After a powerful begin to the Abu Dhabi Desert Problem when he gained the opening stage within the SSV class, João Ferreira was pressured to retire from the race on Wednesday. So as to add insult to harm, the FIA has disqualified him as effectively for 2 rule violations whereas getting assist from his group.
Whereas working fifth in school, Ferreira’s Can-Am Maverick received caught on a dune with a mechanical situation eighty kilometres into Stage #2. Unable to restore the automobile, his co-driver Filipe Palmeiro referred to as their Can-Am Manufacturing unit Workforce to return to the scene and assist them. Nonetheless, Palmeiro used their satellite tv for pc telephone whereas nonetheless contained in the automobile, which broke Article 9.1.3 of the FIA’s Cross-Nation Sporting Rules that states “telephones could solely be used from exterior the automobile (whereas in a Selective Part) and should be switched off at different occasions.”
The crew ultimately arrived to diagnose the issue, which they succeeded utilizing elements that Ferreira and Palmeiro already had in storage on their automobile. Their presence alone was a violation of Article 49.2.1 stipulating groups can’t be inside one kilometre of their race automobile whereas it’s nonetheless within the Selective Part.
Had the technical snag been resolved sufficient for Ferreira to rejoin the race on Thursday, he would have merely obtained a time penalty. Since this was not the case and he exited the rally altogether, the FIA deemed disqualification was appropriate.
“Sadly, the Abu Dhabi Desert Problem has come to an finish for us,” wrote Ferreira. “Yesterday I stated that this was a tough race… at this time we fall from a dune and misplaced plenty of time repairing the automobile.”
He’s the third disqualification of the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship after Challenger drivers Eryk and Michał Goczał had been busted for unlawful clutches on the season-opening Dakar Rally in January. Eryk had additionally been main his class previous to his penalty.
Ferreira is racing his first W2RC marketing campaign in SSV, and entered Abu Dhabi third in its standings after ending fifth (third amongst points-earning drivers) at Dakar. He positioned second behind Mansour Al-Helei within the ADDC’s Prologue on Monday earlier than successful Stage #1 forward of Al-Helei. His SSV début got here on the 2023 Rallye du Maroc, the place he gained the category total.
With Ferreira out of the image, Yasir Seaidan went on to win Stage #2 and trails Al-Helei within the SSV total by two minutes and ten seconds. Seaidan obtained a penalty himself earlier on Wednesday of a one-minute addition to his Stage #1 time after his co-driver Michaël Metge was caught not correctly sporting his seatbelt for roughly twenty-five seconds whereas their automobile was shifting.
The following W2RC race shall be a homecoming for Ferreira because the BP Final Rally-Raid kicks off in Portugal in April.
