Rally Mexico 2018

[OHL]

Do You consider the other way around possibility? - Drivers from the back of the field already have some points from the PS and might risk attacking a bit more on Saturday afternoon & Sunday? Hmmmm.....

No, I don't think that will achieve the same result as current power stage on Sunday. Do I have proof, no, but I don't think teams would risk finishing position points just because they already had a few in the bank. There typically just isn't enough mileage on Sunday to make a real impact on the times with straight driving.
Every action has many unforeseen consequences and what may seem like a good idea needs careful study to make sure it doesn't just make more problems.

[GravelBen]

This whole issue could have started and ended in Sweden.

If the other Teams had accepted that Ogier/M-Sport's action was a one-off due to their desperation to get some points on a rally where they were basically denied through no fault of their own.

The FIA even asked everyone not to behave like this on the Mexico PS.

But no, Hyundai and Toyota had to act like children in Mexico saying, well if they did it we're going to do it. Even though the rally and circumstances were totally different.

Do you wear a patch or were you born with only one eye?

[Rallyper]

Coming late PS excludes the driver from points on PS. That´s it. Why so many words?
FIA just didn´t find it out from beginning.

[sonnybobiche]

The solution is so simple that I don't understand why it's even debated:

Time penalties for late check-in should be applied directly to the stage time, not the overall rally time. Check in one minute late to a stage, and you get 10 seconds added to your stage time.

The overall penalty doesn't change, but now it's almost impossible to benefit from checking in late. Done. No gimmicks, no additional rules, no special exemptions, no arbitrary and capricious decisions by the stewards, no inconsistency, no misunderstanding or confusion.

[denkimi]

The solution is so simple that I don't understand why it's even debated:

Time penalties for late check-in should be applied directly to the stage time, not the overall rally time. Check in one minute late to a stage, and you get 10 seconds added to your stage time.

The overall penalty doesn't change, but now it's almost impossible to benefit from checking in late. Done. No gimmicks, no additional rules, no special exemptions, no arbitrary and capricious decisions by the stewards, no inconsistency, no misunderstanding or confusion.

They can just come late on the penultimate stage.

They could even be late on the first stage of the day and choose not to open the road. I'm actually surprised nobody has done that yet.

[OHL]

The solution is so simple that I don't understand why it's even debated:

Time penalties for late check-in should be applied directly to the stage time, not the overall rally time. Check in one minute late to a stage, and you get 10 seconds added to your stage time.

The overall penalty doesn't change, but now it's almost impossible to benefit from checking in late. Done. No gimmicks, no additional rules, no special exemptions, no arbitrary and capricious decisions by the stewards, no inconsistency, no misunderstanding or confusion.

When you change a rule you have to look at the intent and impact of the rule and then what is the intent and impact of the change. This is why I say it's not so simple. The current penalties for arriving to controls outside allocated time is 10 seconds per minute for being late, and 1 minute per minute for being early. Why are they different? The main reason is to discourage speeding and wreckless driving for a crew that are late to a stage start. If they have a problem from the previous stage or run into a problem on the transit, they have some flexibility and if they are a little bit late the penalty is not so severe. It is intended to help crews.
In the case of the power stage, where stage time is all that matters, and you implement the fix you have suggested, then you penalize everyone who has a legitimate problem from the previous stage or on the road section. They are instantly out of contention for power stage points and they did nothing wrong or unsporting. This is why it is not so simple and requires looking at every angle. The current rule is there for a reason. It is a good rule, it is just being exploited.
One solution could be to have a regroup before the power stage and announce the start order after all of the P1 cars have checked in. That would cause other issues like a little bit longer day, etc. but it's just one idea.

[steve.mandzij]

This whole issue could have started and ended in Sweden.

If the other Teams had accepted that Ogier/M-Sport's action was a one-off due to their desperation to get some points on a rally where they were basically denied through no fault of their own.

The FIA even asked everyone not to behave like this on the Mexico PS.

But no, Hyundai and Toyota had to act like children in Mexico saying, well if they did it we're going to do it. Even though the rally and circumstances were totally different.

Just saying, Tanak tried the tricks because, from no fault of his own (as you say of Ogier), his turbo shat itself.

[AnttiL]

One solution could be to have a regroup before the power stage and announce the start order after all of the P1 cars have checked in. That would cause other issues like a little bit longer day, etc. but it's just one idea.

This is actually how they do it now. That’s why it’s hugely unlikely anyone would genuinely be late from the power stage

[OHL]

This is actually how they do it now. That’s why it’s hugely unlikely anyone would genuinely be late from the power stage

I wasn't clear, what I meant was a regroup at stage start. In Mexico it was 13.5km from regroup to stage start.
I do agree with you that it is unlikely to have a genuine problem but it is impossible to know if someone is having a legitimate problem or not and removing the road section from the equation could help. Of course then the car would magically not start! That's been done may times before too to get an extra minute!

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Just saying, Tanak tried the tricks because, from no fault of his own (as you say of Ogier), his turbo shat itself.

Totally different. A car failure happens, but the rules of a rally are a decision. And Tanak's driving could also have caused his engine problem...

The FIA are going to stop it now:
https://www.motorsport-news.co.uk/ne...erstage-rules/y