Will Yohan Rossel and Citroën lose their victory in Chile?

The WRC2 2024 is definitely a competition full of twists and turns. Decisive for the title, the rally from Chile had been thrilling to follow. The events had unfolded in the special stages, but also in the office of the stewards' panel. A quick reminder of the facts. In SS11 (Lota 2), Oliver Solberg, then leader, had suffered a puncture. After changing his wheel, he had set off again just ahead of Yohan Rossel. The latter had signalled his presence, but the Swede had never let him pass. The fog present in the special stage had been compounded by the dust raised by the Skoda and the Frenchman had preferred to slow down in order to finish the SS without making any mistakes.

The DG team had filed a request for a time correction and it had been heard, the C3 of Rossel/Barral seeing its time drop by 40''. Winners of the event, the French kept all their chances of being champions. Very angry, Oliver had announced that he would appeal this decision and this was done after the race, but he did not win his case. The situation seemed to have to end there with suspense still as intense since 3 drivers (Solberg, Rossel and Sami Pajari) could still be crowned according to the results of the Central Europe rally and that of Japan. However, the affair has just taken a new twist with the intervention of Andrew Wheatley.

The decision contested by the FIA

On 3 October at 18:58, the FIA ​​Road Sport Director asked the Stewards’ Panel to review their Decision No. 5 taken in Chile as new evidence had emerged that was not presented at the scene. The stewards were able to review video and GPS data that they did not have in Concepción when they took 40 seconds off Yohan Rossel. Steward Decision No. 6 published on Friday 11 October at 16:10 states that “if this information had been available at the time of competitor No. 21’s (Rossel/Barral) request to receive a new time on this stage No. 11 a different interpretation would have been made”. After receiving this evidence, the Chilean Stewards’ Panel elected to review their decision. The main parties will be heard again at a date that has not yet been announced. If they were to change the time awarded in Chile, it would inevitably have an impact on the outcome of the rally and the championship.

Rossel out of the title?

If the time allowed 15 days ago is changed and if Citroën and Yohan Rossel were to lose the victory in WRC2 in Chile, the Gardois would be instantly ejected from the title race whatever his result at the CER. This would necessarily be favorable to Oliver Solberg, but it would not guarantee him the crown. Sami Pajari, who has nothing to do with this story could find himself facing a more complicated situation in Japan. Until now, he could be satisfied with a 3^e place, but now he might have to finish 2^eIt is to be hoped that while studying the new evidence provided by the FIA, the panel will not forget, as was already the case in Chile, to note that the Skoda crew continued their journey after their puncture without being properly restrained.

On the video that is also available to everyone, it seems clear that the driver and his co-driver are not fully harnessed while the car is moving, which is prohibited by law. Competitors including Yohan Rossel in Portugal this year have already been punished for this type of infraction. It is proven that if on the one hand the French lose the victory in Chile and on the other their opponent is not sanctioned for having broken the safety rules so dear to the FIA, this could seem particularly... unfair. In any case, it is certain that this unpleasant affair with the people involved (Pernilla Solberg, Oliver's mother is the President of the Commission WRC, Editor's note) gives a very poor image of this championship. A new very negative fact that the WRC did not really need.

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