Longer Endurance Rallies Could Push Out Veterans Like Loeb

FIA President Jean Todt and ex-rally star and current WRC Manager Michele Mouton want to move the WRC towards longer, endurance rallies like the sport had when it started. However, this is causing some heated emotions, especially from current leader Sebastien Loeb who says that longer rallies will lead to an earlier retirement from him. 

"I have been doing this a long time. And I have to admit that I find the recce [the recon] and things like this a little bit boring now. What is the thing that makes me maybe want to retire in the future is the travel, which is very long. Now we are starting to do the recce on the Monday instead of the Tuesday, which means I have to fly to the rally on the Sunday and then I'm not back for a day longer," said Loeb. 

In October 2010, Todt gave an interview discussing his view on the future of the sport.

“When I was at the Paris Motor Show last week, I attended with pleasure the launch of the new MINI. This car was launched with a big light pod on its bonnet. And for me, this suggests that rallying should also be about driving through the night. It’s not a sport where you set off after breakfast, stop for lunch, and then go home at 5:30. It has a timetable of its own.”

Todt wants to see fewer rallies on the calendar but make them longer. 

“If you have rallies that are like gymkhanas you could have several. But if you want rallies that are worthy of the name, then I think about 12,” said Todt. 

The WRC has 13 events on its calendar this season. 

The first test of the more endurance-oriented rallies has already begun. This year's Rally Monte Carlo was six days, and it experienced fewer entries than previous years. However, it took place during a time when the WRC was struggling to find a promoter and television deal; so that could also partially explain the fewer entries. 

In January 2011, Todt spoke a little more on the subject of longer rallies especially regarding what happened at the Monte Carlo Rally this year. 

"We are not in a world where everybody is happy. In the rally world, we have a more democratic world and I'm sure a lot of people are rally fans and want to see a positive and constructive evolution of rally. Unfortunately, you will not be able to make everybody happy. But what we can give to rally is the proper roads, adventure, reliability and, of course, what is absolutely crucial is that costs are contained. Motor racing costs too much and it's something we need to address. When you talk about changing things, you must make sure it's positive for the show and positive on the good way for the cost," he said. 

Todt got his start in motorsports as a rally driver and co-driver. In 1981, he co-drove a Talbot and took second place in the championship. The next year he became the Talbot Rally Team manager and moved up the ranks from there. So he definitely has earned his opinion about the sport. 

Source: Autosport and WRC and Yahoo