WRC 2008 Updates

So, the 2008 WRC season has started in Monte Carlo with some updates to the rules and sponsors. Last year we had Abu Dhabi join the list of major sponsors, with the hope of a stage being hosted there. This year, however, things are a bit more...awkward.

We begin with the major sponsor announcement- Pirelli. The long unpopular tire manufacturer has signed an agreement to provide all tires for all teams for at least three seasons. This means something like 35,000 tires per season for three years. Needless to say, there were several zeros added to someone's paycheck after this deal. But, how do the teams feel about the move? Subaru was one of the last major users of Pirelli tires for several years, until the end of the 2006 season when they announced an end to their relationship. Subaru cited inconsistent and generally poor tire performance, extremely fast wear, and an overall lack of quality. Hopefully this has changed.

On the topic of tires, WRC has banned the use of run-flat tires. This means smaller punctures will become big problems, and therefore will require a tire change. By extension, this means if tires do not hold up as well to the abuse of specific conditions or tracks, many teams will be out of contention due to running out of spares.

Other rules have changed, and there has been an addition to safety requirements as well- there must be a gap of 200mm between driver/navigator and the side-impact cage. Nothing seems to be show-stopping as of yet, but one that has peaked my interest more than others is the no-reverse-order starts. Meaning, if I place first on a stage I start first on the next stage, whereas historically I would have started last. There are some strategic gains and losses here, but if the first rally of the season is to be any indicator the rule change seems to be a complete wash.