Looking to the future of rallying - Ramblings

There's no denying that rallying at the top level is an expensive sport and a huge commitment for manufacturers. And the current economic situation has crunched down hard, forcing car companies to look at where they can tighten their spending. F1 was hit hard earlier this month when Honda pulled out and last week the WRC saw other Japanese manufacturers Suzuki and Subaru end their campaigns. It's been quite a miserable month for motor-sport workers and fans, but now is it going to get worse before it gets better? Will the FIA be able to organise themselves to save the top level of motor-sport?

For manufacturers, the bottom line of their involvement in any top-mid level motor-sport is to sell cars and their brand. Suzuki's withdrawal from the WRC comes as little to no shock to many, it was actually announced back during Rally New Zealand that they did not intend to continue into 2009 - and the problems they've had during the year with management changes and little promising results from the SX4 WRC don't help. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of point trying to get a new car up to speed on the eve of regulation changes (S2000).

Subaru on the other hand have had a long and celebrated involvement in the top level of rallying, dating back to 1989 - and I can't remember not seeing Subaru's out on the stages here in NZ. After the last few years Subaru was looking a little stale, but number two driver Chris Atkinson showed promise in the first few events of the year in the old 2007 Impreza with a string of podium places. Then a decision to bring out the new shaped Impreza ahead of time on the car-breaker Acropolis rally saw the bearing of fruits with a second place for Petter. It looked like a new leaf was showing for the Subaru World Rally Team - but disappointing late season results can't have helped in the decision of whether to keep the programme running.

FIA have been developing the new formula for WRC over the last couple of years and it seems that S2000 could be the solution. There is still much concern, though manufacturers such as Skoda, Proton, Fiat and Peugeot have jumped on the opportunity with both hands - will it be the same? Will the cars still bring out the same numbers of spectators and create the same amount of interest as the WRC? I think we'll be able to see the shape the WRC will take over the next year by looking at these cars coming up through their testing stages in championships such as the IRC and smaller regional competitions.

The main aim of the Super 2000 Specification is to reduce costs and make rallying at world level more accessible - beefing up competitor fields and making everything more interesting. The formula, though new, feels reminiscent of older rallying times when privateer drivers had just as good chance of winning a rally or championship as the contracted works drivers. More specifically the cars must be normally aspirated, share common gearboxes and drive-trains produced by an outside company, be based on an in production model of car (of which 2,500 units must have been produced in the last year), have front and rear McPherson suspension and have a maximum sale price of 168,000 Euros.

Formula One are making similar types of cost cutting changes in relation to their cars to try and open up the field and make racing more accessible. And also like the WRC, not all the kinks have been ironed out yet.

With all these future initiatives still in the works, S2000 not coming into effect until 2010, the 2009 season looks very quiet. The WRC looks to be a two horse race even more than ever. But there will be some interest to keep everything ticking over. The Adapta WRT are still looking to run a two car team, though possibly not a manufacturers team, after the withdrawal of Subaru and bring with it Norwegian driver Mads Ostberg. Citroen bring in 2008 shining junior Sebastien Ogier into their ranks after a stunning season and amazing debut on Wales Rally GB this year. Ford will no doubt be shuffling seats around in their second teams and the Stobart outfit looks to grow following it's 50th appearance in the WRC in Wales. Rumours are rife with talented drivers coming up through the ranks of the PWRC - and it seems the drama won't cease to continue.

I will admit that I did freak out quite a bit when the news of Subaru's withdrawal came through. I haven't been closely involved in rallying long enough to have seen the other times when the manufacturer involvement has dropped to only two teams and yet the series has still survived, though I have been reassured that it has happened and it will survive again. The reality is that, at the moment, there just isn't as much money available to throw around as there has been in the past. But, like Ford said when they re-confirmed their commitment to the WRC following the shock news from Subaru last week, they still find the WRC to be good value for money and essential for the marketing of their brand and specifically important to the sales of the Ford Focus.

At the end of the day the WRC is still cheaper to compete in than F1!