Fantasy WRC Preview: Italy

"Fred (FreddsterExprs)" (freddsterexprs)
06/02/2014 at 13:00 • Filed to: Fantasy WRC, WRC, Rally, Italy, Sardinia

It's time for another round of Oppo's favourite game: Fantasy WRC. The rally circus is stopping in beautiful Sardinia, Italy for the sixth round of the championship. Tight, dusty roads with rocks on the side promise a dramatic event. Time to pick your drivers!

Everyone was sure that VW would be the force to beat in WRC since they presented their Rally program back in 2012 (in Sardinia, actually), but only a few could have predicted such utter dominance. The Germans even out-dominated Citroen in their best Loeb years.

So the first 3 drivers in the overall standings are Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen, in this very order, but what's shaping up to be interesting is the battle for the championship between the two team leaders. Latvala always was fast, but also really liked his hobby of picking random stones to crash a rally car against. This year he concentrated a bit more on actual winning and so far racked up two overall victories against Ogier's three. The gap is 24 points, so everything is still to be won and lost.

What leaves this the rest of the field with? Their hope must be to win a single event despite the championship clearly and expectedly being gone.

Ford 's spearhead Mikko Hirvonen is in a rising form and will be one driver to watch for a podium. His younger and less experienced teammates Kubica and Evans will be looking for a solid, save finish (well, Evans will).

Citroen has been recovering from the loss of Sebastien Loeb and the loss of his two successors they majorly introduced to WRC, Ogier and Neuville. Mads Östberg and Kris Meeke mark a new era, and have been pretty good so far, scoring podiums despite partial lack of experience. With both drivers familiar with Sardinian roads, the overall pace should improve und put them closer to VW, hopefully. Oh, and Al-Quassimi returns in a third DS3 WRC.

Then there's Hyundai . They are the newcomers, but their form has been rather well considering it's their first year with a whole new motorsports program, built from the ground up. Only reliability was lacking, something essential in rallying. As usual, Thierry Neuville is driving a i20 WRC, this time with Juho Hänninen and highly talented, 2011 P-WRC champion Hayden Paddon in a third vehicle.

3 other Ford Fiesta WRCs are entered by privateers Martin Prokop, Henning Solberg and Jaroslav Melicharek. You can find the full entry list, including WRC2, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

Speaking of WRC2, as usual it is visited by various privateers in different cars, from Ford, Subaru, Mitsubishi or Fiat. The two new R5 spec PSA twins, the Peugeot 208 T16 and DS3 R5, also make their WRC debut. Remember, you also can pick a car from the lower class if you feel like gambling.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! / !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

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VOLKSWAGEN MOTORSPORT

•Sebastien Ogier - Avg points last 10 races: 20.1
•Jari-Matti Latvala - Avg points last 10 races: 14.7

CITROEN TOTAL ABU DHABI WRT

•Kris Meeke - Avg points last 10 races: 5.3
•Mads Østberg - Avg points last 10 races: 8.0

M-SPORT WRT

•Mikko Hirvonen - Avg points last 10 races: 8.9
•Elfyn Evans - Avg points last 4 races: 5.7

HYUNDAI MOTORSPORT

•Thierry Neuville - Avg points last 10 races: 10.6
•Juho Hänninen - Avg points last 10 races: 2.0

SINGLE CAR TEAMS AND INDEPENDENTS

•Andreas Mikkelsen (VW) - Avg points last 10 races: 7.3
•Robert Kubica (FORD) - Avg points last 4 races: 1.3
•Hayden Paddon (HYUNDAI) - Avg points last 10 races: NA
•Khalid Al Qassimi (CITROEN) - Avg points last 10 races: 0.5
•Martin Prokop (FORD) - Avg points last 10 races: 4.8
•Henning Solberg (FORD) - Avg points last 10 races: 5.9
•Jaroslav Melicharek (FORD) - Avg points last 10 races: 4.0

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As you might have noticed, Dusty is not available because he himself is at a rally event, so he asked me to run this round of Fantasy WRC. I wasn't able to find the average points for Rally Italy, sorry for that – if anyone knows where to find the stats, leave a comment.

DISCUSSION (29)

Fred (FreddsterExprs) > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/02/2014 at 04:15

My picks:

1. Latvala

2. Meeke

3. Mikkelsen

4. Hirvonen

5. Hänninen

Powerstage: Ogier

Dusty Ventures > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/02/2014 at 04:36

I'm rescheduling this so it shows up during prime Oppo viewership

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/02/2014 at 14:38

Get my picks in early so I don't have to scrounge for the story to comment on,

1. Ogier <—Return to rally Beast Mode!

2. Neuville <— I want to see these first year teams do good so that others might look at it

3. Østberg <— That O with the bar threw it is sooooo metal.

4. Hirvonen <— Either him or a guy that sounds like he is from Lord of the Rings

5. Mikkelsen <— Just cause I think he is the best of the singles

Power: Ogier.

Hoccy > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/02/2014 at 14:50

Rally Italy, enabling rally fans to fool their families into thinking that the vacation is because of the nice weather, beaches and good food. Well they're wrong, since this is all about rally! Hopefully I can get a good round again, to make up some lost ground after Portugal..

1. Mads Østberg: Because I want him to win.

2. Sebastien Ogier : We're not in Jyväskylä yet.

3. Mikko Hirvonen: Good rally for Hirvonen, and his experience will be useful in this rally

4. Andreas Mikkelsen: Back to his old codriver Ola Fløene, which should work out just fine. They're double IRC champions, you know.

