Petter Solberg, a former world champion, was leading WRC2 class by 35.4s at Rally de Portugal on Saturday night when he performed doughnuts at the end of the Lousada super special. His exhibition driving breached regulations that were introduced after Sebastien Ogier performed doughnuts prior to the final Rally Spain podium last year, albeit his infraction occurred in an area where fans were in close proximity. Solberg was handed a one-minute penalty which ultimately cost him the WRC2 win after falling just 1.2s shy of Toksport team-mate Gus Greensmith and eventual winner.
Criticism from the Service Park
The penalty was met with criticism from many within the service park, having occurred at a time when there is plenty of discussion regarding ways the category can be more appealing to fans and manufacturers. M-Sport’s Tanak commented that “The regulation is written that if you do a doughnut you get a minimum five-minute penalty and then you give one minute, so why do you do regulation if nobody follows them?” Hyundai boss Cyril Abiteboul added that “We can’t do that on one side and then be very restrictive on the regulations.”
FIA’s Response to the Penalty
The FIA issued a statement in response to why only a one-minute penalty was applied, stating that “Applying a time penalty of one minute compared to the five-minute penalty listed in the regulations is proportionate in view of the circumstances as explained in their decision.” The stewards reportedly worked until 01:45 that morning to assess the situation and apply the regulations presented by the WRC Commission for FIA World Motor Sport Council ratification last December.
Solberg Accepts Penalty but Hopes for a Rule Change in the Future
Solberg accepted the penalty but is hopeful that the regulation will be changed in the future to allow drivers to provide more entertainment for fans in a safe environment. He said, “I don’t regret anything I did, but clearly it was a mistake. I hope we can do doughnuts and make fun for people that came to Lousada, for example.”
Esapekka Lappi, who drives for Hyundai, understands why the regulation was introduced but felt the penalty was “rude” given the doughnuts were completed in a safe environment away from the fans. He said, “I understand that if you do doughnuts before the finish ramp there can be a lot of people next to you and something strange can happen, but in that kind of safe area it [the penalty] felt a bit rude.”
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