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Just watched a Ken Block video on Chain Reaction's website. He can obviously drive a bit, but why did that not carry on over when he tried his luck with WRC?
Surely raw talent is raw talent, or are the other WRC drivers a cut above?
Different discipline within the same general arena.
Not that much of a surprise really.
WRC drivers have to get it right first time every time.
Block can try, try and try again until he gets it right.
Plus while blocks driving looks good it ain't the fastest way of getting from a to b
The videos are chopped about so all the good bits make it into the final edit. As for the driving, he is a bit shit. Hooning it sideways everywhere around an airfield in a 700bhp car is nothing compared to driving a 300bhp car down narrow lanes with a variable surface where any mistake gets punished by either losing time or finding out what damage a brick wall/tree/ditch does.
same way trials riders aren't DH world champs
(still beat the crap out of most of us though, I bet)
Best explanation I heard of this:
Holding the record for keepy-uppys doesn't make you the best footballer.
Kimi raikonen. F1 world champ not so great in wrc
Sebastian bourdais. Multiple indy car champs. Abysmal in f1
Different disciplines require different skills.
I'm of the opinion that WRC drivers are probably the most capable fast-car drivers, as said above - the natural ability & instincts are possibly a little above F1/Indy, where they get to do the same circuit a lot of times. Granted, being able to be at the limits in either format is still a great skill to hold though.
Abit why TopGear saying how good X hypercar is whilst its been driven sideways on a HUGE airfield winds me up.
Misleading. In real life street furniture gives you a few metres notice.
Same goes for WRC..
Who says Loeb or whoever wouldn't beat block at his own game?
Just to busy racing to thrash around airfields etc
Kimi raikonen. F1 world champ not so great in wrc
Sebastian bourdais. Multiple indy car champs. Abysmal in f1
Different disciplines require different skills.
Agree with that except the bourdais example. Bourdais won multiple championships because the standard of driving in Indy cars is abysmal 😀
I don't get all this hatred for Ken Block. It's like comparing Danny Macaskill to Danny Hart. I mean Macaskill must be shit too, because he'll have a hundred goes before landing a trick.
That said. Ken Block obviously has loads of money to throw at it. And unlike Danny Macaskill, he's probably there because he's doing something that no one else is really doing. And it's quite easy to become the best at something only you do. But it is what it is, and his videos are quite entertaining. Can't really see what there is to hate about it.
Abit why TopGear saying how good X hypercar is whilst its been driven sideways on a HUGE airfield winds me up.Misleading. In real life street furniture gives you a few metres notice.
To be fair. If you were lucky enough to own the latest hypercar, and you wanted to drive it sideways, it would probably be sensible to do it on a HUGE airfield, and not on a Monday morning while you're dropping the kids off at school 🙂
Give the guy a break he has only been driving a few years
The trick with rallying is not knowing when to go fast, it's knowing when to go slow!
The very best, absolutely world class rally drivers have a "sixth sense", a combination of skill, experience, and being able to process multiple sources of information, simultaneously when under duress!
Having been lucky enough to sit next to some of the world best rally drivers whilst developing WRC cars for Prodrive, it's uncanny at how they somehow preempt changes in grip before they occur.
Block is a good driver, and has good physical car control skills, but he's completely "visual" in his driving. World class rally drivers use much more than just their eyes to drive absolutely at the limit of grip (what ever speed that requires) on unfamiliar and changing surfaces.
In rallying, if you wait till you've seen a hazard it's too late and combined with the constant temptation to over drive the car to make up time or deficits in the cars performance itself, it's oh so easy to carry a small amount of excess speed with predictable consequences!
What a great post max torque!
Rallying - harder than it looks...
jackthedog - MemberHolding the record for keepy-uppys doesn't make you the best footballer.
Back of the net.
The very best, absolutely world class rally drivers have a "sixth sense", a combination of skill, experience, and being able to process multiple sources of information, simultaneously when under duress!
Or the sixth sense is otherwise known as their co driver, a decent one is just as important as the driver in most cases.
maxtorque = nail head
I thought that maxtorque was a familiar user name and then realised I have just read all about his amazing car on Piston Heads
[url= http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=1334825&mid=0 ]engineering porn on PH[/url]
I am not a cyber stalker but this guy really is an engineer unlike some of the other "experts" on here.
Respect to you Sir.
Matt24k - Member
maxtorque = nail head
I thought that maxtorque was a familiar user name and then realised I have just read all about his amazing car on Piston Heads
engineering porn on PH
I am not a cyber stalker but this guy really is an engineer unlike some of the other "experts" on here.
