The start of WRC 2022 will be a question mark for everyone. New cars, new technologies, new hardware, new tires, but also new driver and team line-ups that have changed a lot even in the upper floors.
After 5 years of great certainty, given by cars that have immediately won the hearts of everything for performance and spectacularity, now it will be the turn of Rally1 to try to make fans of the World Rally fall in love. Not an easy task, especially due to the many question marks with which the WRC 2022 will be opened at the Rallye Monte-Carlo.
The teams used mid-2021 to carry out tests with prototypes of the new cars. Indeed, in some cases, the teams have had to do without the electric package provided by Compact Dynamics due to some problems found on the electric devices that make the propulsion of the new cars hybrid.
Pirelli’s rally activity manager, Terenzio Testoni, gave an overview of how the teams arrive at the debut of the new season, who spoke about this aspect to Motorsport.com.
“Everyone started testing the new cars very late and everyone says they would and would like to try more. The fact that they left so late is a factor that they are paying for. “
“When the Monte-Carlo route was presented, the Shakedown was not included, but this year it will be done only for the crews who will race on Rally1 precisely to allow them to have more chances to try the cars, which are totally new” .
The new season, then, will open with another big question mark. Sébastien Ogier will be at the start of the Rallye Monte-Carlo as an official Toyota Gazoo Racing driver, but he will not take part in the entire World Championship. Therefore, for the first time in many years, he will not be among the contenders for the Drivers title.
This aspect could lead the WRC to lose appeal. Or, vice versa, it could increase it precisely due to the absence of the driver who, over the last 9 seasons, has won 8 World titles.
“I think the lack of Ogier full time will be felt, especially for the fans and his fans. However, in my opinion, hybrid cars will have great appeal and will create curiosity in all enthusiasts “.
“It will be interesting, because up until last year the challenge for the title was Ogier against a rider, and maybe this wasn’t always the same. From this year, however, we will see 3 riders contending for the title. But I really think that the novelty of the hybrid will bring a lot of interest to the WRC ”, concluded Testoni.
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