Subaru withdraw from WRC

[TJ]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/ticker/hub/rally/index.html?item=1785462

Shame really.

[ad-one]

i guess we know what direction subaru is heading in now.
probly the end of a decent performance car range from them.

[SircatmaN]

Well where was there left to go after the new wrx design? fail.

[TJ]

Nah - I think youve both missed the boat.

Subaru was adamant it wouldnt run under the new S2000 rules. Why would they when the just spent a gazillion dollars on a new car?

Economic crisis = convenient timing I dare say.

It frees up prodrive to run a F1 team too...

[Lonewolf]

suzuki gone too apparently

[TJ]

Yup announced it yesterday.

[Skitzo]

Have mitsubishi pulled out aswell?

[V70R]

So much shame in the world of motorsport.
The economic crises is raping motorsport on a global scale. F1 to V8 supercars, DriftAustralia to the WRC. Maybe the administrators of the sports should focus on preservation of the sport and the survival of teams instead of changing rules to implement a warped idea.

[mc68]

Have mitsubishi pulled out aswell?

only 6 or 7 years ago...

[Lonewolf]

yep, no more japs!
crazy that mitsubishi and subaru built their cult cars on the WRC and now not even in it anymore.

[900]

what a fuckin' shame. i don't know what to say... subaru and the impreza has been the physical entity of rallying for the past 15 years. the loss of their/it's presence is ground-shaking. rallying will never be the same, i reckon.

chris atkinson was on his way up, he really was, and i doubt ford or citroen will make way for him.

[mc68]

just because the factory has pulled out, doesnt mean there wont be any subaru's running in the wrc

i hihgly doubt prodrive will be left with nothing to do in the sport, they just wont have subaru on the side.

No one remember the jolly club lancias?

[TJ]

Prodrive still has contracts to run some privateers.. but it frees up a ton of resources to run ... say for example... a defunct F1 team looking to sell ;)

[900]

just because the factory has pulled out, doesnt mean there wont be any subaru's running in the wrc
i bet that's what people were saying when mitsubishi works team called it quits. sure, they had 2 or 3 years of private lancers but they were no competitive threat to the major works teams. they will and always be rife in group N but that'd be it.

[Saf]

So much shame in the world of motorsport.
The economic crises is raping motorsport on a global scale.

If the economic crisis, (and its the new blame for anything bad) is a timeline of sport going to shit, it would be about the last 5 mins of a 12hr day.

Licencing, insurance, entry fee's, noise and epa regulations are big players to this scenario ... now add to the fact we live in a e-generation, meaning we are fat and pudgy, so we like watching mo-sp on the plasma at home, or going to a stadium yelling "howzat" so we can have instant access to sweets and food to feed our fat arses. We are lazy. If its not on TV, or in a stadium, were not really keen.

Rally aus for eg is a epic failure on the fact, aussies dont stand in the bush to watch rally. Finland, they are there a day earlier, camp at the side of the track in the snow, and get drunk just to see 3 seconds of the guy they came to watch.

Rally for eg, is mostly free to view. Hence WRC dont make the money say f1 does with its seating, private boxes etc etc. You can see why people pull out, there isnt the money in the sport to tell the teams "stay, here is your pay cheque).

Now couple the fact that Toyota are now a large shareholder in Subaru .... and in all honesty, they would be advising to stop the spending, and follow suit of what they do, Camry, Corolla, Yaris, Hiace, Hilux ... thats where the big money is, not GT-Four and Supra.

On the other end, you have F1 and its television, advertising, local and FIA rights etc etc, and people like Max, Bernie and the crew all syphon the shit out of it.

Everyone looses.

[Denver]

i bet that's what people were saying when mitsubishi works team called it quits. sure, they had 2 or 3 years of private lancers but they were no competitive threat to the major works teams. they will and always be rife in group N but that'd be it.

Ummm, mitsu came back to WRC for a few rounds, and turned up with basically a group A car, it was nothing like a WRC car in full trim, and still they spanked the crap out of the majority of the field, even won a round from memory, then they just pulled the pin..

The thing everyone forgets is that the evo's where never built to full WRC spec, just group A cars with some extra fruit in essence, yet they where nearly unbeatable in the hands of Makkenin...

i think they just tired of beating people with a car that was meant to be inferior...

