WRC Monte Carlo - errr what was THAT all about?

[TW]Fox · 23 Jan 2006 at 22:47

Hey all,

Anyone watch the ITV coverage of this event yesterday?

What on earth have they done with it? They've replaced the old team, who although far from 'brilliant' were at least acceptable, with some irritating woman who commentates as if she's doing a voiceover for a cheap cable channel, complete with pathetic inappropriate gags, no emotion whatsoever and random annoying music playing over things like the drivers on the podium.

What have they done to the coverage? It felt like it was filmed from a nondescript cable channel aimed at 15 year olds.

Then the rally itself.

How on EARTH did Loeb manage to come 2nd after crashing to such an extent that he actually flung his car WELL off the road? He didn't even finish the stage - it was a terminal crash, game over. But the stupid 'new rules' meant he could re-enter the rally with a small time penalty and go on to become second? Eh?

Poor Solberg just broke down on the ROAD section and was not permitted to restart - no fault of his own, yet Loeb flings his car off a mountain and rejoins the next day?

JRS · 23 Jan 2006 at 23:00

I gave up on watching the WRC long ago, but watched the ITV coverage just to see what it was like these days. I won't be watching it again.

Gilly · 23 Jan 2006 at 23:04

I won't be watching at all by the sounds of it

DaveyD · 23 Jan 2006 at 23:08

Few mates said it was pretty bad.

Pitty, as I wanted to get into WRC more this year.

jon.bda · 23 Jan 2006 at 23:09

Gilly said:
I won't be watching at all by the sounds of it

Seconded, i missed it!. So what would be a good option for coverage now?, Eurosport?. Don't really want to have to sign up with Sky again but...

Deathwish · 23 Jan 2006 at 23:14

I was looking forward to watching the coverage on ITV. I was very dissappointed about what they have done, I was expecting the annoying woman to shutup and get to the actual program, but she IS the program

Thumbs down to ITV on this one.

lordrobs · 23 Jan 2006 at 23:20

Haven't seen any of the new rules in action but they seem to be pretty dumb from what you've said.

TBH I prefered the Channel 4 coverage, not that they did a great job

Vertigo · 23 Jan 2006 at 23:21

Didn't watch any of it but the stupid rules thing doesn't surprise me. Although I do believe that professional rally drivers are probably the most skilled driving professionals out there, the entire format and structure of the WRC competition is a joke imo and I can't be doing with it.

andi · 23 Jan 2006 at 23:58

I remember complaining about the C4 coverage. God, we didn't know how good we had it..

[TW]Fox · 23 Jan 2006 at 23:58

I long for a return to the days of C4 showing it 3 times a weekend at 1am..

Morba · 24 Jan 2006 at 00:15

watched it on sky yesterday, it was ok presention.
however the rules seem stupid, which might be part of the reason some of the manufacturers pulled out.

good to see the wrc focus doing well tho (go gronholm!!)

[TW]Fox · 24 Jan 2006 at 00:17

To be fair the only reason he really won was that the only real competition either crashed out or broke down.

I mean come on, look who came third

Morba · 24 Jan 2006 at 00:53

yeah i know :<
a hollow win bit a win regardless

loeb was on for a storming win until he went down that bank

Zip · 24 Jan 2006 at 04:04

those rules sound carp

Are teams aloud to have 3 cars in a rally again now? I went to swrt.com and saw that subaru had 3 drivers competeing.

What other new rules are there?

James_N · 24 Jan 2006 at 07:21

As for the tv coverage, it sucks doesn't it, but you can betcha if its football, the coverage will be spot on perfect, with add breaks only during half time :mad:

4T5 · 24 Jan 2006 at 07:50

This is So annoying.
I hate the poor coverage that rally and Touring cars get. We have to sit through 3-4 hours of progressional trainlike predictable F1 racing but only get brief clips of Quality on the edge motor racing.
I really dont understand it but odviously know money governs control of TV coverage.
Personally i would go out of my way to watch either Good Rally or Toca but cannot even be bothered to watch F1.
Whoever chooses what goes on our tellys Sucks Big time.

hogfather · 24 Jan 2006 at 09:15

maybe itv are using eurosport's coverage? Sounds like eurosport, very poor.

Matt · 24 Jan 2006 at 09:31

I had to turn it off as it was that bad

It's a real shame as i like the WRC, but ITVs program was AWFUL :mad:

J1nxy · 24 Jan 2006 at 09:35

It was almost identical to the Eurosport coverage, same team etc. I'd guess the hacked the 3 Eurosport shows down to the 1 ITV show.

I know it wasn't a clean victory, but isn't the whole point that he managed to stay on the road, didn't break down etc?? I don't understand this restart rule as that just stupid.

Also did anybody understand this second manufacturer rule I think they said about which means no electronically controlled diffs?? is that right?

Steve

EddScott · 24 Jan 2006 at 09:49

malc30 said:
This is So annoying.
I hate the poor coverage that rally and Touring cars get. We have to sit through 3-4 hours of progressional trainlike predictable F1 racing but only get brief clips of Quality on the edge motor racing.
I really dont understand it but odviously know money governs control of TV coverage.
Personally i would go out of my way to watch either Good Rally or Toca but cannot even be bothered to watch F1.
Whoever chooses what goes on our tellys Sucks Big time.

You can't expect Bernie to allow any other form of motorsport to get too popular in Europe?

A few years ago, thingy Richards (Prodrive bloke) said he wanted WRC to rival F1 in TV viewing - look whats happened to WRC.

Even longer back than that, there were comments that British GT would become very popular - thats gone downhill in recent times.

And as for BTCC, I gave up on that series 2 or 3 years ago.

I'd be very surprised if none of the above was engineered. (sp?)