Dakar Rally: Scherer Sport PHX’s Audi Takes Provisional Victory as Fog Halts Race
[Date], [Source] – In a dramatic turn of events at the Dakar Rally, Scherer Sport PHX’s Audi took a provisional victory on Sunday after attempts to restart the race, which was halted by fog on Saturday evening and paused for 14 hours, proved unsuccessful.
To the immense frustration of the 240,000 spectators, drivers, and teams, race director Walter Hornung made the difficult decision to end the race with 54 minutes remaining on the clock, after five laps behind the safety car failed to provide a clear opportunity to resume the competition.
The Rowe Racing BMW team, which finished seventh in the provisional classification, has since appealed the stewards’ decision, protesting the outcome.
“Our original intention was to resume the race after the restart. Before the restart, I called a weather station, which told me that things would improve between 2 and 2:15 pm.” – Walter Hornung, Race Director
However, the anticipated improvement in the weather conditions did not materialize, and the fog remained persistent. “What the weather station had predicted did not come true and it was already 2:30pm,” Hornung added.
The race had restarted behind the safety car, a procedure not typically used on the Nordschleife and not specified in the regulations. “We drove five laps behind the leading car and during this time the weather did not change much,” Hornung stated.
Ultimately, the decision to end the race with the chequered flag rather than the red flag has significant implications for the final result. The DMSB circuit regulations allow the organizer to decide that the race ends after a certain time, even if the distance is not reached, with the approval of the stewards.
This decision means that the entire classification could be turned on its head, as Article 35.1 of the regulations would apply, which states that “the minimum pit stop times (including any time penalties) valid at the time of the classification will be added to the total driving time (of the interrupted section of the race, to determine the starting grid for the resumption) as a time penalty.”
The Dakar Rally is renowned for its challenging conditions and unpredictable weather, and this latest incident serves as a testament to the resilience and adaptability required to succeed in this grueling event. Fans and teams alike eagerly await the outcome of the Rowe Racing BMW team’s appeal and the final resolution of this captivating Dakar Rally.
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