The organizers of the Portugal Rally are conducting an investigation to clarify the circumstances of a security breach that allowed two unauthorized vehicles to access a live stage. This incident forced the competition to be interrupted in Arganil.
The second run of the well-known Arganil stage was stopped at two different moments after unauthorized vehicles entered the track during the competition. The first incident occurred when Elfyn Evans, a Toyota driver, encountered dust at the end of the stage, caused by a tow truck that had entered the area.
The truck left the track just as Evans arrived, but this caused the championship leader to lose time and be given an unofficial recovery time of 4.4 seconds. His teammate, Oliver Solberg, also reported a similar situation, where he was close to having an incident with a police officer who was on the road.
The situation complicated when, shortly after, another unauthorized vehicle entered the track, a moment that was quickly detected by Lancia WRC2 driver Yohan Rossel.
Evans expressed his disbelief at the situation: “It was really intense dust, and when I finally saw what was happening in front of me, I couldn’t believe it. I still don’t know exactly what happened.” Rossel also shared his surprise at encountering a car during the competition, mentioning that he saw the dust and, about 300 meters ahead, a Dacia vehicle.
The organizing committee of the Portugal Rally has issued a statement confirming that a full investigation is being conducted to understand the causes of these incidents. “The Arganil 2 stage began today at 12:30 PM, with thousands of spectators attending the event. Although safety measures were in place, two unauthorized vehicles accessed the track. These situations highlight the importance of safety in the championship, and the organizers’ priority is to ensure the safety of everyone involved,” the statement concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
