[WRC] Rally Portugal 2023

[seb_sh]

Lack of competition killed the interest to follow the rally and the thread. Few Rally1 cars plus attrition means there was no story of this rally. And WRC2 puncture lottery was the joke of the year.

People talk about formats and gimmicks to get attention to WRC, i think it's the lack of competition. If there is nothing to play for why should someone follow? The cars are cool but i can watch some good fan videos tomorrow in my lunch break.

[becher]

Does anybody know more about the Rovanperä personal issues? Was anything in the finnish media about this?

[TypeR]

- Neuville got 10000 euros fine for not handing in timecard after SS17, usually it would be retirement/time penalty but well, stewards twisted the rules a bit.

- Sordo got 1000 euros fine for wearing RedBull cap instead of Pirelli's on podium.

- B. Bulacia got 2min penalty for using 27 tyres instead of allowed 26. (didn't change overall result too much tho)


- and yet Solberg got 1min time penalty straight away for donuts

[tommeke_B]

The timecard thing should result in disqualification indeed. However it's a bit similar like that time with Ogier in Sardinia (2017 I think), where they let it go that way, to not ruin the championship I guess... The matter about Solberg could be questioned indeed. Sometimes you have the exact same infraction in different events, with completely different penalties/fines. I guess it depends on what's on the menu of the day, for FIA stewards...

[mknight]

For Solberg the rule article says that he should get a minimum 5 min penalty. So they actually broke the rules themselves by only giving 1 min.

That the rule is stupid is something else. Once it is there it is equally stupid to break it.

[becher]

People understandably get upset because of the Solberg penalty, but between the finish and the TC you don't want drivers doing any funky stuff on normal stages and without a exception for SSS it is what it is.

[Rallyper]

Organizer are short of money.
The sport is on distress.

[AndyRAC]

The timecard thing should result in disqualification indeed. However it's a bit similar like that time with Ogier in Sardinia (2017 I think), where they let it go that way, to not ruin the championship I guess... The matter about Solberg could be questioned indeed. Sometimes you have the exact same infraction in different events, with completely different penalties/fines. I guess it depends on what's on the menu of the day, for FIA stewards...

I thought the FIM stewards in MotoGP were inept; but these are just as bad.....The timecard is the record of your event, it's been part of the sport almost from the start. He should be annulled from the results.....The championship fight should have no bearing on penalties....

[AnttiL]

The timecard thing should result in disqualification indeed. However it's a bit similar like that time with Ogier in Sardinia (2017 I think), where they let it go that way, to not ruin the championship I guess... The matter about Solberg could be questioned indeed. Sometimes you have the exact same infraction in different events, with completely different penalties/fines. I guess it depends on what's on the menu of the day, for FIA stewards...

In Sardinia 2018(?) Ogier/Ingrassia forgot the time card to TC but Ott brought it to them to the next TC. Is it a rule breach? Reversing to the TC would have been.

[PLuto]

That's strange yes, but probably because of his problems this is done to avoid having a big time gap to let Neuville crawl through the stage

As he was starting first, there was more time to show his suffering through the stage for a longer time...