5. Henning Solberg: I left Henning out last time, and I really regret that now. A steady drive will gain some points once again.

Power Stage: Jari Matti Latvala

Fred (FreddsterExprs) > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
06/02/2014 at 14:51

Either him or a guy that sounds like he is from Lord of the Rings

I'm dying. Thanks for the laugh!

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/02/2014 at 15:08

I said that before I looked at a picture of him, now that confirms he is from Middle Earth.

antmicmkii > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/02/2014 at 16:12

1. Ogier

2. Hirvonen

3. Neuville

4. Mikkelson

5. Henning

P. Ogier

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/02/2014 at 16:29

Sebastian Ogier
Mikko Hirvonen
Mads Ostberg
Andreas Mikkelsen
Thierry Neuville

PS: Latvala

willkinton247 > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/02/2014 at 16:44

Ogier

Hirvonen

Østberg

Neuville

Solberg

Power: Ogier

marric > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/02/2014 at 22:12

1- Ogier, power too

2- Hirvonen

3- Mikkelsen

4- Meeke

5- Neuville

Marzobomber > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 08:47

1. Ogier

2. Hirvonen

3. Østberg

4. Solberg

5. Mikkelsen

PS. Ogier

CampingElement > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 15:12

Will anyone knock me from the top spot? I hope not! Still have about half the season to go!

1-Ogier

2-Neuville

3-Østberg

4-Mikkelsen

5-Hirvonen

P- Ogier.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 15:51

1. Ogier

2. Hirvonen

3. Østberg

4. Neuville

5. Kubica

P. Hirvonen

Dusty Ventures > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 15:51

1. Ogier (swap for Latvala if Raph doesn't make a fantasy pick)

2. Hirvonen

3. Ostberg

4. Neuville

5. Solberg

Power: Ogier

Hermann > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 15:52

Okay, Sardegna is the last one I'll play safe.

1) Ogier

2) Hirvonen

3) Neuville

4) Mikkelsen

5) Ostberg

Power: Hirvonen

Hoccy > CampingElement
06/03/2014 at 16:03

Things will get interesting once we start removing the bad rounds..

nobody > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 16:06

1. Ogier

2. Mads

3. Mikko

4.Neuville

5. Solberg

Power: KUBICA

ddavidn > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 16:13

1. Latvala (I have a bad feeling about Ogier, despite being a staunch supporter over the last few)

2. Meeke (over half his name is vowels)

3. Mikkelsen (I like this guy)

4. Hirvonen (feels like a safe pick)

5. Solberg (random solid driver)

Power: Ogier (I have a good feeling about Ogier now)

Edit: Freddster, I promise I didn't copy your list and pass it off as my own!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 16:20

Kinja'd!!!

OH LOOK A PENNY

WorldRallyBlog > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 16:20

Here, have my points, have all of them. I am going to donate all my points to Kimi Raikkonen and Mads Ostberg in equal amounts. That is, if I win any. Which I won't. But will that knowledge stop me from trying? Nope, I am going to Kubica this round too!

Here goes a safe zero point bet:

1. Sebastien Ogier

2. Kris Meeke

3. Mikko Hirvonen

4. Robert Kubica

5. Thierry Neuville

P.S. Jari-Matti Latvala

McNewbie1 > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 16:29

1. Ogier and Power Stage

2. Ost

3. Hirvonen

4. Neuville (Lord help me)

5. Mikkelsen

Dusty Ventures > Hoccy
06/03/2014 at 16:34

Seriously. I see some guys currently deeper in the pack who could become major threats. Namely Lumpy44, G17, and Formula Photo.

sliding-sideways > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 17:59

1. Ogier

2. Ostberg

3. Neuville

4. Mikkelsen

5. Hirvonen

Power: Ogier

formulaphoto > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/03/2014 at 21:58

I might go a little less "experimental" with my choices this event. Wish I was heading to Sardinia...it's one of my favourite events.

1. Ogier

2. Meeke

3. Hirvonen

4. Neuville

5. Mikkelsen

PS. Latvala

G17 > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/04/2014 at 07:32

1. Ogier
2. Hirvonen
3. Mikkelson
4. Østberg
5. Neuville
P. Latvala

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Dusty Ventures
06/04/2014 at 12:58

I'm coming for you!!!

Raphael Orlove > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/05/2014 at 13:04

1. Latvala, fresh from his eyeball surgery that finally gives him the ability to see rocks

2. Neuville, now with orange glasses surgically implanted into his face

3. Ostberg, now that Ford is letting him grow his antlers out (he never performs well with them clipped)

4. Hirvonen, now that Robo-Hirvonen has been cast down into Mount Doom and destroyed once and for all, real Hirvonen can once again assert himself on the world rally scene

5. Kubica, now that he has learned to use the reflection from his forehead as another rally light, he's managed some excellent weight-saving and aero advantages over the other drivers

Power: Martin Prokop, after experimental surgery implanting heavy metal into his right foot.

ChrisDuplessis > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/05/2014 at 21:20

SO power

AlexKihurani > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
06/07/2014 at 06:03

I think I can still get partial points??

1. Latvala

2. Ostberg

3. Mikkelsen

4. Evans

5. Kubica

PS: Ogier