Rally Japan 2022

[mknight]

You sure? I read somewhere it got red flagged because of the car and not the Breen crash.

In the first article on Dirtfish (The one with Pajari in headline). It says what you write - that the stage got red flagged because of the car.

But in the newer one below it says the car came one stage after it was red flagged:
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/fia-t...ach-of-safety/

My assumption is that the newer article is more accurate.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Dirtfish at the scene of Sordo's fire...
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/witne...rst-nightmare/

[WRCStan]

In the first article on Dirtfish (The one with Pajari in headline). It says what you write - that the stage got red flagged because of the car.

But in the newer one below it says the car came one stage after it was red flagged:
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/fia-t...ach-of-safety/

My assumption is that the newer article is more accurate.

The Pajari one is raw - and Sergio's Autohebdo link says three cars nearly hit this civilian car.

The FIA one is managing public's impression of them. And suddenly they found a task force of marshals and safety cars that weren't there before? Yeah OK.

[Sergiow]

The Pajari one is raw - and Sergio's Autohebdo link says three cars nearly hit this civilian car.

The FIA one is managing public's impression of them. And suddenly they found a task force of marshals and safety cars that weren't there before? Yeah OK.

Interesting spin of the facts. The Autohebdo article was written by Loic Rocci who is reporting directly from Japan so has access to the drivers. Here is another fine article about the curious Daihatsu Copen participating in the Japan WRC rally https://www.autohebdo.fr/actualites/...aponaises.html.

Regarding the timeline of the red flag, the Live updates section of the WRC website has a time line:
Fri 01:44 Breen - Tracking shows the M-Sport Ford driver stopped 9km into the stage. More news to follow...
Fri 01:47 More on Breen - We're hearing reports that he's gone off the road. Crew OK
Fri 01:55 Stage interrupted - The stage has been red-flagged. We'll let you know once we find out more

=> According to this time line it seems there are 11 minutes between reporting of the Breen crash and the actual red flag

After my live experience this year on the cancelled SS9 Sardegna WRC, the Live update of the cancellation of that stage was so quick that even the local stages marshals were unaware, so I tend to believe the WRC Live update time line as a credible source

[mknight]

I am not really sure what you are trying to say.

It happens very often that a stage is red flagged quite a few mins later after a crash (first when stage commander gets enough info to make a decision), even though it is the only reason. Usually it takes long when crew is ok and pushes the OK button, but the car is stuck in a dangerous place. (See Lappi getting stuck in Mexico (in 2019?) for massive controversy with that).

Similarly saying that 3 cars almost hit it doesn't say anything. You can almost hit a car even when driving at normal road speed (while red flagged) and certainly you can do that on a narrow twisty road when you don't expect a car there.

It is entirely possible that the red flagging.happened due to the car on the stage. But the only evidence of that so far is Pajari indirectly saying that in the first Dirtfish interview. ( "Well you can imagine how it can be if you are doing full rally speed and suddenly over some crest you see a normal car,” he said.")

[Rallyper]

God evening fellow rallyfans. Let´s see what this happening will bring.

[EstWRC]

Breen hasn’t got even into 3rd gear

[WRC1]

its a big Risk to let Breen start as first car today....they can not afford to loose another stage.

[AnttiL]

Good evening. It has been a dramatic rally, hopefully not as dramatic today. And beyond the drama, the competition is tight.

[SubaruNorway]

This is a pretty cool stage!