GB Rally Fine furore

[Mike Rotch]

The FIA has said that the many speeding fines and bans following the Rally Great Britain held last week could see it re-evaluating the suitability of south Wales as a venue for the event.

At the season's finale, the Welsh police used mobile speed cameras to catch speeding fans and competitors. After the stage, a number of world rally drivers received fines and were even banned on the basis of offences committed during last year's event.

Four rally drivers have been banned from Britain's roads for speeding offences during last year's British Rally. They were caught on camera exceeding the 50km/h speed limit on a stretch of road open to the public during their shakedown sessions.

Freddy Loix was fined R19 250 and banned for six months, Armin Schwartz was fined R11 000 and banned for six months, Swedish driver Daniel Carlsson was fined R8 800 and banned for six months, whilst Briton Kris Meeke was fined R3 300 and banned for a year, as he already had points on his licence.

Colin McRae, Richard Burns, Carlos Sainz, Mikko Hirvonen, Tommi Makinnen, Markko Martin and Martin Rowe were also fined and given three penalty points. Their lawyer argued that the general public would have been less at risk from the speeding of professional rally drivers than from other motorists.

The FIA has indicated that it intends to re-assess whether the region's roads have become too dangerous to host the large amount of traffic over three days and that road safety is very important to the FIA. Since the police have said that the venue is a dangerous rally venue, the FIA has asked its safety delegation to report on the suitability of public roads used in the event.


Note: 1 pound = R11.5

 

[Scaff]

Great, not content with driving people off the road with excessive and money orientated use of speed traps and cameras, now the future of Rally GB itself may be under threat.

Do the Police and Government not realise how many people they are alienating with this policy of traffic policing by camera, I would not mind so much if it actualy had a major impact on the number of road deaths each year, but it doesn't.

I do however have an answer; move the Rally GB to the Isle of Man. Its part of the UK, but does not have the same traffic laws (not national speed limit on the Isle of Man). It has a long motorsport history and the roads as amazing, yes it would have to be a tarmac event, but you can't win them all.

 

[Sleek Stratos]

Another tarmac event is a definite no-no. The Italian rally already is relocating itself to gravel stages for next year I believe. I'm not pro of removing tarmac events in full, but there's definitely too many as it is. Only Monte Carlo I like 'cause of the variety of surprise surfaces.

 

[daan]

As far as I was aware, they were all from the 2002 event. Richard Burns wasn't in it this year.

 

[Roo]

They were all from last year. The driving bans are only for the public roads, though, so they can still compete in rallies so long as the FIA lets them and they have someone to drive them to stages.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by Roo
They were all from last year. The driving bans are only for the public roads, though, so they can still compete in rallies so long as the FIA lets them and they have someone to drive them to stages.

Well, there's always the co-driver.

I think it's a bit silly really, although there have been instances where rally cars have been involved in accidents with other road users.