Grand Prix Rejects

DemocalypseNow wrote:This thread goes to show how desperately a new generation of WRC was needed. One post for the whole of the 2016 season. Grim.

dr-baker wrote:

DemocalypseNow wrote:This thread goes to show how desperately a new generation of WRC was needed. One post for the whole of the 2016 season. Grim.

And not even that one poster was all that interested, or following it that closely. Don't even know if any channels are showing highlights. S4C?

dr-baker wrote:

DemocalypseNow wrote:This thread goes to show how desperately a new generation of WRC was needed. One post for the whole of the 2016 season. Grim.

And not even that one poster was all that interested, or following it that closely. Don't even know if any channels are showing highlights. S4C?

East Londoner wrote:Presumably to stop Latvala or Meeke writing off their cars, Stage 12 of Rally Sweden has been cancelled.

This Could Be You wrote:Red Bull TV are showing highlights programmes online at 9:00PM each evening (and showed Stage 12 live) for free; the quality of these programs far exceeds the stock WRC highlights Channel 5 uses (which are appallingly bad) and even rivals the Channel 4 coverage from the early 2000s (easily the best WRC coverage ever imo) in quality.

• Mike Chen is a good presenter. He knows his way around the paddock and gets across enthusiasm for the sport.
• On Demand. If I miss the highlights on BT Sport, I can't go back whenever and watch it again. With RB TV, I can.
• They brought in Craig Breen for Mexico, as they did not bring a DS3 for him to race, and the second C3 was occupied by Stéphane Lefebvre. He was a tad uncomfortable in front of the camera, but was actually rather excellent as a colour commentator on the live stage coverage. He offered insight that was actually relevant and interesting, rather than just platitudes (will get to this later), and was so on top of what was happening, he was correcting mistakes made by Chen (e.g. pointing out it was Bertelli that had rolled rather than Latvala).

• Some of the cuts from RBTV produced video to global feed clips are somewhat rough and don't make narrative sense. Little bits of interesting information are lost to make time for the 'punditry'. RBTV has a 30 minute duration for WRC highlights, and usually over 10 minutes of punditry, when working with a 22 minute global feed. You can do the maths. For example, cutting to the afternoon stages on Saturday in Rally Mexico, the lead in suggests we are going back to the action, and straight away there is a side-by-side with Jari-Matti Latvala, which doesn't feel right. The global feed packages are designed to be slick - when you start shunting other clips in between the flow disappears.
• RBTV have gone for glitz and in-house promotion over quality. Mark Webber is an affable chap, and while it's interesting to see a world class driver exploring another side of motorsport, having him as a lone pundit doesn't make a great deal of sense. The one individual that is relied upon for this aspect is Matthew Wilson, who despite - I assume - having more prep than Craig Breen, has not added much to the conversation. Perhaps he is being directed to stick to platitudes and not get into the finer points, but whatever the reason, it's not adding anything to the coverage as of yet. And then there's Mexico, and the entirely pointless addition of Tavo Vildósola, who is a Trophy Truck driver from the Red Bull stable. OK, so he is Mexican, and drives off-road for a living, but that's where the relevant ended. His appearance made him seem like more of a marketing prop than actually there to cover anything relevant.
• Patchy on-demand availability. When I missed Day 2 of Rally Monte Carlo, it was online within the hour after first broadcast. Mexico highlights were broadcast at 4am due to the local time zone, but then highlights were still not uploaded as of midday.

DemocalypseNow wrote:A little surprised this thread still hasn't seen any action. Rally Mexico was interesting, with the order being thrown upside down and Kris Meeke winning despite crashing and then taking a tour round a car park on the very last stage.

Three different drivers and teams winning the first three events. The fastest car/driver combo of the Hyundai i20 Coupe and Thierry Neuville have only a single podium, so it could very well be four different winners in four events after Corsica.

WRC is worth paying attention to again. Good things are happening.

This Could Be You wrote:Red Bull TV are showing highlights programmes online at 9:00PM each evening (and showed Stage 12 live) for free; the quality of these programs far exceeds the stock WRC highlights Channel 5 uses (which are appallingly bad) and even rivals the Channel 4 coverage from the early 2000s (easily the best WRC coverage ever imo) in quality.

Having watched all three rallies, I can now say with confidence this isn't really true.

RBTV does not actually utilise any raw footage of the rally action itself. Instead, it takes the 22 minute world feed package that is sent to the likes of BT Sport (don't know about Channel 5, haven't watched it on that) and cuts it up, interspersing the global recording with general chat.

I've noticed a variety of pros and cons to the coverage;

Pros

• Mike Chen is a good presenter. He knows his way around the paddock and gets across enthusiasm for the sport.
• On Demand. If I miss the highlights on BT Sport, I can't go back whenever and watch it again. With RB TV, I can.
• They brought in Craig Breen for Mexico, as they did not bring a DS3 for him to race, and the second C3 was occupied by Stéphane Lefebvre. He was a tad uncomfortable in front of the camera, but was actually rather excellent as a colour commentator on the live stage coverage. He offered insight that was actually relevant and interesting, rather than just platitudes (will get to this later), and was so on top of what was happening, he was correcting mistakes made by Chen (e.g. pointing out it was Bertelli that had rolled rather than Latvala).

