There is a great deal to be decided before the general public will be made aware of the driver changes for 2003. Salary demands, development costs and the future prospects of a number of teams will all have a role to play but potentially 2003 could see the field taking on a fresher look.
Undoubtedly, the future of McRae and Sainz holds the key to the driver market. Both are free agents at the end of the 2002 season and their preferences, salary demands, the willingness of teams to meet those demands and the relative performances of teams this season will have an impact on their decision.
For McRae (see previous posting "McRae's drive for 2003"), Citroen is the obvious choice for next season. The Focus is beginning to look out of shape for the WRC and will struggle to compete if more compact format rallies become de rigeur as TV takes hold. The Xsara on the other hand looks a little shy of the complete package but not so much as it would require 2 or 3 seasons before it would be up to championship winning pace. It therefore fits for McRae to go here and have a chance of competing with the Peugeots. Furthermore, Citroen would love to have a big name like McRae and the salary would probably be no problem in return for such a prominent and marketable commodity.
AUTOSPORT (22nd August) suggested that Citroen might pair with Sainz for next season, given that he is multi-lingual and is renowned for his development/testing expertise. This is unlikely to be the case however because Sainz will probably retire at the end of this season.
The accident on the RAC last year rattled the Spainiard and he has never regained his true form since then, despite still being very quick. Assuming therefore that Sainz quits, Citroen will undoubtedly go for McRae to partner French hotshot Sebastien Loeb. This however leaves Ford short of two drivers which is where the youngsters could come in.
Ford clearly have a future champion in the shape of Markko Martin. The Estonian has performed well this season and has produced some exceptionally quick times, leading rallies intermittently like a seasoned pro. Martin is likely to be partnered by another rising star. Why? Because Ford are acutely aware that they need every penny they can get to invest in improving the Focus.
Even with McRae and Sainz on board, the Focus will never win the championship against the Peugeots in their current form. Development and evolution of the car is a top requirement as this will push performance beyond even the levels that McRae or Sainz on a charge can achieve. The fundamentals on the Focus need to be developed, something the drivers have little impact upon. Therefore putting two fiery youngsters in the cars will free up the cash to invest in the Focus whilst maintaining some limited involvement in the battle for rally victories and podiums next season.
It is not just at Ford that new blood could find a berth. Petter Solberg is maturing into a top-class driver, his performances only overshadowed by over-exuberance at times. Team-mate Tommi Makkinen has looked tired this season and bad performances from him and from his Subaru team have left many speculating that the Finn will retire at the end of this season. Should this be the case, another top drive will open up to a junior member of the rallying fraternity.
Next year will be pivotal in terms of bringing in new blood into the championship. This has happened in previous seasons but only Petter Solberg has been given a full-time chance in the top car as opposed to drivers like Martin who play second fiddle to McRae and Sainz. Next season could see several new stars emerge in top line drives who will have the opportunity to start winning from day one. 2003 is already promising to turn into a very exciting season for many different reasons.
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