Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Dissatisfaction with the route in the Monte Carlo Rally is growing

MonteCarlo.jpg

The Monte Carlo Rally 2022 will be centered on Monte Carlo, not Gap as usual. In addition, no lunch service will be available on the first day (Friday) of the rally.

Hyundai Motorsport team principal Andrea Adamo labeling the itinerary for the 2022 event “one of the most stupid things I’ve seen in my life”.

The initial plan makes no provision for a lunchtime service, only a remote tire zone in Puget-Théniers.

With the onset of the biggest change in technical regulations in the history of the World Rally Championship, the teams are concerned by the potential for early reliability issues forcing the all-new Rally1 cars out on the opening day of the event.

Andrea Adamo said: 

“This is a big problem. It means there is first of all a problem of communication between the partners and this is not a good way to start a new era. I hope they make a change to the race format because, like this, it is very stupid.”

M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson was on the same page as his Hyundai counterpart.

Malcolm Wilson talk about: “To leave Monte on Friday morning and then have no lunchtime service – it’s difficult enough in the current car, but with all of the teams launching a brand-new car and that coupled with the real challenges Monte can throw at you…

“Getting the right mapping, the right tires, it will be so difficult. If it’s nice and dry it can be simple, but we all know what Monte can be like.

“It could be one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced in many years.”

January’s Monte offers a route 95% new from 2021 and starts from Casino Square, Monaco at 6.45pm on Thursday January 20. Two stages that night, Lucéram-Lantosque and La Bollène-Vésubie-Moulinet mean the Col de Turini moves from the final day to the opening loop.

The Friday in question includes the Roure-Beuil, Pierlas-Ilonse and La Tour-sur-Tinée-Utelle stages run twice.

Saturday’s action – which also offers no central midday service in Monaco – moves to the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence for Le Fugeret-Thorame-Haute then a new stage Saint-Jeannet-Malijai and Saint-Geniez-Thoard. This loop is split by a tire zone in Digne-les-Bains.

Sunday’s final day includes the La Penne-Collongues test and Briançonnet-Val-de-Chalvagne-Entrevaux stage, which runs through Col du Buis and Val-de-Chalvagne.

The finish is back in Monaco at 2pm.

Recall that in 2022 started with many different cars compared to previous seasons. For the first time, cars of the highest class in rally sports will include electric motors, and are actually the first hybrid racing rally cars. All this may require much more serious service work, such as the first race with such cars.

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