Cons

• Some of the cuts from RBTV produced video to global feed clips are somewhat rough and don't make narrative sense. Little bits of interesting information are lost to make time for the 'punditry'. RBTV has a 30 minute duration for WRC highlights, and usually over 10 minutes of punditry, when working with a 22 minute global feed. You can do the maths. For example, cutting to the afternoon stages on Saturday in Rally Mexico, the lead in suggests we are going back to the action, and straight away there is a side-by-side with Jari-Matti Latvala, which doesn't feel right. The global feed packages are designed to be slick - when you start shunting other clips in between the flow disappears.
• RBTV have gone for glitz and in-house promotion over quality. Mark Webber is an affable chap, and while it's interesting to see a world class driver exploring another side of motorsport, having him as a lone pundit doesn't make a great deal of sense. The one individual that is relied upon for this aspect is Matthew Wilson, who despite - I assume - having more prep than Craig Breen, has not added much to the conversation. Perhaps he is being directed to stick to platitudes and not get into the finer points, but whatever the reason, it's not adding anything to the coverage as of yet. And then there's Mexico, and the entirely pointless addition of Tavo Vildósola, who is a Trophy Truck driver from the Red Bull stable. OK, so he is Mexican, and drives off-road for a living, but that's where the relevant ended. His appearance made him seem like more of a marketing prop than actually there to cover anything relevant.
• Patchy on-demand availability. When I missed Day 2 of Rally Monte Carlo, it was online within the hour after first broadcast. Mexico highlights were broadcast at 4am due to the local time zone, but then highlights were still not uploaded as of midday.

Overall, I am lucky. I have BT Sport primarily for its Serie A coverage, but they also happen to have all the same content as WRC+, the premium online service - albeit not on-demand like WRC+. I would be getting a tad frustrated if RBTV was my only option.

Dexter249 wrote:So, I thought we would have a rally thread (I mean it's 2017, we should've had a thread years ago).

DemocalypseNow wrote:Bit disappointed it's not the Stéphane Sarrazin Rally Thread, but okay...

Dexter249 wrote:A bit late on this, Subaru Rally Team Canada is dead.

dr-baker wrote:

Dexter249 wrote:A bit late on this, Subaru Rally Team Canada is dead.

There was a Subaru Rally Team Canada?!!!?!???

CarloSpace wrote:Breen is steadily becoming my favourite driver in the WRC. The guy loves the sport with all his heart and it's evident in every interview he gives. His interview at the finish of Rally Finland two years ago when he got his first podium finish is just so emotional and genuine. I love going back to it but sadly there isn't a full version in YouTube available. And you know, he's been through so much down the years (his co-driver Gareth Roberts was killed in a similar crash to Kubica's in 2012) and has still managed to make it to the top.

It's a real shame he has to give up his seat to Loeb because in Sweden he was so much faster than Meeke (and generally multiple times more reliable too) that I believe he has much better shot at the title (though still a longshot) than Meeke. The best option would've been to field a third car for Loeb in Mexico. I hardly think Loeb will be at Breen's level, it's been five years since his last semi-serious rally season so there's no way he can be up to speed, right?

CarloSpace wrote:Breen is steadily becoming my favourite driver in the WRC. The guy loves the sport with all his heart and it's evident in every interview he gives. His interview at the finish of Rally Finland two years ago when he got his first podium finish is just so emotional and genuine. I love going back to it but sadly there isn't a full version in YouTube available. And you know, he's been through so much down the years (his co-driver Gareth Roberts was killed in a similar crash to Kubica's in 2012) and has still managed to make it to the top.

It's a real shame he has to give up his seat to Loeb because in Sweden he was so much faster than Meeke (and generally multiple times more reliable too) that I believe he has much better shot at the title (though still a longshot) than Meeke. The best option would've been to field a third car for Loeb in Mexico. I hardly think Loeb will be at Breen's level, it's been five years since his last semi-serious rally season so there's no way he can be up to speed, right?

DemocalypseNow wrote:Meeke, Evans and Sordo along with Loeb will be ones to watch in Mexico. Neuville, Ogier and Latvala will be hamstrung on day one by gravel sweeping. It's a great opportunity for Sordo especially; if he can't get a podium they might as well just give Paddon the third Hyundai for the rest of the season.

dr-baker wrote:https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/140701/msport-seeks-extension-in-fight-for-wrc-future

So the team that won won last year's manufacturer's title and this year's drivers and co-drivers title is asking for an extension for entering the 2019 season, because they currently have no cash to be able to make the commitment. Currently the deadline for entering the Monte Carlo Rally is also this Friday...

dr-baker wrote: ↑15 Apr 2023, 15:15