Originally Posted by
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.