Coates Hire WRC Rally Australia 2014 11th-14th Sept

Surely you recognize that there are two different points in your post.

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Originally Posted by Mirek

The problem is that such cutting has been part of the game ALWAYS. For example in Rally Germany it has been absolutely common thing.

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Corner cutting has always been part of the sport - but the question is when does corner cutting turn into shortcutting (which is a rule violation)? Not only is shortcutting unfair, it is also potentially unsafe and inconvenience to rally organisers (as proved by Mikkelsen's let's-unroot-some-potatoes -shortcut in Poland) who have to foot the bill for damages.

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Originally Posted by Mirek

When some penalty shall apply than it must apply always and always same. When it is just a random pick twice in a season with a random punishment it makes more bad than good. In fact it's complete farce.

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This is a problem, albeit not a huge one. And for this reason, there should be clear, explicit rule that says what is an acceptable cut and what is not - plus what the penalty should be. As it stands now, rally stewards (which do have permanent membership from rally to rally) have to pass sentences without any reference from the rules and hence the varying standards.

The fight with Paddon and Ostberg is on!

The pressure is on this morning, looks like all or nothing from a few of them

iRally @Official_iRally · 1 λεπ.
Julian Porter reports that Mikko Hirvonen may have an engine issue of sorts, warning light on in the car at the end of SS15

Art. 14.2. The organisers may erect barriers or any other hindrances where they believe competitors have deviated from the roadway during reconnaissance or the first running of the stages.

for me the decision of the stewards was based on this...

there were posts there to prevent cutting so i think it was too obviuos right from the start...

if the posts weren't there i think he would get away with it

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Originally Posted by marcosg

Art. 14.2. The organisers may erect barriers or any other hindrances where they believe competitors have deviated from the roadway during reconnaissance or the first running of the stages.

for me the decision of the stewards was based on this...

there were posts there to prevent cutting so i think it was too obviuos right from the start...

if the posts weren't there i think he would get away with it

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Yes but what happens if car 1 cuts takes the posts out and some cars follow , do they punish car 1 for the cut , how then can they punish the next cars if the posts are not in place , they are opening a big can of worms are they not ....

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Originally Posted by jonkka

Corner cutting has always been part of the sport - but the question is when does corner cutting turn into shortcutting (which is a rule violation)? Not only is shortcutting unfair, it is also potentially unsafe and inconvenience to rally organisers (as proved by Mikkelsen's let's-unroot-some-potatoes -shortcut in Poland) who have to foot the bill for damages.

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I spoke about shortcutting (whole car off the road). That has been common thing in Germany and other rallies (driving straight through some S-turns for example).

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Originally Posted by jonkka

This is a problem, albeit not a huge one. And for this reason, there should be clear, explicit rule that says what is an acceptable cut and what is not - plus what the penalty should be. As it stands now, rally stewards (which do have permanent membership from rally to rally) have to pass sentences without any reference from the rules and hence the varying standards.

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Totally disagree. When rules lead to picking random situations and giving random penalties than it is huge problem.

SUN 09:16 - UP NEXT: SS16
Bucca is the roughest stage of the rally, with stones on the road and bedrock poking through for much of the first half. It becomes smoother towards the finish. The clay-based roads are fast, with big straights dotted with crests and jumps.

It's understandable if the driver was looking for an advantage but it didn't look like it, more a case of carrying too much speed and scrubbing speed off on the grass. How is the deviation rule applied to genuine overshoots or similar?

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Originally Posted by Mirek

Totally disagree. When rules lead to picking random situations and giving random penalties than it is huge problem.

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It can be argued to be either random or consistent, depending on one's view. Random because there have been two cases with two different penalties - yes, I see your point here.

But consistent because first time this matter surfaced in Poland, where penalty was small, and all top drivers were now expected to know about the issue. So, when rule was included in the bulletin before the rally, drivers were supposed to have been forewarned not to deviate from the route. And when Meeke did it despite incident in Poland and despite explicit ruling in bulletin, it can be argued that his act was willful, deliberate and thus due for harsher punishment. Effectively, next driver to do so should expect even harsher punishment, hence the pattern.

This reminds me of the underwear-gate few years back. It had similar air to it, drivers were forewarned, some did not believe and got hit with small penalties. Some did not believe even then and got hit with harsher penalties. Now there have been no top drivers without fireproof underwear, they know FIA means business. Same should apply here - difference being that WRC regs do not have explicit ruling (for now).