Mitsu WRC team withdraws...again.
Jul 23, 2004, 05:54 AM
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Mitsu WRC team withdraws...again.
This warrants a new thread.
From WorldRallyNews.com
MITSUBISHI WITHDRAWS
Friday, July 23, 2004
Mitsubishi has confirmed rumours that it will pull out of the World Rally Championship following the Deutschland Rally at the end of August.
The withdrawal is described as a temporary measure to enhance development of the car and cut costs. It will mean that the Japanese company will miss the first World Championship rally in its homeland, which takes place in early September.
“The focus for the remainder of the season will be to develop the Lancer WRC. Mitsubishi Motors will use one or two selected European rallies as an intensive test and development platform for the Lancer WRC. The new WRC programme for 2004 will not affect Mitsubishi Motors’ long-term programme to the FIA World Rally Championship until 2006,” a press statement claimed.
http://www.worldrallynews.com/artman...icle_467.shtml
****
There is probably much more to this story. I dont think their poor performance thus far is reason enough to pull out. Serious money issues are the real problem.
From WorldRallyNews.com
MITSUBISHI WITHDRAWS
Friday, July 23, 2004
Mitsubishi has confirmed rumours that it will pull out of the World Rally Championship following the Deutschland Rally at the end of August.
The withdrawal is described as a temporary measure to enhance development of the car and cut costs. It will mean that the Japanese company will miss the first World Championship rally in its homeland, which takes place in early September.
“The focus for the remainder of the season will be to develop the Lancer WRC. Mitsubishi Motors will use one or two selected European rallies as an intensive test and development platform for the Lancer WRC. The new WRC programme for 2004 will not affect Mitsubishi Motors’ long-term programme to the FIA World Rally Championship until 2006,” a press statement claimed.
http://www.worldrallynews.com/artman...icle_467.shtml
****
There is probably much more to this story. I dont think their poor performance thus far is reason enough to pull out. Serious money issues are the real problem.
Jul 23, 2004, 06:11 AM
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Here is some more info, press release from Mitsubishi Motorsport:
Tokyo/Trebur July 23, 2004 - Mitsubishi Motors will modify its 2004 FIA World Rally Championship activities, switching focus to spending more time further developing the Lancer World Rally Car in preparation for the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship.
As a consequence, Mitsubishi Motors will reduce its FIA World Rally Championship activities after August’s Rallye Deutschland and will not contest the Championship from Rally Japan (September 2-5) through to Rally Australia (November 11-14). The focus for the remainder of the season will be to develop the Lancer WRC. Mitsubishi Motors will use one or two selected European rallies as an intensive test and development platform for the Lancer WRC. The new WRC Program for 2004 will not affect Mitsubishi Motors long-term program to the FIA World Rally Championship until 2006.
Sven Quandt, President of MMSP GmbH, Mitsubishi Motors’ motor sport company, said: “We started this Season with a three year plan. The first year with the new car back in the World Rally Championship was mainly focused to develop our new Lancer WRC. To pull out from the whole Championship for the rest of the season gives us the possibility to further develop our car with all the experience we have gained since the Monte Carlo Rally this year, where we finished in 6th place”
“Our commitment to motorsport will continue. Rallying is central to our brand philosophy and we will continue to use motor sport to technically develop our production cars. But we have to consider how best to optimize our resources and find our way back to the enormous success we have had in previous years. This is not easy with such an intense world rally program, so the only way to find time for this is to temporarily reduce our program,” said Akira Kijima, Managing Director and Head of Products Operations, Mitsubishi Motors.
Mitsubishi Motors’ preparation for the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship will continue as usual. Mitsubishi Motors has been on the international Rally Scene since 1967, winning the WRC series in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 with Tommi Makinen, as well as the Manufacturers’ title in 1998
Tokyo/Trebur July 23, 2004 - Mitsubishi Motors will modify its 2004 FIA World Rally Championship activities, switching focus to spending more time further developing the Lancer World Rally Car in preparation for the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship.
As a consequence, Mitsubishi Motors will reduce its FIA World Rally Championship activities after August’s Rallye Deutschland and will not contest the Championship from Rally Japan (September 2-5) through to Rally Australia (November 11-14). The focus for the remainder of the season will be to develop the Lancer WRC. Mitsubishi Motors will use one or two selected European rallies as an intensive test and development platform for the Lancer WRC. The new WRC Program for 2004 will not affect Mitsubishi Motors long-term program to the FIA World Rally Championship until 2006.
Sven Quandt, President of MMSP GmbH, Mitsubishi Motors’ motor sport company, said: “We started this Season with a three year plan. The first year with the new car back in the World Rally Championship was mainly focused to develop our new Lancer WRC. To pull out from the whole Championship for the rest of the season gives us the possibility to further develop our car with all the experience we have gained since the Monte Carlo Rally this year, where we finished in 6th place”
“Our commitment to motorsport will continue. Rallying is central to our brand philosophy and we will continue to use motor sport to technically develop our production cars. But we have to consider how best to optimize our resources and find our way back to the enormous success we have had in previous years. This is not easy with such an intense world rally program, so the only way to find time for this is to temporarily reduce our program,” said Akira Kijima, Managing Director and Head of Products Operations, Mitsubishi Motors.
