Industry website, www.motoring.com.au, have reported that Rally New Zealand organisers have been taking some liberties in suggesting that the event will return to the WRC in 2016.
On their website this week, Geoffrey Harris reports that as soon as NZ driver Hayden Paddon's nine-event WRC deal with Hyundai for this season was announced in mid-December the chairman of Rally NZ, Peter Johnston, issued a media release saying the event would be back on the WRC calendar in 2016.
Rally New Zealand offers drivers and spectators the best roads in the World Rally Championship."The organisers of Rally NZ are excited at the prospect of having a Kiwi driver battling for outright honours on home soil when the WRC returns to NZ roads in 2016," that release said.
It said that alternating with Australia from 2008 until 2012 had been "an impractical year on, year off structure" and that Rally NZ organisers were "busy in planning for the event's return to its annual calendar slot in 2016".
"2016 Rally NZ will be a major international event on NZ's sporting calendar," it said.
"Rally NZ organisers are reviewing options for the event base, headquarters and service park ... with the aim of being able to announce further details in the new year [2015]".
Johnston was quoted saying "everyone is looking forward to WRC Rally NZ 2016".
Harris’ story continues …..
We now learn that German company WRC Promoter, a joint venture between the Sportsman Media Group and Red Bull, has stated that Rally NZ is not locked in for the 2016 WRC calendar.
WRC Promoter told the doyen of rally correspondents, Martin Holmes: "After Rally NZ expressed an interest in returning to the WRC in 2016 WRC Promoter held fact-finding talks with the organisers. WRC Promoter has not made any agreements or promises to propose Rally NZ as a championship round in 2016 or later. Consequently, Rally NZ is not currently considered to be a round of the WRC in 2016. WRC Promoter will submit its proposed 2015 calendar to the FIA in accordance with the agreed processes in a timely manner during 2015."
Adrian Stafford, clerk of course at Rally Australia on NSW's Coffs Coast and acknowledged last year by the FIA as its "most outstanding motorsport official", has told Holmes: "I was not aware it was even possible for a deal or arrangement that guarantees a slot in the WRC calendar process for future years".
"We in Rally Australia will continue to take nothing for granted with future calendars and will be looking to present a very high standard event in [September] 2015 and thus hopefully make ours a compelling case [to remain in the championship in 2016]. Already we are in an even stronger position for our 2015 event and I am very confident we can build on all that was good in 2014 and then add some new elements," Stafford said.
While Kiwi driver Paddon is contracted by Hyundai for nine rounds of this year's WRC, after six last year, there is no word on any WRC outings with it for Australia's Chris Atkinson this year.
Atkinson did Rally Mexico and Rally Australia with Hyundai in one of its i20s last year but is said to be "still working on plans" for this year.
Frenchman Bryan Bouffier and Finn Juho Hanninen also had part-time gigs with Hyundai last season apart from the manufacturer's full-timer, Belgian Thierry Neuville, and its Spanish No. 2, Dani Sordo.
Autosport.com has reported that Hyundai "will stick with Neuville, Sordo and Paddon for most of its 2015 WRC rather than rotating drivers as it did last year".
Neuville and Sordo will drive for it in the opening round of the 13-event season, the Monte Carlo Rally on January 22-25, with Paddon as well at the second round in mid-February.
Autosport reported that Hyundai team boss Michel Nandan had said that a three-car line-up would then be standard for the rest of the year.
It has appeared for some time that Atkinson was out of a drive with Hyundai for the WRC. His options seem to be to continue driving a Volkswagen for Prodrive in China, which he did quietly but successfully last year, as well as perhaps branch out into rallycross – an interest he flagged late last year.
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