Subaru Out Of WRC?

Subaru Out Of WRC, Following Suzuki?

By Matt Hardigree

 

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jalopnik/2008/12/Subaru-WRT.jpg

 

Subaru may pull its support from the World Rally Championship for 2009, joining Suzuki as yet another Japanese automaker planing to leave the series.

 

A report posted on the Finnish MTV3 network's website claims Subaru will no longer compete in the World Rally Championship in 2009. This is big news as Subaru developed much of its following and fan base by successful competing in the series with its iconic blue-and-yellow Imprezas.

 

If this report is correct, it would build on news earlier today of Suzuki pulling out of the WRC. Unlike Subaru, Suzuki was new to the series and therefore moving away from the series isn't as big of a deal.

 

Though companies like to have racing teams to show off their engineering prowess, in a bad economy it is sometimes the easiest thing to cut. This may explain why these reports are coming out so regularly. Of course, the WRC is introducing Spec-based rules for the future, but it may be too late for these two teams.

 

H/T to Osmo for the tip

someone please confirm this is not true

Yeah, this would be stupid.

 

Honda is abandoning it's motorsports programs left and right...

 

Maybe cheaper, closely production based motorsports will rise up in their place, as the expenses get tighter.

 

But motorsport is a good development arena, the buckets of cash are just not as available anymore.

Not surprising really. A lot of car makers are pulling back on motorsports, advertising and sponsorships.

At least in WRC Subaru greatly benefitted since the research in these rally cars made their way into models (WRX variants) that would be purchased by consumers with similar capabilities. In comparison to say when companies invest in Nascar, they probably receive very little (especially now a days with limited spec requirements) that trickles down into their products. And in the case of Honda in F1, an F1 engine that revs to 10k rpm isn't really going to make it to production model.

I dont even want to think about the possibility of Subaru leaving the WRC!!

 

Subaru's modern sales boom is owed to the rally achievements of the 90's. The biggest promotion tool Subaru has(at least in Europe) is the WRC!

 

Everytime i see the blue monsters i get chills, and i am so proud of Subaru's motorsport history...

 

I just hope that its just stupid rumours...

Sad, but true. I hope Prodrive and Subaru will concentrate more on private teams, this way saving money globally for FHI, but keeping cars on track.

someone please confirm this is not true

 

It's true.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/world_rally/7785299.stm

Goodnight...

 

This is a very sad day in both rally and Subaru's history...

Do you think that this will be for the 2009 season only?

 

Or permanent?

bummer

I'm absolutely gutted

 

16/12/08

 

Subaru pulls out of the WRC

Prodrive, the company which runs the team on behalf of Subaru, broke the news at 0900hrs this morning. It said the decision was sudden and had been made in response to the economic downturn currently affecting the automotive industry.

 

Yesterday Suzuki confirmed it would not be back in 2009 for similar reasons.

 

The Subaru World Rally Team was established in 1989, when the Japanese manufacturer teamed up with British based motor sport specialists Prodrive. After almost 20 years the 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,” said Prodrive chairman David Richards.

 

“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.”

 

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 turnover.

 

Prodrive says it 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.

 

There is no news yet from Subaru about how the decision will affect Subaru’s driver Petter Solberg/Phil Mills and Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot, or whether the company plans to return to the sport in the future.

 

Prodrive, however, is already lining up its own rally return saying “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.”

 

Prodrive also pledged to support its own customer rally teams 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.

I would like to think that this move is a tactical decision keeping in mind that Subaru was the company that was influenced the most from the recent revolutionary changes in the specifications of WRC for the 2010 season!

Subaru was counting on developing the new group-N rally car for the 2010 season but then FIA said that the cars competing in 2010 must not be based on the group-N cars!

 

If we consider that Subaru have just recently spent millions developing the 2008 WRC car and the FIA gone and made that car obsolete for 2010! The car was only used for 6 months!

So by withdrawing from the 2009 season, and saving the huge costs involved, i think it gives them the chance to develop a competitive S2000-spec car for 2010.

