With M-Sport/Ford haven't won a WRC round since Wales Rally GB back in September 2012. Things could change though for 2017, with M-Sport unveiling their new WRC car last Friday (9/12/2016) at their base in Cumbria, unveiled the Ford Fiesta WRC.
Ford Fiesta WRC is based on the new Ford Fiesta, the Ford Fiesta WRC powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine producing around 380 bhp.
The Ford Fiesta WRC will debut at the 2016 Monte Carlo Rally where it will be driven by Ott Tänak, and Current WRC Champion Sébastien Ogier who was signed on Monday (12/12/16).
Yesterday (5/12/16), it was confirmed that the French Grand Prix will return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2018 on a five year deal, with an agreement being reached for a race to be staged at the Circuit Paul Ricard, at Le Castellet, near Marseille, in Southern France.
It will be the first time since 2008 that the French Grand Prix will happen in 2018, when the French Grand Prix was at Magny-Cours, in central France. And the last time Paul Ricard hosted the French Grand Prix was 1990 when Alan Prost won the race.
Despite this car won't be allowed to race the World Endurance Championship for LMP2 rules meaning no Le Mans outing. The Cadillac DPi-V.R is enable to race in next seasons Prototype class in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship meaning it will race in next seasons 24 hours of Daytona.
The 2017 DPi-V.R, which will make its debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January with Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing, is the first prototype race car from Cadillac since 2002 with the Cadillac Northstar LMP.
Action Express, which has won the last years WeatherTech Championship Prototype titles, will run a pair of Cadillacs, while the Wayne Taylor Racing team will race one DPi-V.R next season.
The DPi-V.R will use the Cadillac 6.2 litre V8 engine that comes from the Cadillac CTS-V produces approximately 600 horsepower, meaning the DPi-V.R won't be allowed to race in the World Endurance Championship next year due to next year rules in LMP2 have to use Gibson Technology 4.0 V8 engine. DPi-V.R will have Dallara to develop their chassis for next year meaning this car could be competitive at the start.
In 2014, Hyundai returned to the WRC for the first time since 2003 with the Hyundai i20 WRC; winning three rallies in three seasons. For 2017, Hyundai unveiled their new WRC car during Thursday's (1/12/2016) Monza Rally Show called Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC.
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC is based on the Hyundai i20, the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine producing around 380 bhp.
The Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC will debut at the 2016 Monte Carlo Rally where it will be driven by Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo and Hayden Paddon.
So last weekend (2-4/12/16) was the annual Monza Rally Show and two main drivers who was at the Rally was current Yamaha MotoGP rider and nine times Motorcycling champion (seven MotoGP/500cc champ, one time 250cc champ, 125cc champ) Valentino Rossi, and current Hyundai WRC driver Dani Sordo.
So the Rally itself, the final results saw Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi won this years Monza Rally Show in his M-Sport spec Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
Second was Dani Sordo in his Hyundai i20 WRC, he was eighteen seconds behind Rossi at the end. Meanwhile, Marco Bonanomi finished in third place in his Citroën DS3 WRC, he was nineteen seconds behind Rossi at the end.
Here's a YouTube video of some of the Show's highlights from last week.
To one of the shocking news of the season. It was announced yesterday (2/12/16) by Current F1 Champion Nico Rosberg he is to retire from Formula 1, just a few days after beating Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to the World Championship title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Rosberg, 31, communicated his decision at an FIA press conference in Vienna, in the build up to Friday evening's Prize-Giving Gala. Which means the German will thus be leaving Formula 1 after eleven seasons thus far, which includes twenty-three Grand Prix victories and one Formula World Drivers' Championship.
Rosberg career in Formula 1 started when he stepped up with Williams back in 2006, contesting four seasons includes becoming the youngest driver to score a fastest lap in his debut race and finishing seventh in that seasons' Bahrain Grand Prix, while his best result at Williams was a second place finish during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Then in 2010, Rosberg moved to Mercedes winning twenty-three Grand Prixs' which include winning the Formula World Drivers' Championship in 2016. Becoming the second son of a former champion (Keke Rosberg winning the title back in 1982), after Damon Hill winning the F1 drivers' title in 1996.
Possibly the most shocking news of the season. I don' think no one would have guessed that Nico Rosberg would retire from Formula 1 just a few days after winning F1 World Drivers' Title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Let alone 24 Hours ago.
I do respect Nico Rosberg for taking his career and life into his own hands and leaving the sport on his own terms and at the very top and focus more time with his family, despite he was contracted to Mercedes till 2018 losing an income of £35 million for next two seasons.
So who could replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes next season? My guess could be Manor and Mercedes Junior driver Pascal Werhlein who's not yet contracted to any team for 2017 yet; and the easy option if it does happen for Mercedes and another reason is Mercedes is a German brand and Werhlien is German which does help Werhlien changes to get the Mercedes drive for 2017.
Other drivers could include Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon, although locked into drives for 2017. And the same for Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, and Max Verstappen will take a mammoth load of money to get them out of their contracts and also do they need another number 1 driver at Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton. Also, the retiring Jenson Button and Felipe Massa could be options, although this might not happen either they may still want go into retirement with their body language last week. So my guess is Pascal Werhlein for the job at Mercedes next season as their number two driver.
Who will replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes next season? #F1
Right time to retire from Formula 1 for Nico Rosberg? time will tell. Good luck whatever Nico Rosberg does next, as his been a great ambassador for the sport and a great driver for Formula 1.
Despite the race did return for 2016. Just like 2015, it was confirmed on Wednesday (30/11/16) by the FIA's that there will not be a German Grand Prix for the 2017 season, and there will be no replacement, reducing the number of races to twenty next season.
Formula 1 was set to visit to twenty-one venues again in 2017, but Hockenheim failed to strike a deal with Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, while the Nürburgring's financial problems continue.
In my opinion, a sad day once again that there is no German Grand Prix for next season with their history in the sport producing drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Ralf Schumacher, Heinz-Harold Frentzen to name a few. Also, successful Manufactures from Germany such the likes of Mercedes and BMW that dominate Formula 1, despite that there is no German Grand Prix this season.
There need to a be a German Grand Prix going into 2018. And with no hope of a return to a French Grand Prix in the short to mid term. Formula 1 needs the likes of Silverstone, Spa, Monza, Monaco, Nurburgring/Hockenheim to stay on the grid for the future of Formula 1 rather than looking to race at locations like Las Vegas.
Revised 2017 calendar:
March 26 - Australia
April 9 - China
April 16 - Bahrain
April 30 - Russia
May 14 - Spain
May 28 - Monaco
June 11 - Canada
June 25 - Azerbaijan
July 9 - Austria
July 16 - UK
July 30 - Hungary
August 27 - Belgium
September 3 - Italy
September 17 - Singapore
October 1 - Malaysia
October 8 - Japan
October 22 - USA
October 29 - Mexico
November 12 - Brazil
November 26 - Abu Dhabi