[Sully]

but it frees up a ton of resources to run ... say for example... a defunct F1 team looking to sell ;)
lots of people whispering that! also, all these teams that are pulling out of top level motorsport are teams that haven't been performing well recently. word going around is that they're not really strapped for cash, more that it's a convenient time to get out of an ever more increasingly embarrassing situation without too much loss of face.

my hot tip is for a prodrive F1 team next year like tj said. david richards used to be a big name in the now defunct honda team... also big name at prodrive.... prodrive and subaru wrc = same same.... oh whoops.

[900]

Ummm, mitsu came back to WRC for a few rounds, and turned up with basically a group A car, it was nothing like a WRC car in full trim, and still they spanked the crap out of the majority of the field, even won a round from memory, then they just pulled the pin..

The thing everyone forgets is that the evo's where never built to full WRC spec, just group A cars with some extra fruit in essence, yet they where nearly unbeatable in the hands of Makkenin...

i think they just tired of beating people with a car that was meant to be inferior...
oh c'mon. there was more to it than that. i can't even remember, to be honest, why mitsu called it a day. it was more than just makinen leaving them. either way, citroen are in that seat now and i highly doubt they'll jump off granted sebastian is still rallying with them.

[Sully]

loeb is keen on a switch to f1 in a few years time. he's been testing with either torro rosso or red bull, i forget which. he's very close to the times that the regulars are putting down.

he's said it himself that it's something that he'd consider although i can see him heading down the same path as valentino rossi - keen to do it but never get around to it.

[Saf]

Now thats something id start wathing F1 again for ... Rossi.

He would do well in a season or two.

[devilfish]

I recon Prodrive are gonna go bust myself... along with a few others watch this space....

From prodrive's site;

"Subaru has announced its decision to withdraw from the 2009 World Rally Championship.

This sudden decision was in response to the widespread economic downturn that is affecting the entire automotive industry, and follows Suzuki’s withdrawal announced yesterday.

After 20 years in the sport, during which time the Prodrive-run Subaru World Rally Team has won six World Rally Championship titles, this is not only sad news for Subaru and the team, but also for millions of rallying fans around the world. Thanks to its highly successful World Rally Championship programme, Subaru has developed into one of the world’s most widely recognised and evocative automotive brands.

Prodrive chairman, David Richards, said: “Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over. Although this decision closes a significant chapter in Prodrive’s history, our focus now turns to the future.”

For many, Prodrive and Subaru are synonymous, given the long-standing and close association between the two companies. However, while the Subaru World Rally Team historically represented a significant part of Prodrive’s business, today it accounts for no more than 20 per cent of the company’s turnover.

Prodrive will look to redeploy as many of the rally team as possible in other areas of its business operations, which have grown to span advanced engineering and manufacturing for the automotive, defence, marine and aerospace industries, in addition to other motorsport programmes.

Despite the current economic downturn, Prodrive’s automotive engineering business remains buoyant as it works with vehicle manufacturers to accelerate the development of next generation fuel-efficient vehicles and alternative fuel technologies.

Together with Subaru, Prodrive’s commitment to its customer rally teams will also continue unabated for 2009 and beyond. Over the past 15 years, Prodrive has sold close to 500 rally cars to more than 400 private competitors and independent rally teams in 47 countries. During this time, Prodrive’s customers have won five consecutive Production World Rally Championships and countless international rallies. In 2008, Prodrive-supported customer teams have claimed eight rally championship titles around the world.

Looking ahead, 2010 will see the introduction of new World Rally Championship technical regulations, which provide Prodrive with an opportunity to prepare for re-entering the championship with a new team and build on its 24 years of World Rally Championship experience and success."

[NanG]

such a shame...

[900]

loeb is keen on a switch to f1 in a few years time. he's been testing with either torro rosso or red bull, i forget which. he's very close to the times that the regulars are putting down.

he's said it himself that it's something that he'd consider although i can see him heading down the same path as valentino rossi - keen to do it but never get around to it.
i, too, heard he was keen but i also read him saying he was too old for a position in the F1 ranks so he kind of cancelled it out.

would be very interesting seeing loeb in F1.