If it wasn't the Monte Carlo Rally .....

[SJ Spode]

... Would the FIA still have the event in the WRC?

Following the weekend I was wondering whether the Monte has the same charmed life in the WRC as Monaco has in F1.

Given the problems of parked cars on stages, spectators standing in dangerous places on the outside of corners or on ledges with sheer drops just a few feet behind them, would the FIA be calling for an observer's report on any other rally?

Added to this would the unpredictable and mixed surface of the rally be tolerated elsewhere?

I'm not saying that the Monte should be kicked off the calendar, just wondering if there are some inconsistencies out there?

[Snowman]

Well mr SJ,remember an event?

Which was kicked out from Serie because off; bad spectator control,bad organisation and miserable weather conditions.

The Portugal !!

Democraticy is not the name of the game,that is for sure

[Lee Janotta]

Unpredictable and mixed surfaces are what rallying is supposed to be about, SJ...

In this case it's really the age of the event that gives it such prestige.

[Alpina]

The spectator control is abysmal. I can't believe they allow spectators to park on the routes. No-one else gets away with it so why the Monte? It really is an anachronism.
I don't have much sympathy with drivers about tyre choice though. They have ice crews and all the back up from the tyre teams. Are they rally drivers or race drivers?

[f1manoz]

I thought rallying was about mixed road conditions. Ice, mud, snow on one stage. That's what the drivers are supposed to be able to handle...

[racer69]

The problem is the things that made rallying, mixed surfaces, night driving etc...are now frowned upon by the governing body, as it costs too much or is bad for the sponsers.

I don't think the FIA would have any problem throwing it off the calendar, they originally canned it from the 1985 WRC (though that had more to do with the F1 race), and they have had no problem losing other long standing rounds in Portugal and the Safari

[Snowman]

The fact is,canning Monte out is not so easy as we can think.

As Racer mentioned,there was a try in 80`s and what was the result?

Monte stayed in the calender,nothing changed and the "best part" of the canning was,that all the members of rally commite was sooner or later kicked out from commite.

[Snowman]

Sorry,I mean,all in the commite who were againts Monte!

[SJ Spode]

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
Unpredictable and mixed surfaces are what rallying is supposed to be about, SJ...

In this case it's really the age of the event that gives it such prestige.

I agree 100%. It was rather a question of whether it would be allowable elsewhere ( I remember some adverse comments about the dust and dirt on the Leg 2 tarmac stages in Germany last year, and of course the Eypt stage on Rally GB!!)

[Alpina]

I do think that the snowballs are pretty much a Monte Carlo thing!