Respect to you Sir.
I just checked out that thread, pretty impressive stuff. I also remember that when I used to read Cars and Car Conversions cover to cover many times every month as a teenager with aspirations to be a WRC engineer, that the Volvo that Max Torque had before the Seat won their modified car of the year or something.
Cars & Car Conversions was a proper magazine and it was a real shame when it ceased publication.
Seen how Kubica is getting on? 🙂 A missed F1 talent/great darn that Armco 🙁
Maxtorque's dusty volkswagen even has a laptop for forum stalking while between stages!
The gifs thread has a nice little bit with Gigi Galli hanging it out. Effortlessly. While being a world class driver.
That's all round talent.
Am I the only one to find his videos super dull?
Nope. I've stopped watching them now.
Even my teenage son has registered that he is only good in the gymkhana format after seeing him on Rally GB on a few occasions ... You can see that he's driving at about 85% of the pace of the top drivers. It's quite tangible. ...which is kind of disappointing given the budgets available to him etc
He's good for tv specials and pulling 10yr old boys to the rallys , he won't win.
To be fair. If you were lucky enough to own the latest hypercar, and you wanted to drive it sideways, it would probably be sensible to do it on a HUGE airfield, and not on a Monday morning while you're dropping the kids off at school
Oh I agree but I wonder since such TG shows if anyones hired or owned such a car and booted it on a public road thinking the car will be alright 😆
The difference between someone who is a good car / bike / other vehicle handler and a someone who is a top racer is amazing, its a mindset thing as well as a skill set thing I think. Being able to push speed to the limit but not over the limit, particularly on variable surfaces is a real art, totally different from being able to do tricks or stunts.
Its been nice to see Kubica do so well in the WRC tier 2 class and get some top 10 placings overall, given that he will never be able to get a F1 drive again, he clearly loves rallying and is a bit better at it that Kimi 🙂
The race of Champions at the end of the year is always interesting to see how the different drivers do from F1 / rallying.
If memory serves the rally drivers tend to do very well, even compared to the F1 guys on a track.
I guess it takes a special precision and skill to drive an F1 car, but the rally drivers have a broader range of skill with the car sliding?
One has a better PR machine and video editing crew...
but he's completely "visual" in his driving
which sells.
Fair play to him. He's having a right laugh in a far safer environment than actual motorsport, and raking in the cash.
Wouldn't you?
Rallying - harder than it looks...
That is brilliant 😀
i think another good example would be the interview valentino rossi did after being taken around the isle of man tt lap. no one would deny rossi is an amazing rider, but he says there is no way he could do that discipline at anything like race pace. and his full of praise and even astonishment at what the tt guys can do.
He makes entertaining videos. If Loeb or Ogier were to do the same the film would be over in half the time.
Block does bring some much needed publicity to the WRC which does seem to be struggling to reach its audience at the minute, but he wont ever win anything at the top level. Very interested to see how Kubica does in Wales this weekend though.
Didnt Loeb test for F1?
Talking of driver skill etc and transition. I once knew a girl who I truly believe could have driven competitively. She was only 17 but had a natural ability for car control/on the edge and subtlety.
Madness that out there there will be people who far more skill than any professional driver (with sponsorship or money behind them).
Agree with that except the bourdais example. Bourdais won multiple championships because the standard of driving in Indy cars is abysmal
Damnit, beaten to it.
And, when Mansell went to Indycar, he just rocked up and stuck it on pole and won in his first race, the first 'rookie' to do so.
Mark Blundell once said there will be hundreds of drivers who are better than me who will never get the chance, that's life it isnt always fair.
Loeb tested for Toro Rosso a few years ago. FIA wouldn't grant him a super licence due to a lack of circuit experience. Think red bull were seriously considering him for an f1 drive.
I enjoyed the first Ken Block video in the Impreza, but the rest I didn't enjoy much.
Didn't Pastrana(sp?) have a blast at rally/WRC and not do very well? Not that I'm saying he was also 'crap', but just another example of real rallying being a different ballgame entirely.
skaifan - MemberLoeb tested for Toro Rosso a few years ago. FIA wouldn't grant him a super licence due to a lack of circuit experience. Think red bull were seriously considering him for an f1 drive.
So did Rossi for Ferarri, I seem to recall both were within 0.5 second of the time set by the race driver at the same test. Which in their first outing in a F1 car is staggering.
Maxtorque
I've just read through your PH post.
