Who will win the Monte 2003?

[Guido]

With the Monte only a couple of weeks away now, I thought it would be interesting to ask who you think will actually win the season opener!

I'm putting my money on Sebastien Loeb

[ales]

My vote goes to Tommi - he seems to almost always win it

Although I would love Markko to get his first win there

[RallyRaider]

The Monte would have to be the hardest rally on the callendar to predict. Depends on so many things, the weather being the biggest! If it'd dry it will probably be a fight between Loeb and Panizzi. If it snows it gives the likes of Makkinen and maybe even Gronholm the advantage.

Sainz is always a solid performer there (like everywhere) perhaps the added tarmac speed of the Citroen will give him his fourth Monte. McRae has is probably due some luck too, he hasn't finished there too often.

Oh hell... I have no idea! I'll choose 'Someone Else' - maybe Auriol in the Skoda

How about a poll for who will win the championship? With the new points system Carlos Sainz would have to be a good bet.

[ales]

Originally posted by RallyRaider

How about a poll for who will win the championship?

I will not be drawn inot that discussion! j/k

That i, intil the first few races are done. I have no idea what the teams will come up with in terms of the cars. I'm very curious to know what Ford will do with their Focus (go Markko!!!), also Citroen could be a dark horse. Or it can be Pug all over agian.

[CAptynCrunch]

I went with Loed because the citroen is brutal on tarmac. Plus he's my favourite driver next to Solberg.

[ales]

Why is everyone so convinced about Citroen being the car to beat on tarmac? If anything, it's Panizzi's Pug that is the class of the field. Besides, I highly doubt that we will see a dry MC rally this year.

I'm still going for Tommi, if his car is u to it, that is. Second choice - Gronholm. Although we could also have a few surprises from the younder generation (I hope so!)

[bigfrit]

You've said it right!
watch out for the new generation!
Simply judging from the driver's performances from the Race Of Champions, if I would have to bet, it would be on Grönholm.

But, as we all know, he could always have trouble.
I guess we should all look at Duval's performances. He's very fast on tarmac, has aggressive driving (so do all wrc drivers), but he has proven to be the best f the new generation (roc).

So, let's hope he is just as a good wine, gets better with age.

[Guido]

As RallyRaider points out it's very difficult to predict anything in WRC. And that's why it makes for such interesting sports.

I was thinking of doing a poll prior to every rally and that for the first couple of rallies, to see where every team and drivere are. And after a couple of rounds, then do the Championship poll.

Why a lot of people think Citroen is the team to watch on Tarmac? Simply because Loeb was the fastest on last years Monte - but got penalised and came second and cause he one "The Deutschland". Panizzi for sure is also fast... oh well, we'll have to wait and see.

[ales]

It's not so long a wait now (for those who don't know, it starts 22nd of March).

What prevents me from siding with Loeb, Citroen and even Panizzi is that it migh very well be asnowy rally ... but we'll see.

[Guido]

True, when it's a snow event/ice event we might expect Gronholm and Makinnen as the frontrunners and even Carlos Sainz will have a good chance, even in the Citroen.

I'm not so sure about the youngsters though. Martin maybe not there yet, Solberg maybe overmotivated to confirm his win in the UK, and Duval probably still to explosive cause he still has a lot to learn

[Marco_Wrc]

Winter is late this year. Here (The Netherlands) at least, maybe also in monte-carlo. I guess the tracks will be snowey, so my vote goes to Marcus Grönholm, or some other finnish person.

When the track is dry (as already mentioned) panizzi has a good chance. Loeb is also a driver to think about, i hope citroen spends some more money on keeping the cars running this year (especially now mcrae and sainz joined the team)

[Marco_Wrc]

Originally posted by ales
It's not so long a wait now (for those who don't know, it starts 22nd of March).

What prevents me from siding with Loeb, Citroen and even Panizzi is that it migh very well be asnowy rally ... but we'll see.

:huh: Slightly adjustment. Monte starts at 23rd of january.

[ales]

Umpf!!! I meant 22 January (the shakedown).

[bigfrit]

It seems to me that the only teams putting in a substantial new car (homologation) are Skoda and Subaru so we could expect fireworks from these two "new" evolutions beginning in the Monte!

ciaoo Olivier

[freakray]

Looking at the 2003 photos of the Focus, it is pretty close to whole new car.....hehe.....who knows what Hyundai will pull out the bag....

Ray