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2 Dec 2002, 17:03 (Ref:441243) | #1 | ||
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Shocking Pullout.
Mitsubishi has pulled out of the World Rally Championship for next year. The ralliart guys is reorganizing and also test their new development car in return for the 2004 season. Delacour, McRae and Passonen still on contracts with Mitsubishi will be in selected rallies for 2003 in a privateer Lancer.
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2 Dec 2002, 17:53 (Ref:441274) | #2 | ||
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*thud*
Wow. |
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2 Dec 2002, 17:58 (Ref:441280) | #3 | ||
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Is it already known WHAT rallies they will do?
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2 Dec 2002, 17:59 (Ref:441281) | #4 | ||
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Frankly I'm not surprised. They have been absolutely nowhere in 2002. Better to step back and take a deep breath and get it together before they try again.
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"If we won all the time, we'd be as unpopular as Ferrari, and we want to avoid that. We enjoy being a team that everybody likes." Flavio Briatore |
2 Dec 2002, 18:10 (Ref:441291) | #5 | ||
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Well, I said it'd happen, just sooner than I expected.
If they're going to run privateer cars, PUT THEM IN THE DAMN GROUP A CARS AND TRY TO SCORE SOME POINTS! |
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"Put a ****ing wheel on there! Let me go out again!" -Gilles Villeneuve, Zandvoort, 1979 |
2 Dec 2002, 19:33 (Ref:441326) | #6 | ||
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Well that one came out of the blue - there was only an article in Autosport last week about there build up to next years championship.
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2 Dec 2002, 20:25 (Ref:441357) | #7 | ||
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maybe they'll run the Colt in 2004 in selected rallies in the red/grey livery
(Let's hope it runs in Cyprus) |
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2 Dec 2002, 20:39 (Ref:441367) | #8 | ||
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IMO, a good move
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3 Dec 2002, 08:35 (Ref:441616) | #9 | ||
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Not only is this a chance to regroup and come back stronger in 2004, but it also means that if they choose not to come back, it won't make as big a spalcsh in the headlines. When you're failing, it's best to slip away quietly without fanfare. This will give them that oppurtunity.
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3 Dec 2002, 10:45 (Ref:441660) | #10 | ||
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From what i read on Autosport the factory team will compete on a selected number of World Championship events next year, just not the lot (probably euro rounds), and the drivers may be allowed one-offs in other cars.
For Mitsubishi it is probably a good move, a year to rebuild but still be involved in the WC, for us though it is a manufacturer only out there on a part time basis, used to be the norm though. |
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3 Dec 2002, 13:57 (Ref:441798) | #11 | ||
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Frankly I'm not surprised,too. They haven't been absolutely kings in 2002. The factory team will compete on a selected number of World Championship events next year. Safari? or Rally de Potugal?
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4 Dec 2002, 13:05 (Ref:442522) | #12 | |
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There's a Q&A with Mitsubishi's Andrew Cowan at
http://www.wrc.com/en_GB/News/2002/0...an+Q+and+A.htm |
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4 Dec 2002, 18:31 (Ref:442702) | #13 | ||
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It came somewhat surprise for the team, too. They introduced new colors for the 2003: red and silver.
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10 Dec 2002, 13:04 (Ref:446938) | #14 | |
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Ralliart look to be serious about this development work for 2004. Mario Fornaris who played a leading role in development of the 206 WRC will join the team from Peugeot on January 1 as Technical Director.
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12 Dec 2002, 10:47 (Ref:448177) | #15 | |
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Sven Quandt, boss of Mitsubishi Motor Sports is quoted as saying that the team will come back in 2004 with the Lancer as it's too short a time to develop the Colt from scratch.
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13 Dec 2002, 18:28 (Ref:449226) | #16 | ||
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Isn't present Colt a bit OLD? Is there newer model coming, or what?
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14 Dec 2002, 05:01 (Ref:449605) | #17 | |||
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Quote:
Last edited by Lee Janotta; 14 Dec 2002 at 05:02. |
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"Put a ****ing wheel on there! Let me go out again!" -Gilles Villeneuve, Zandvoort, 1979 |
15 Dec 2002, 11:03 (Ref:450277) | #18 | ||
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Quote:
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15 Dec 2002, 12:38 (Ref:450350) | #19 | ||
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Remember also that the Lancer WRC is only 1 year old, they needed to see how much development potential they had in it.
If they are going to run the Colt you would think they would want to get on it now. |
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15 Dec 2002, 15:00 (Ref:450417) | #20 | ||
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It's a year and a half old, and has scored, what, half a dozen points? For Mitsubishi, that's an abismal failure. It was a step _backwards_ from the Group A car!
But yes, to get the Colt running for '04, they should have started months ago. |
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"Put a ****ing wheel on there! Let me go out again!" -Gilles Villeneuve, Zandvoort, 1979 |
16 Dec 2002, 05:04 (Ref:450811) | #21 | ||
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they wont go for the colt, then after one year they wont have achieved anything and the new colt will be no better than the evo.
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cheers |
4 Jan 2003, 21:11 (Ref:463814) | #22 | ||
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1st.What is the colt?
2nd.Citroen did it last year.Mitsubishi should too this year(unofficial entries) 3rd.Lancer Rules-but that was a sucky year.... |
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4 Jan 2003, 23:43 (Ref:463971) | #23 | |||
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Quote:
2.Citroen are only playing there way into there first full season this year where Mitsubishi have a very big history to live up to and unofficial entries or another full season with the lancer WRC would be a nightmare. 3.Lancer was built for only one reason: Tommi. Last edited by Margam; 4 Jan 2003 at 23:47. |
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5 Jan 2003, 00:33 (Ref:464008) | #24 | ||
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And if Mitsubishi had kept Tommi, the issues with the Lancer would never have been uncovered. Makinen is reported to have complained about the Lancer for a long time but to no result
I dont reckon they will be back |
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