coffee, after watching Grönholm trying in vain to finish better than 3rd in Australia is still vivid in the memory.

 

[ShiftingGears]

From the results it looks like a good season so far. Surprised to see Sordo win again.

 

[Motoyuki7]

Now it is really possible that we will have a new champion!

 

[TheElbows]

Is there any way for a US consumer to watch/follow WRC beyond the abysmal three minute wrap up videos? I used to be able to catch at least ERC on YouTube, but I can never find any proper to actually watch WRC events. Back 10-15 years ago there used to be rather good coverage stateside for WRC. It disappeared and I've more or less struggled to follow rally since. Back in the day it was something akin to 1 hour each day of the rally which was at least enough to cover all the events/stats.

Is there good coverage for it anywhere in the world that I might try to find on YouTube, etc?

 

[Torneo]

Is there any way for a US consumer to watch/follow WRC beyond the abysmal three minute wrap up videos? I used to be able to catch at least ERC on YouTube, but I can never find any proper to actually watch WRC events. Back 10-15 years ago there used to be rather good coverage stateside for WRC. It disappeared and I've more or less struggled to follow rally since. Back in the day it was something akin to 1 hour each day of the rally which was at least enough to cover all the events/stats.

Is there good coverage for it anywhere in the world that I might try to find on YouTube, etc?

You could buy WRC+ and watch every stage live:
https://plus.wrc.com/en/

 

[TheElbows]

Gotcha. So just the paywall option. That's unfortunate. I'd love to subscribe to every major motorsport series but I'd end up broke.

 

[Northstar]

Is there any way for a US consumer to watch/follow WRC beyond the abysmal three minute wrap up videos? I used to be able to catch at least ERC on YouTube, but I can never find any proper to actually watch WRC events. Back 10-15 years ago there used to be rather good coverage stateside for WRC. It disappeared and I've more or less struggled to follow rally since. Back in the day it was something akin to 1 hour each day of the rally which was at least enough to cover all the events/stats.

Is there good coverage for it anywhere in the world that I might try to find on YouTube, etc?

RedBull TV does a pretty good job for a free service, they do a decent length recap for each day, a live stage and an overall recap show .

https://www.redbull.com/us-en/tags/rally

 

[Motoyuki7]

I watch Redbull TV coverage as well!

 

[Simmpa]

WRC calendar 2020

Still 14 events

Rallies added: New Zealand, Japan and Kenya

Rallies scrapped: Australia, Corsica and Catalunya

https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/sep...XYXj2JDND5p6bavTxP1I-Jx_jvtnt9Pu7MYvUzhajPVh0

 

[Motoyuki7]

Very interesting change.
I want to see if modern cars will resist more at Kenya.
But I will miss those asphalt events.

 

[Roger the Horse]

Will Japan still be running in Hokkaido, could be interesting weather wise in late November if so

 

[Wiegert]

Will Japan still be running in Hokkaido, could be interesting weather wise in late November if so

It'll be a new all-asphalt event in Aichi prefecture (right on Toyota's front door) which had been proposed for this season until those plans were abandoned in favour of retaining Corsica instead.

 

[Torneo]

Surprisingly, Tänak moves to Hyundai for 2020.

https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/tanak-hyundai-2020-toyota-move/4586262/

 

[MaxAttack]

Surprisingly, Tänak moves to Hyundai for 2020.

https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/tanak-hyundai-2020-toyota-move/4586262/

Well I didn't see that coming...

 

[twitcher]

Definitely caught off guard by Tanak leaving Toyota. Seemed like they were such a good fit for one another.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Congratulations to Ott Tanak, the 2019 WRC champion! He's the first driver who isn't French or called Sebastien to win the title since 2003!

 

[unit-one]

Yay! Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja won the WRC!
But the news about him joining Hyundai... I understood that he didn't sign anything yet and it's not final.

 

[Roger the Horse]

A WRC champion who isn't French or called Sebastien? Nah, must be a hoax

 

[unit-one]

 

[sumbrownkid]

It’s official, Tanak is going to Hyundai.

Wonder what Toyota is going to do now.