Skoda are rumoured to be going the way of the Subaru/Prodrive route of having a third party running the team for 2006 if they decide to stay in the WRC.

As in a Tuner?

It will be a large company similar to MSD, Ralliart or Prodrive.

As in a Tuner?

As in the team will be run by a rally prep company instead of the factory.

So the fabia really could be the new impreza

Heard it might be Jabbasport

Funny enough someone else mentioned that to me the other day .

If it makes them more competitive then go for it.

Heard it might be Jabbasport

Heard it might be Jabbasport

Have they experience in running a team in motorsport ?

Having visited Ralliart, prodrive and Jabba I find it very hard to beelieve Jabba would be competitive.

Having visited Ralliart, prodrive and Jabba I find it very hard to beelieve Jabba would be competitive.

Goochie, twas a joke, the VW cup & other series theyve prepared cars for is still not the WRC. Mind you I bet given a few million they would gladly have a go

Mind you I bet given a few million they would gladly have a go

But the thing is surely if Skoda had a few million to spend they would have spent it themselves developing the cars rather than paying someone else to do it ?

Prospeed???? They are running 3 or 4 ex works Octavia WRC's and at least one Fabia!

Did just hear yesterday skoda will be having a privateer team next year. Only 10 weeks till Monte Carlo LOL

Don't really care who runs what, where, or why - JUST PUT COLIN IN A FABIA!!!!!

Prospeed???? They are running 3 or 4 ex works Octavia WRC's and at least one Fabia!

They already do a huge amount for the team on the European WRC events.

Main problem they have is the lack of space at their premises for something that big.

They just need a mechanic who can change a clutch.That was so annoying.

Okay then these are the rumours I've heard of:

Skoda WRC team being run by Prodrive - this has come from a normally reliable source.

Skoda WRC team being run by Red Motorsport - Red have links with the McRae Motorsport Ltd and ran Kris Meekes Imprezza on Rally GB.

Privateer Skoda WRC team with backing from Reb Bull and run by Armin Schwarz.

As for McRae, I've heard that if Skoda go with Prodrive he will drive for them but the rumour about him driving for Mitsubishi in 2006 is not going away.

Lets not forget an announcement is due any day from Skoda as to their plans - the Skoda bosses were supposed to have decided at the end of October as to their future plans.

They just need a mechanic who can change a clutch.That was so annoying.

It's not as simple as that. I was chatting to a guy I know who is involved in a WRC team and was saying that it was annoying that the number two car had a clutch change in 22 minutes well under the 30 minute service.

This is what he sent me:

"..the Skoda uses a variant of the old focus box, and this had 2 main faults, hydraulic valve failure and a tendency to get very hot.. in its self not a big problem but if you take off a hot clutch pack which has expanded and go to fit a cold new one many times it simply just wont fit as the tolerance is so tight in machining.. I still believe the problem was hydraulic failure as he was driving the box manually earlier that day and the day before. For a No1 on the car its close call what to swap first as you only really get two goes..

change the hydro pump, and its still not ok you change the valve pack, this takes 25 mins with a good crew but obviously if you do this and its a gearbox fault you don’t have enough remaining time to do the box!

The car has a data logging facility on the valve pack but is not reliable at the best of times. I guess the engineer could have made the wrong decision... were human! but my money is still on that valve pack failing and damaging the main box itself... this is not the same problem as the 2nd car suffered this was just clutch contamination, a common and easy fixed fault in 15 mins max.(with crow bar and big hammer!)"

Ah.I was a bit confused when he 'reverted' to manual shifting(and complaining about the time it was costing him).

As for the rumour options,they all sound interesting.

Surely Prodrive running both Subaru and skoda is a conflict of interests? Subaru aren't going to like it as they are clearly in competition with each other.

Surely Prodrive running both Subaru and skoda is a conflict of interests? Subaru aren't going to like it as they are clearly in competition with each other.

Prodrive is only a preparation company.

Michelin and Pirrelli deal with more than one team.

Limited edition Fabia P1.Nice.Do it skoda

If, as seems likely given service area gossip from Australia, Skoda withdraw from motorsport at the end of 2007 what are the current rumours?

1 - McRae to Mitsubishi (if the money is right)...if not Mitsubishi then no works deal although i hear that Citroen are keen for 07 with CMc.

2 - RED Motorsport run Skodas for CMc and Meeke(non s1600 rounds). This did the rounds in Spain service area. This would be the cheapest option to run in the WRC as Skoda would offer financial support and technicals. Also the car maybe competitive with mechanical diffs as the rest of the package ain't too bad...need to sort out suspension though.

3 - Armin Schwarz running a Red Bull team of Skodas is very likely with Roman Kresta but not with CMc unless Mr Red Bull wants to pay...mind you he does have the money!

4 - RED Motorsport could run Subarus instead but these are much more costly than Skodas (after finance support from Skoda)

I have to admit the Mitsubishi rumour is the one I have been hearing since August.

Am I totally wrong here (normally am).

The reason for mitsubishi and subaru having such good names related mainly to rally success.Same for audi with 'quattro' becoming a special word.

I sincerely hope they do something.Success in rallies will get far more from the public than trouser presses and JD power surveys.