Street order rules seem set to stay unchanged within the World Rally Championship subsequent 12 months after a proposal to introduce a type of qualifying was rejected, Autosport understands.
The controversy surrounding street place was ignited earlier this season, which prompted a proposal to change the rules for subsequent 12 months with the reintroduction of qualifying to find out street order for the primary leg of an occasion. The WRC beforehand ran a qualifying system in 2012-13 earlier than it was scrapped.
Newly topped world champion Thierry Neuville was significantly vocal in regards to the present street order guidelines with the championship chief opening the street at rallies.
The controversy got here to the floor in Latvia when Neuville said that “there is no such thing as a reward” for doing a “nice job” to steer the championship, given the drawback of sweeping the roads at gravel occasions.
Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Crew Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Picture by: Tomasz Kaliński
In a bid to handle issues, a proposal was put to the WRC Fee to amend the rules.
Qualifying is just not extraordinary in present competitors with the European Rally Championship, additionally operated by the WRC Promoter, working a qualifying stage the place the quickest 15 drivers compete for one of the best street place slot.
“There’s massive dialogue about the entire strategy of the weekend from the primary flag to the top,” FIA Street sport director Andrew Wheatley informed Autosport at Rally Japan final weekend.
“There are discussions happening about what we will do. I don’t consider there shall be a dramatic distinction, we gained’t go to a full qualifying exercise or one thing radically completely different however there may be work across the edges to see if we will make it barely completely different.”
The thought put to the WRC Fee would have seen the highest three within the championship compete for street place.
The trio would run in reverse order within the first run of shakedown. Following the qualifying run, the highest three are then permitted to pick out their street place (first, second or third) for Friday. The quickest crew could be given the primary alternative.
Nonetheless, Autosport understands that the proposed system didn’t safe sufficient help from a vote held by the WRC Fee, together with a vote in opposition to from the drivers’ consultant.
Consequently, the championship chief will proceed to open the street at rallies on Thursday and Friday, earlier than the street order is reversed for Saturday and Sunday, decided by general positions within the rally.
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