Solberg handed penalty for drifting on Monaco GP circuit throughout WRC opener

Oliver Solberg has been issued a five-minute penalty for “exhibition driving” on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit’s Fairmont Hairpin on his option to parc ferme on the Monte Carlo Rally.

Final yr’s WRC2 title runner-up was caught drifting across the well-known flip, which is a part of one of many rally’s highway sections. The offence occurred following the conclusion of the ultimate podium on the World Rally Championship curtain raiser for 2025.

Stewards selected to difficulty a hefty five-minute penalty for the breach though it has little affect on Solberg, having elected to not rating WRC2 championship factors this weekend.

The 23-year-old Swede completed sixth within the Rally2 class and thirteenth total in what was his aggressive debut driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 automotive.  

“The Stewards reviewed video proof. The incident occurred on the highway part on the best way from the ultimate podium within the Principality of Monaco, within the nook ‘Fairmont’,” learn the stewards report.

“The motive force admitted that he was driving sideways in entrance of spectators. The motive force apologised for his lapse, including that in his opinion he didn’t create an unsafe state of affairs.

“The Stewards examined the case intimately and concluded {that a} potential unsafe state of affairs was created as a flip was approached in a “drifting” mode by the driving force of automotive No. 20 and many individuals had been standing up at that flip.

“Artwork. 12.18 of the Supplementary Laws of 93e Rallye Car Monte-Carlo stipulates that exhibition driving is strictly forbidden all over the place resulting from lack of appropriate locations.

“The Stewards, subsequently, determined that the driving force of automotive No. 20 didn’t respect the related rules and utilized the above-mentioned time penalty.”

It isn’t the primary time Solberg has been penalised for exhibition driving having been slapped with a one-minute penalty for performing donuts on the finish of a Rally Portugal tremendous particular stage that price him the WRC2 win.  

In 2022, Sebastien Ogier was handed a reprimand and a €1,500 high-quality for exhibition driving earlier than the Rally Spain podium.