Rali Ceredigion: Andrea Mabellini penalized 2 minutes before the start

Even if we will still have to wait until Sunday and the end of this 7^e and penultimate round of the ERC2025 to be certain, the scenario that unfolded on Wednesday and Thursday may well have sealed the fate of the championship.

While conducting a safety check on Special 10/12, Sue Sanders, the event's head of safety, and Benjamin Schmidt, the safety delegate, were joined by a car containing Manuel Huguet Panella and Andre Barbosa, two members of the Mabellini team. When asked what they were doing there, those who introduced themselves as Mabellini engineers replied that, with the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 still in the container, they had time to kill. In the special stages!

The College of Commissioners has chosen to punish Andrea Mabellini after the violation of two articles (35.4.2 and 12.2.1.c) which concern illegal recognitions and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the rallyWithout permission from the race director, team members are not allowed to enter the special stages before the race. Andrea Mabellini was therefore penalized 2 minutes. In its defense, the team claimed that the offense had been committed on Wednesday, but that the two members of staff had been removed...on Tuesday evening. Given the lack of evidence regarding this claim, the punishment will be applied.

While the Italian driver was well placed to fight for the title in ERC, he is now in a much more complicated situation. We will first have to see his reaction during qualifying on Friday morning and then during the race.