Having been to Prodrive on several occasions and seeing how much time, money and effort is put into their WRC campaign, I cannot understand why Solberg is so far off the pace in the Impreza.

The car is not slightly off the pace, it is a world apart from the Fords and Citroens, even in it's latest evolution.

I know Solberg has had his fare share of bad luck but the car is at least a year behind the top runners even more.

There is no doubt that Solbergs commitment is 101% but why are Subaru so far down the standings, they are best part of 100 points behind Ford in the Manufacturers chase and only 5 point ahead of a semi-works team Stobart Ford two thirds of the way through the season.

Even if Gronholm took the remainder of the season off and Solberg and Atkinson were to come home one & two on the remaining rounds they still would not top the drivers and manufacturers tables.

I am sure Prodrive are right on the weight limits with the car but being that the other teams have gone 2 door hatch backs is that the correct way to go for Subaru.

I would also be sure that their power figures would also be a match for the Fords and Citroens but their stage times are miles off overall.

I try to watch every round of the WRC when I can with hopes Subaru do well, but it just gets worse!!

This must be the worst year Subaru have had in their WRC campaign.

WHAT ARE PRODRIVE TO DO!!!!

 

I would guess this is one of the reasons that you will see a new shape unveiled in Frankfurt next week

 

Hi Phil, I think they need to do something quick, lets just hope it can compete with Gronholms ford and Loebs Citroen from next year!!!!!

 

Bring back the classic

 

Sack Solberg, he`s lost it, he`s just not fast enough. He`ll be in a Focus next year anyway And the Impreza, well perhaps that`s not just quite as good as the C4 or Focus, unfortunatly

 

N.ONE, Sacking Solberg is a bit harsh, but I do agree fresh young, up and coming blood might help.

I don't think it is THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING, just yet!

 

One easy way to find out whether it's Solberg, the car or both. Swap seats with Gronholm.

I think they're just hanging on for the all-singing new model, in a hope to catch up the rest of the field.

If that doesn't work, design a new model, based nothing like the old, with no rally heritage, lOOks or performance and bow out of that area of the market. ......hold on a minute.

 

If the rumours turn out to be true Marcus Gronholm is retiring at the end of the season and will be replaced at Ford by Petter Solberg but its just a rumour

 

I think it has something to do with the size of the car,everyone else e.g citroen,ford using shorter cars. Bring on the new car!!!!

 

Maybe sacking Solberg is the answer and get some fresh blood into the team.
I'm a big fan of Petter but i think he's at the end of the road with Subaru.
On the other hand, give him a chance in the all new car and if the results are similar then its time for change.
What's Mcrash up to these days

Nik.

 

If they don't sort themselves out soon their WRC challenge will go the way of Mitsubishi's... Hope they turn it around.

 

Its too big!

 

its too ugly!

 

I believe they have a fundamental heat problem.

It seems the car is fast to start with and as the heat builds up through the stage the handling deteriorates. It would be churlish of me to suggest a shock absorber problem as they would have experts far beyond my knowledge but maybe its an aerodynamic problem causing a lack of air flow to the shocks.

 

WHY ARE SUBARU & SOLBERG SO FAR OFF THE PACE IN THE WRC.

Easy! Subaru are rallying a car they sell as a road car, with some mods.

Ford, Citroen and Peugeot are rallying prototypes. Just go and buy a 4wd version of any of them.............

Alcazar

 

RICHIE001, If Gronholm wins the title this year I would guess he will be back next year to defend it, saying that he could bow out as the champ, hope not though, he is my fav.
I thought Solberg had signed for Subaru for another 5 years or so.

ALCAZAR, Having seen the WRC Impreza in it various stages of production it is nothing like the road cars everyone believe it is. It is every much a prototype as the Citroens and Fords but they don't produce a production run for the road, if they did god help us it would be outstanding.
The Impreza looks simular to the road car but that is as far as it goes, hardly any WRC parts would fit on a road car.

That is why Subaru do well in Group N production class, because Ford and Citroen don't make a road version ( SHAME ).

 

makes me wonder if citroen can produce such a good rally car be it the Xara or C4 why dont they do a better effort for the mass market as opposed to the weak VTR/VTS models.

 

I thought Solberg signed a contract to stay with Subaru until 2009?

I don't know how "water-tight" these contracts are though or if they have get-out clauses.

 

I think you have to remember that with all motorsport the best car generally moves from manufacturer to manufacturer as each team develops new things. Obviously having a great driver helps but even a brilliant driver needs a good car.

Take a look at F1 for example. Back in the '90's Williams & Mclaren were king of the hill and were winning everything. Ferrari weren't doing much at all. Then Ferrari dominated for a while, now it seems McLaren are back on top. I think it's the same in all motorsports.

Solberg won the championship in 2003 in the scoob, then Citroen and Loeb dominated for the last couple of years, now Ford are coming through. Let's hope it will be Subarus turn next year with the new more competitve car.

 

Watch 'engineering a world rally car' on discovery channel to see how Prodrive found out how not to do it...

The engineering is fundamentally cr@p....

For two years they only had 3.5 degrees of castor when they should have had 7 degrees due to a design error that was never checked back after the techs kept being unable to get the castor right, that went on for 18 months

Steering racks were overheating and getting stiff due to the anti-lag's proximity, they wanted to engineer a water leak for NZ last year from the IC spray to keep the rack cool!

Front chassis rails keep cracking and loosing front end stiffness, they are welding them mid event.

These three lead to the drivers not feeling the transition from understeer to oversteer and lead to big spins.

05 car had too much weight at the rear for weight distribution giving a high turning moment and poor responce, only partly fixed for 06.

They keep changing the diffs to try and improve grip, but in some of the techs opinion they are just not stiff enough, and the drivers are confused by the continual changes.

Solberg has definately lost his touch, He's almost twice as far behind the leaders as Atkinson on the last 2 events.

Simon

 

i do feel for solberg, i wouldnt make Tiger Woods play on tour with my £100 set of clubs and expect him to still be wanting to use them by the end of the season

 

Gronholm and Loeb are in a different class altogether IMO.

 

Bring back McRae,get Solberg out ask yourself can you trust a man that wears fake tan??.

 

Good point. I think Subaru were gonna ask Dale Winton to be their driver next year.

 

rofl

 

Would love to see Petter get back into it, but can't quite believe its just the car. Even Atkinson is faster then him (when he isn't crashing).
Lets hope the new car will at least be competitive.

 

Lets hope the new car will at least be competitive

We will see!

 

summed it up right there, Loeb is incredible.

 

Shame he's french.

 

lets not forget that at this level your taking fractions of performance difference. look at mitsubishi, they got so bad they backed out and if what i hear is correct cleaning up the british rally championship (someone correct me if i'm wrong on that cos i dont follow it).

i have no doubt that subaru can get back on top, i think its gonna take time and patience though