 

At least this is the end of the deeply-troubled relationship of Prodrive-Subaru.

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=3541&desc=Subaru%20pulls%20out%20of%20the%20WRC

 

16/12/08

Subaru pulls out of the WRC

 

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

Why is Ford requesting billions in aid, yet keeping overseas programs like WRC ? I could understand if they focused on the core NASCAR racing...I know its WRC involvement is great for European and Asia sales...

Subaru hopes to return to WRC

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72500

 

Subaru decision to withdraw from WRC actually deals with the new regulations adopted by FIA for the Rally and Production cars - would have required Subaru to come up with a new car

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72436

 

Some of the new regulations:

The rally commission had a meeting last week where they hammered out the blueprint of the new WRC regulations that will go into effect from 2010. They will try to get them approved at the council meeting on March 26.

 

On this meeting it was a new tone amongst the participants; FIA, manufacturers and ISC the media rights holder. Since the last meeting the change was that now that all worked for the same target, a cheaper and more low-tech WR Car.

 

The most important things in the new rules are printed in the latest Autosport, and I will try to put in a condensed version here.

 

Engine: Will be based on a S2000 engine, and a standard Turbo will be added, to get more torque, but not much more hp's than 270-280 that S2000 has today.

 

Transmission: Semi automatic boxes are out. Sequential box is in. Hydraulics on any of the diffs are out, mechanical diffs at all 3 places in.

 

Electronics: Much more standard ECU, closer to a road car. Therefor: Launch control out, toghether with all the rest of the electronic controls they have today.

 

Brakes: Brakes will be smaller than today, especially the asphalt brakes. Water injection to cool them is out.

 

Interior: Will look much more spartan and simple than today. Much because of the loss of all the electronics. Just gauges for pressures and temperatures will be there.

 

Exterior: Will keep the large rear wing that they have today. Both for giving more downforce, but also to separate them from the S2000 cars.

 

They are aiming to write the regs to try to make it difficult to use the WRC in any other championship than WRC, but as they are saying; we do not dictate the national governing bodies - so lets see.

 

Implementation: They aim to implement from 2010, and since the last version of todays WR Car will get homologated in 09, they will be allowed in the championship in 2010 in de tuned version, for non prioritized drivers, but not in 2011.

 

We are doing this to save money, and by that getting more manufacturers into WRC says Morrie Chandler to Autosport, and he is hoping for 7 manufacturers in 2010.

 

Super 2000 specs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_2000#Specifications

Seems to be sensible.

 

I just wonder if CVT gearboxes are allowed if it's a gearbox available for a standard car.

They are aiming to write the regs to try to make it difficult to use the WRC in any other championship than WRC, but as they are saying; we do not dictate the national governing bodies - so lets see.

 

We are doing this to save money, and by that getting more manufacturers into WRC says Morrie Chandler to Autosport, and he is hoping for 7 manufacturers in 2010.

 

How is making the car less compatible with other rally championships going to save manufacturers money? Wouldn't it just make it more expensive to build a dedicated car for the WRC.

This really sucks today is bad day for Subaru and an even worse day for WRC

The pullout was really because no one can win as long as Loeb is in it.

And in the case of Honda in F1, an F1 engine that revs to 10k rpm isn't really going to make it to production model.

 

Um..vtec???

"I just hit 8k...vtec yooooooo"

The pullout was really because no one can win as long as Loeb is in it.

 

Sure - Loeb is a good driver, but there has to be more to it than that.

 

Not that I mean that they are cheating, but if you get a good team together then that's often what makes it take that final piece that means victory.

 

Much of racing is a team effort, and we have seen that in F1 too. Both failures and successes are the result of team effort or lack of effort.

^ Yeah...my comments were more sarcastic than anything else.

Wow, sad day for the little blue monsters.....

 

http://www.autoracingdaily.com/images/featured/subaruargentn290x329.jpg

cry