The organizers of the Rally of Portugal face a suspended penalty of 15,000 euros after a security incident that allowed unauthorized vehicles to enter an active stage of the World Rally Championship. The incident occurred during the second pass of the well-known stage of Arganil, which had to be halted.
The first incident occurred when the Toyota driver, Elfyn Evans, collided with a recovery truck that had accessed the stage. A few minutes later, another vehicle appeared on the track in front of the Lancia WRC2 driver, Yohan Rossel, forcing officials to display the red flag for safety reasons.
After the incident, the organizers initiated an investigation into how this security breach occurred, which has now been referred to the FIA stewards. The penalty includes a reprimand and an order to improve safety measures during the current event.
According to the stewards’ statement, the organizer has been instructed to implement significant improvements in safety measures to prevent future incidents. The Clerk of the course, Horacio Rodrigues, reported that the entries of vehicles were not communicated to the Rally control room, which created a potentially dangerous situation.
The report reveals that the truck was on its way to collect a vehicle that had abandoned the race. However, the driver was unaware that they had accessed an active stage. Although the truck was able to withdraw quickly, the second vehicle made a similar entry, resulting in a stoppage of the stage for safety.
The organizers have apologized for the failures and stated that they continue to work on investigating the events. Despite the safety measures established with local authorities, this incident has highlighted the need to increase vigilance during the competition’s development.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
