Mitsubishi suddenly withdraws

[GroupB]

Surprise announcement was made as the team was in the middle of testing for next season. This leaves Ford and Subaru as the only manufacturers involved officially.

http://media.mitsubishi-motors.com/pressrelease/e/motorsports/detail1389.html

 

[Raghavan]

Figures. They're runnign out of money for their cheif operations in the US anyways.

 

[Emohawk]

Wow, WRC is so screwed.
So's Mitsubishi, evidently. A sad day indeed.

 

[amp88]

It's not really that sudden, they had a year out a couple of years ago and the results in 2005 were pretty poor. Not much of a surprise really, but Galli's driving style will be missed (assuming he doesn't have a works drive and/or doesn't enter as a privateer next year).

 

[Appie]

i think there will come more manufacturers

 

[dkstz]

i think there will come more manufacturers

That's a MUST!! Both PSA (Citroen and Peugeot) out. Skoda out. Mitsu out. Only Ford and Subaru?? that's LAME!!
I guess WRC was never so weak in terms of teams participating as it is now. It never had so many countries joining, so many events and so many spectators live and by TV. It's sooo...sooo... strange!

That leaves even more drivers looking for a seat for 2006. Harri was doing well and Galli's style was still great, yeah.
Yesterday i thought that 2006 would be very cool cuz the teams would be very balanced (and was hoping to see the Lancers ahead again). Now i feel dissapointed somehow.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Maaan WRC is heading downhill fast.

 

[niky]

I thought Suzuki was stepping up to Group A?

And Skoda out too? This is going to be a very sad year indeed for the WRC.

 

[dkstz]

crap.. what about the Super 2000 "division"? What is that and when is happening? And there's the second manufacturer team like Ford was planning to make...
Well, 2 team of one make is strange, but more people racing is better. And we wouldn't have so many pilots left out like Harri, Gigi, Tony and McRae.
Someone should do something to bring back teams to WRC. Suzuki and Fiat may be possible choices... and Hyundai too...
WRC will suk next year!

 

[niky]

I think a major problem for the PSA, besides the fact that Citroen is whipping "parent" company Peugot is that it cost them a lot of money to stay at the top. The FIA has pointed out that it's the Subaru-Prodrive (is it Prodrive? or M? whichever) model it wishes people would follow... wherein a professional racing group is hired by the sponsor car company, instead of the car companies pouring huge amounts of money into rallying, making the playing field bumpy and uneven at best, and just a plain auction at worst.

Hyundai could come in... what about Toyota? They do have the ability to field a minor team on short notice, and maybe a full blown "works" team within half a year.

 

[Tornado]

Hyundai could come in... what about Toyota? They do have the ability to field a minor team on short notice, and maybe a full blown "works" team within half a year.

But does Toyota have a car that they could campaign sucessfully? The Celica was never succesful, and I don't even know if they make a full blowm hatch Corolla anymore.

 

[Raghavan]

Why is Citroen out? Loeb was on fire this year.

 

[VIPFREAK]

Finally gave up eh?

 

[Omnis]

But does Toyota have a car that they could campaign sucessfully? The Celica was never succesful, and I don't even know if they make a full blowm hatch Corolla anymore.

A Matrix, maybe? It's 1.8 liters, though.

 

[Pebb]

I looked yesterday on Motorsports News Newspaper yesterday, and Citroen are still in WRC. After showing off there C4 WRC Car.

 

[Roo]

The C4 is Citroens' 2007 car. Loeb is driving next year in a privateer Xsara.

Apparantly there's going to be 2 Red Bull-backed Skoda Fabias in the WRC too, with about 60% of the works Skoda team personnal working on it.

 

[conrm001]

Citroen are fielding a private team in 2006, Peugeot have given two 307 WRC's to a private team and Skoda have given two Fabia's. So in theory the WRC could be more exciting with the privates getting in with the works team.

Toyota have tried to build a Super 2000 and have no plans to enter the WRC

http://www.wrc.com/page/BreakingNewsDetail/0,,10111~757565,00.html

 

[niky]

Shame. Toyota Could do it with the AWD from the Matrix and a 2.0 version of that engine in a Corolla T-Sport 3-door or 5-door (yes, Toronado, they do still make them!) hatch or sedan. Granted, it will take millions and at least six months of development to get at least to the lower end of the pack, but the ability is there.

Shame about the Celica... I remember watching Carlos Sainz (gods, I will miss the man!) flipping one over about a bajillion times in one rally, and still getting the car started after each roll. On one occassion, he only lost about two seconds to his nearest competitor.

Of course, when he did ten endos in a row, the car finally had enough.

 

[Raghavan]

What about Hyundai and Suzuki?

 

[Blake]

Damn, that sucks.

In the ARC Toyota are using a Corolla, I don’t see why they couldn’t make a version for WRC. Though, they are already pouring hundreds of millions into their F1 programme…

 

[MagpieRacer]

They used to use the Corrolla in WRC, they pulled out to start the F1 program.

 

[somebody]

Damn, that sucks.

In the ARC Toyota are using a Corolla, I don’t see why they couldn’t make a version for WRC. Though, they are already pouring hundreds of millions into their F1 programme…

I'd love to see it happen but...

The TTR Corolla is only allowed to run under prototype rules and is therefore inelligible for WRC events.

It is made for group-N not group-A racing. It would need more money spent to meet the WRC rules and be competitive. Even under ARC rules they have special conditions to make it competitive.

 

[red70mach1]

Why is Citroen out? Loeb was on fire this year.

PSA, the parent corporation that owns both Peugeot and Citroen decided to pull support of their WRC teams for evaluation of budget.

 

[red70mach1]

A Matrix, maybe? It's 1.8 liters, though.

I believe that the Matrix is a little too big for the WRC, but it would make a WRX wagon like street beast.

 

[RexKwonDo]

It would be cool if Audi and Lancia suddenly jump back into the wrc.