Three Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team drivers have received penalties for the same offense on SS7.
Ott Tänak
Ott Tänak will receive another penalty for yet again using too much boost on a stage. This time on SS7. Unlike the first time where the penalty was just five-seconds this time, it will be 10 seconds. Tänak who sat second at the end of SS10, 4.6 seconds behind Championship rival Rovanperä. Will now sit Third, 11.9 seconds behind Sebastian Ogier who will inherit second.
Thierry Neuville
Along with Tänak, Thierry Neuville will also receive another penalty for using too much boost on a stage. Neuville penalty would come on the same stage as Tänak’s, SS7. Nueivlle’s penalty will also be for ten seconds. Much like the earlier penalty, Neuville won’t be affected much as he sits comfortably in fifth, nearly 50 seconds ahead of Takamoto Katsuta.
Oliver Solberg
Oliver Solberg would also receive the same penalty as Hyundai teammates Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville. Unlike Tänak and Neuville, Solberg didn’t receive the earlier penalty. Nonetheless, Solberg will still receive a 10-second penalty. Solberg will drop to seventh overall, 3.2 seconds behind Takamoto Katsuta who moves to sixth.
A Bad Situation For Tänak
Ott Tänak, who sat second overall, fell to third with his penalty. Tänak currently sits 53 points behind Kalle Rovanperä in the WRC championship standings. Rovanperä has a chance to end Tänak’s championship hopes this weekend and become the youngest WRC champion ever. As if Rovanperä wins the rally he only needs seven more points than Tänak to clinch the title. Rovanperä actively leads the rally, sitting 6.5 seconds ahead of eight-time WRC champion and Toyota teammate Sebastian Ogier. Tänak will have to push to his limit if he wants to remain in contention for the WRC championship.
What Happened With Hyundai?
Much like the first offence, the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team would claim human error. Claiming an engineer didn’t have enough time at service A to adjust boost levels on the cars for SS4 and SS7.
My name is Joe Moore. I am a writer for Belly Up Hockey, Belly Up Racing, and Belly Up Sports. You can find me on Twitter.