Mitsubishi Motors’ preparation for the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship will continue as usual. Mitsubishi Motors has been on the international Rally Scene since 1967, winning the WRC series in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 with Tommi Makinen, as well as the Manufacturers’ title in 1998
Jul 23, 2004, 07:17 AM
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I thought at the beginning of the season the whole point was to be a backmarker, run a manual transmission, and test new things. The PR I saw at the start of the season sounded like they knew they werent going to contend with anyone, just go at their own pace and get some good on-stage R&D done.
Jul 23, 2004, 09:28 AM
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Yeah, it sounds like they just don't have any money. Sucks, because WRC is the only good publicity they have any hope of getting. Everything else about the company sucks except maybe their dakar presence.
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Jul 27, 2004, 09:09 AM
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Actually the thread title is exactly right. "Mitsubishi WRC Team WITHDRAWS.... They are not quitting, yet.
Latest news from worldrallynews.com includes some more insight into the situation from team boss Sven Quandt.
****
7-27-04
A Withdrawal, not a Retreat
Mitsubishi Motor Sports’ determination to continue development of the Lancer WRC04 after its withdrawal at the end of August is proof that it will return in 2005, according to the organisation’s President Sven Quandt.
“If we would have said we save some money on the development, that would have shown immediately there is no interest in the future. I think this gives you the best guarantee that we will continue,” Quandt said.
He said that the three-year development plan was still in place and disclosed that MMSP would contest at least one World Championship rally this autumn after it pulls out of the series.
“We just don’t know 100% when everything is ready and that depends which rally we are taking part. It will be one tarmac event, that’s definite. It has to be, because we have not done a tarmac event except the first one, which is not really comparable. That is what we are thinking at the moment. Italy is still open at the moment and we are not going into details,” he said.
As a registered manufacturer, Mitsubishi’s withdrawal leaves it open to an FIA fine of US$250,000 per rally. Quandt said that pulling out was nevertheless the cheaper option.
“I can tell you it makes sense. We still save money at the end, because the events, especially Japan and in Australia, are very, very expensive. Mitsubishi in Japan is still in a serious situation. We all have to bring our costs down,” he stated.
As the WRC04 has yet to finish higher than sixth, there has been some speculation over Quandt’s future. He replied that he did not believe that it is in question.
“The only thing I can tell you to that is I have got a contract, which is still valid, which is still ongoing,” he said. “The decision made, I fully support that decision, which shows you that how we made it was absolutely in harmony with Japan. I am a business person and I think I can combine business and motorsports quite well. I am probably one of the few guys in that area who comes from a full business background, in automotive supply and so on.
“I have built up enough companies and as well had difficult times in between, so I know what it means, but I am realistic enough to say, ‘Achievable targets or not achievable targets?’ The targets what we have got at the moment are achievable. The targets on the cost-cutting side is achievable if we make it a clever way and that is the most important thing in that direction. For me, it’s a question, I have that job, because I like that job and I do it in the best effort for Mitsubishi to find the best solution and I think we have found the best solution for that. If they are happy or not happy with everything with me, I cannot tell you.”
© Copyright worldrallynews.com 2000-2004
Latest news from worldrallynews.com includes some more insight into the situation from team boss Sven Quandt.
****
7-27-04
A Withdrawal, not a Retreat
Mitsubishi Motor Sports’ determination to continue development of the Lancer WRC04 after its withdrawal at the end of August is proof that it will return in 2005, according to the organisation’s President Sven Quandt.
“If we would have said we save some money on the development, that would have shown immediately there is no interest in the future. I think this gives you the best guarantee that we will continue,” Quandt said.
He said that the three-year development plan was still in place and disclosed that MMSP would contest at least one World Championship rally this autumn after it pulls out of the series.
“We just don’t know 100% when everything is ready and that depends which rally we are taking part. It will be one tarmac event, that’s definite. It has to be, because we have not done a tarmac event except the first one, which is not really comparable. That is what we are thinking at the moment. Italy is still open at the moment and we are not going into details,” he said.
As a registered manufacturer, Mitsubishi’s withdrawal leaves it open to an FIA fine of US$250,000 per rally. Quandt said that pulling out was nevertheless the cheaper option.
“I can tell you it makes sense. We still save money at the end, because the events, especially Japan and in Australia, are very, very expensive. Mitsubishi in Japan is still in a serious situation. We all have to bring our costs down,” he stated.
As the WRC04 has yet to finish higher than sixth, there has been some speculation over Quandt’s future. He replied that he did not believe that it is in question.
“The only thing I can tell you to that is I have got a contract, which is still valid, which is still ongoing,” he said. “The decision made, I fully support that decision, which shows you that how we made it was absolutely in harmony with Japan. I am a business person and I think I can combine business and motorsports quite well. I am probably one of the few guys in that area who comes from a full business background, in automotive supply and so on.
“I have built up enough companies and as well had difficult times in between, so I know what it means, but I am realistic enough to say, ‘Achievable targets or not achievable targets?’ The targets what we have got at the moment are achievable. The targets on the cost-cutting side is achievable if we make it a clever way and that is the most important thing in that direction. For me, it’s a question, I have that job, because I like that job and I do it in the best effort for Mitsubishi to find the best solution and I think we have found the best solution for that. If they are happy or not happy with everything with me, I cannot tell you.”
© Copyright worldrallynews.com 2000-2004
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