As someone who has spent 20 years in the motor trade in manufacturer technical roles and who dreamed of working in WRC.
1. I doff my hat to your mechanical and electrical skills.
2. Dam I'm jealous of the same. 
I know very little about engines/cars etc but even I can see that Maxtorque Ibiza is just an incredible piece of work.
engineering porn on PH
Holy mother of all things holy.............
ken box was more entertaining than ken blocks videos 😀
his videos are about as far derived from WRC as you can get and still be in a rally car.
We used to 12 car rally's and single venue many years ago, I'm afraid to say money, car, tyres, spares makes a real difference to your placing.
If you want to get on in rallying then you have to chase a one make championship running current manufacturers models,BIG BUCKS
maxtorque - MemberThe trick with rallying is not knowing when to go fast, it's knowing when to go slow!
The very best, absolutely world class rally drivers have a "sixth sense", a combination of skill, experience, and being able to process multiple sources of information, simultaneously when under duress!Having been lucky enough to sit next to some of the world best rally drivers whilst developing WRC cars for Prodrive, it's uncanny at how they somehow preempt changes in grip before they occur.
Block is a good driver, and has good physical car control skills, but he's completely "visual" in his driving. World class rally drivers use much more than just their eyes to drive absolutely at the limit of grip (what ever speed that requires) on unfamiliar and changing surfaces.
In rallying, if you wait till you've seen a hazard it's too late and combined with the constant temptation to over drive the car to make up time or deficits in the cars performance itself, it's oh so easy to carry a small amount of excess speed with predictable consequences!
He speaketh the truth 😀
(Hi Mr V) 😆 Hopefully get both toys out on track soon, although I think you will beat me to it
For the Haterz-
I'm neither a fan or a hater- he comes across as quite grounded and a nice bloke to know though in interviews etc (as far as one can tell I guess).
Although with that cap on he does look ridiculous 😆
A bit OT, but thank you for the kind words chaps! My car has been a real labour of love, but i think it's worth it..... 😉
I'd suggest watching this [url=
Games 2013 Gymkhana[/url], Mr Block got owned in the quarter finals by some bloke from Engerland...Liam Doran. He even went on to won that even this year too....another one who slipped under the radar this year in sporting acheivements(Don't get me started on British Superbike and World Superbike)....
Go across the pond where Motorsport has a much wider audience and people like Ken et al get put on a pedestal with amazing funding to create showpieces like the Gymkhana series that Ken has worked on since day one.
Never knew his back history - hats off (and I wish he would it looks really stupid) to the bloke.
I never knew he was such an old bloke (45!), he should be on here
For the Haterz-
http://www.sbcskateboard.com/features_article?news_id=2338
Thanks for that. Good article.
Very interesting to know everything else he has done, I had no idea.
So considering that he wasn't really planning a career as a professional driver, and just fancied "having a go" then his achievements are pretty impressive really.
Kcr that in car footage is priceless! Never seen that before. Absolute 😆 "SAMMY"
A bit OT, but thank you for the kind words chaps! My car has been a real labour of love, but i think it's worth it..
Maxtorque, I've been reading the PH thread. I am in awe. I almost stood up and applauded when I saw the CAD drawings
Another +1 for MaxTorque's car! Truly incredible!! Reading your replies to questions on that thread, and you knowledge just pours out! You are clearly a very talented man.
Maxtorque, I've just read through your entire PH thread, and all I can do is reiterate what a number of others in the thread said: shitthebed! I'm stunned, the amount of work involved is breathtaking, and the level of detail is a work of automotive art!
A phenomenal piece of work, sir, and congratulations.
I like the fact that the engine was built in your living room, and was the most valuable item in the house... 😀
I recall reading an article a while back about f1 -> Rally and Rally ->f1.
The consensus of the article was that f1 drivers typically struggle in Rallying, but Rally drivers adapt pretty well to f1 cars. M Schumacher was cited as an exception. Apparently Schumacher and Colin McRae had a few head to heads where cars were swapped and both drivers were competitively fast in the other car. In other similar head to heads the Rally driver usually won out.
No idea why, or even how unbiased/accurate the article was, but interesting reading nonetheless.
I love this:
"Gilles Panizzi was leading the 2002 WRC Rally Catalunya by a solid 45 seconds. Much to the surprise of the spectators, as well as his bewildered co-driver, he decided to do some donuts in the middle of a stage."
source:Jalopnik
I remember seeing this-amazing!
Maxtorque, from one engineer to another, you are completely mental (in the best possible way)!