Teemu Suninen and Janni Hussi have lost the WRC2 lead at WRC Finland 2026 after the stewards handed them a 30-second time penalty for failing to stop at the scene of Patrick Enok's incident on SS11 Parkkola 1.
The decision dealt a major blow to Suninen and Hussi, who had been firmly on course to claim victory in the WRC2 category. The penalty dropped them from first to second with only one special stage remaining on Sunday.
The stewards' decision stated that Enok's car crashed approximately 3.30 kilometres into SS11 on Saturday morning. Suninen's car was the first competing entry to reach the scene, but the crew did not stop to provide assistance.
Suninen explained to the stewards that a green light and an OK message had appeared on the in-car display, prompting the crew to continue after initially slowing down. Suninen and Hussi also saw two people near the scene in addition to spectators and assumed they were Enok and co-driver Silver Simm.
However, the stewards stressed that FIA safety procedures require a following crew to stop and assist when an SOS signal is displayed. If neither member of the crashed crew is visibly giving a physical OK signal at the scene, the next competing crew must also stop.
As a consequence of the penalty, Robert Virves moved into the WRC2 lead and now holds an advantage of more than 20 seconds over Suninen heading into the final stage. Virves is on course for a fourth consecutive WRC2 victory.
Jari-Matti Latvala remains the fastest Rally2 driver outright and sits 20.3 seconds ahead of Virves. However, Latvala is not registered to score WRC2 points in Finland, meaning his position does not prevent Virves from potentially taking the category victory and maximum points.
With only the Power Stage remaining, the 30-second penalty has dramatically changed the WRC2 battle and leaves Suninen and Hussi requiring a major turnaround on the final test to challenge Virves again.
Baca Juga
Teemu Suninen dan Janni Hussi kehilangan posisi terdepan WRC2 Finlandia 2026 setelah menerima penalti 30 detik terkait prosedur keselamatan di SS11.
Jari-Matti Latvala memburu kemenangan Rally2 di WRC Finlandia 2026, tetapi mengingatkan dirinya agar tidak terlalu agresif saat mengejar Robert Virves.
Teemu Suninen mengkritik masalah ban setelah puncture di WRC Finland 2026 membuatnya kehilangan lebih dari 30 detik dan menjauh dari pimpinan WRC2.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!