FIA satisfied Rally Japan can continue after safety protocol breach

A car driven by a member of the public managed to enter Stage 4 on Friday, which was encountered by WRC2 drivers Sami Pajari and Emil Lindholm, before the stage was red-flagged.

Both drivers managed to avoid a collision with the vehicle that was travelling in the opposite direction. The incident prompted the FIA to launch an investigation.

A stewards report detailing the findings from a preliminary investigation, where onboard footage from the cars involved in the incident was reviewed, found that the rally organisers had failed to implement the correct safety protocols. It also declared that this was an isolated incident.

The Clerk of the Course explained that a vehicle had entered the stage at a junction that was taped off but not manned by a marshal.

However, in the process of the investigation stewards identified that it appears highly unlikely that the junction the public vehicle entered the stage from was taped off, as evidenced by photographs and onboard video footage from several cars that travelled through the stage before the public vehicle entered the stage.

The report reads: "The Clerk of Course reported that the public vehicle had entered the stage at a junction that was taped off but not manned and proceeded to travel along the stage in the direction against the rally route.

"The public vehicle travelled past a marshal who relayed that the public vehicle was in the stage to the preceding marshal who, with the assistance of a photographer, was able to have the car removed from the stage as quickly as possible.

"Communication was as timely as it could be considering the difficult terrain involved, which meant that radio contact was required to be by way of two-way radio between the marshals involved initially, followed by advising the Stage Commander, who in turn notified Rally Control of the incident.

Sami Pajari, Enni Mälkönen, Toksport WRT Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

"Despite the actions of the marshals two rally vehicles were to encounter the public vehicle coming towards them, which resulted in near misses for each competitor.

"The tape can be seen attached and wrapped around a post on one side of the road, in a manner consistent of a typical set-up, ready to be taped in place across the road.

"It is highly unlikely that the tape was removed and then wrapped around the post by anyone after it might have been previously taped across the road.

"This view is supported by the video footage from earlier competitors in the stage showing the junction as being open with no taping present other than what was wrapped around the post. It seems that the public vehicle was simply able to turn unimpeded onto the stage.

"This has identified a serious failure in the safety process given that several official vehicles had travelled the stage prior to the stage going live."