Toni Gardemeister first victim of WRC season 2007 rules - WRC Portugal was ended on disqualification
Hallinta Hoop, 30.3.2007
Toni Gardemeister and his co-driver Jakke Honkanen rallied in WRC season 2007 fifth rally at Portugal with Mitsubishi Lancer WRC'05 rally car. At the end of first leg the duo was forced to have a rough dissapointment due disqualification. FIA and rally organizers disqualified Gardemeister performance after Toni and Jakke had driven transit section with only three wheels. Actually they drove by four rims and three wheels - one rim was missing a tyre. Rally jury made a desicion to end Gardemeister problematic rally.
– WRC Portugal was a complete catastrophe for us. From shakedown on we had problematic rally. All was crowned by disqualification, which we think was complitely unjustified because we drove transit section with a car which was missing a tyre. It did have rim in place, but not tyre. Apparently FIA wanted to make us an example besides the fact that you can continue rallying with crashed and shapeless rally car, but you cannot do that if you miss a tyre from a rim. Unbelievable action, blowed Gardemeister.
– And the most intresting part is that the regulations tells you that jury can do something for the competitor, but the regulations does not tell what the jury can do. In our case they could have give us f.ex time penalty but instead they ended our rally with disqualification. This is logic I cannot understand aswell, Gardemeister continued.
Problems started on shakedown
Problems for Gardemeister started on shakedown stage. His team mate Armando Araujo started the stage before Gardemeister. He had an off and hit spectators. Next was Gardemeister and his co-driver Jakke Honkanen. They had to wait an hour for their start. And when the time came, Gardemeister was also cause a catastrophe by driving a junction wide with cold tyres. Spectators ahead we're about to be crashed by Gardemeister. Fortunately it didn't happen as people we're able to jump out from the road.
First special stage were underway in evening. The stage was slippery as Toni expected to be. Also he suffered small brake problems and finished the stage on tenth position. Brake problems continued in next stages. In third stage Gardemeister hit his car rear to bridge. Due heavy impact the rear tyre had very bad camber. In fourth stage the tyre was complitely broken and Gardemeister travelled transit section only with three tyres. At this point the rally jury noticed the problem Gardemeister had and started to think appropriate punishment. Team fixed Gardemeister rally car as he rallied next three stages without problems. After the stages he travelled back to service where he was told that game was over for him due regulations.
– WRC Portugal for us was not ok for us even my name is now written to history books as first driver who was disqualified due new regulations. In summer 2006 at WRC Greece Sebastien Loeb travelled transit section only with three tyres. Everybody cheered and gave support him for doing unbelievable job. In this year you don't receive support for doing this thing - only thing you'll get is disqualification, analysed Gardemeister.