Rally Saudi Arabia earned its place in the World Rally Championship last week, but it shouldn’t be held as the deciding round of the series believe the vast majority of drivers.
Winner of the inaugural, Jeddah-based WRC qualifier, Thierry Neuville praised the organizers for the event they put on – but he led the charge in voicing the view that Saudi needs to shift forward in the season. The drivers felt the roads were too rough for the series decider.
“I enjoyed the race,” Neuville told DirtFish. “I love the terrain, the roads, the characteristics. I love the challenge. I just think that it shouldn’t be the title decider round in the championship. We have said it already, we can say it again.
“I think some people can leave with huge disappointment here this weekend, that’s for sure. But on the other hand, it’s part of rallying. If the organizers just review a few of the sections or just rebuild it differently for next year, the rally is a great addition to the championship. Of course, not in terms of spectators and fans, but in terms of entertainment and advertising and just footage, I think it was incredible this weekend.
“Hats off to the organizers, and I’m looking forward to coming back. I mean it will be difficult to repeat easily a victory here on those conditions but at least we have already won.”
Neuville’s Hyundai colleague Adrien Fourmaux felt it was the second pass of the Saudi stages which was where the problem sat. The Frenchman had a solution.
“I think it could be a great event if we were doing only one first pass,” he told DirtFish. “We do only the first pass all the time and in the afternoon we do another three new stages. Because the second pass becomes really too extreme.
“I agree that the cleaning effect is mega, so for sure to fight is not easy – but at the end if you fight with the one behind you [it’s OK].”
Fourmaux’s thinking was inline with his team-mate’s when it came to the finale, however: “This kind of rally, it would be better if it was not end of the season for the championship title,” he said. “That’s my point of view.
“It’s good in the championship if, as I said, if it was only first pass [of stages], but maybe earlier in the season so at least you don’t decide things on an event where there is risk of punctures, reliability, etc. It’s more difficult for the driver fighting for the championship to get what they want.”
This kind of marathon challenge is something WRC should embrace, says Solberg
Rally2 pacesetter Oliver Solberg was a big fan of what he felt was the toughest event of the season.
“We definitely should be here, 100%,” he said. “I think it’s very important for the sport, it brings new investment, it brings new perspective, it brings new challenges. And yes, it’s been a very demanding, challenging race, but it’s been also great. I think it’s really cool to experience something new, something really tough.
“Normally the WRC is just a sprint, so this has actually made it a proper, proper tough event like it was early days with my dad’s time and that’s it. You look at the Safari and this is a tough event with the rain and the fech fech, but here it’s so hard for the suspension, the tires, transmission, everything. It’s hard for the car.”
