Any truth to the rumours that Colin has signed a 3 year contract with ? Any truth to the rumour that Tommi Makinen will end up back at Mitsubishi next year? Have also heard that Jimmy had offered both the McRaes to Hyundai for next season - wonder if that offer is open to too? Of course, I don't expect answers here but you never know...

 

Not too sure about McRae. He's not exactly loving the Xsara he's in now, but I thought he was already picked up for next season.

If Tommi came back, it would give Mitsu some recognition and would be a great way to come back to the rally. I'm not saying Tommi would lead them to a win, but he'd be better than the last two guys we had last season. Sheesh.

 

Because of the new 3rd driver rule that comes into effect next season things do not look good for Colin. Seb Loeb is already signed with Citroen and Carlos Sainz is doing considerably better than Colin so it looks like he'll get the 2nd spot.

 

Nicky Grist asked Colin the same question about the three year deal with Mitsubishi and Colin replied "No! Definitly not!" That may or may not mean anything because if Colin ends up without a ride I'm sure he'll take anything.

 

Sometimes I wonder if McRae adds any value to a rally team. I think Mitsu is better off without him. He's not consistent enough, and he seems to crash out of more rallies than he finishes. That's not the kind of driver you want if you're doing development work on your car.

 

Colin would add more value to one of the lower teams who could use the name recognition and talent, but like iodine23 said, I don't think he is the best for a team who wants to stay consistent for developments sake.

-anders

 

I totally agree. You never hear Colin talking about the team. It's always about his wins, his points, his chmpionship.

 

i really don't want him with mitsu. i think he is overrated and he is well past his peak. even though he has a great name recognition, i really beleive that mitsu can do much better. i want tommy to come back and bring mitsu back to the podium. however, for me, i would be the happiest person outt here if mitsu managed to sign Loab. he is by far the most talanted driver out there today and he is a great addition to any team.

well i am allowed to dream right?

 

What do you guys think of Panizzi seeing how he is in talks with Mitsubishi.

 

Panizzi is a great driver and i think mitsu will be lucky to have him. i think he is a little rough around the edges but he can become an amazing driver.

 

Yep, the Tarmac Specialist would be a nice edition.

 

i really don't think there are better drivers right now than Panizzi when it comes to tarmac. the guy drives like he is on rails. now all we need is a good driver that can tackle snow and dirt.

 

Seb Loeb. For a new guy he has done amazing this season. Panizzi seems to have gone off since he fell off that ladder.

Back to McRae, I still think he has it. He's not really much different now than when he won the championship. Before he won the crown the English papers labelled him Colin McCrash. When under pressure he either drives brilliantly or crashes though... Yeah, so McRae's my idol - I admit it...

 

i agree that loab is amazing (look at my last 2 posts). however, as far as McRae, i think he is a very good driver but he is a little overrated and also he is not a real team player. just look at every interview he gave in the past few seasons and you will see the difference between him and other top driver and their attitude to the team and the cars.

 

I think Panizzi would have been a contender for the title last year if he didn't fall off the ladder and miss a few (tarmac) rallies. I actually wouldn't be surprised if he wound up at Mitsu. I think Pug is going to keep Gronholm and Rovanpera. Burns will wind up at Subaru or Mitsu. Maybe McRae will wind up at Skoda, kind of like he wound up at Citroen this year.