José Coelho / EPA
Oliver Solberg at the Rally of Portugal
Reprimand and fine of R$15,000 to ACP. Trailer was going to pick up a car that had been given up; driver was panicked.
The FIA applied a reprimand and a fine of 15,000 euroswith sentence suspended until the end of 2027, organization of the Portugal Rallydue to the security vehicles on Friday.
In a statement, the College of Commissioners of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) considers that there were “unsafe acts and a failure to adopt reasonable measures, thus resulting in a unsafe situation (Article 12.2.1.h of the 2026 FIA International Sporting Code)”.
In question, the entry onto the track, in the seventh selective sector, of a trailer of the organization, in charge of the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP), when the drivers were already competing in the Arganil 2 section, as well as the entry, in the same section, a few minutes later, of a second vehicle security, also linked to the organization.
In the same statement, it is read that “the Race Director explained that it was found that a assistance/tow vehicle was heading to pick up a competitor who had dropped out of the rally.”
“The driver entered the GPS coordinates and the navigation system directed him along SS7. The truck driver did not know that he had entered a classification stage that was in progress. Even so, the truck managed to overcome several barriers that marked the stage”, says the description of the facts.
On RTP, Carlos Barbosa, president of the ACP, admitted that You don’t understand how the trailer passed three GNR roadblockseven though it was indicated that it was “to pick up car 76 that was outside the section”.
Carlos Barbosa said that the trailer driver passed out because of that incident: “The man panickedleft to the right and fell flat on the floor, passed out“.
The stewards also say that, “as the truck quickly left for a secondary road and the situation was controlled, the stage was not interrupted”.
“Approximately 35 minutes later, a second vehicle, belonging to the same company as the assistance truck and allegedly on its way to the assistance, also passed the barriers and entered SS7 ahead of car no. 21. The special was then immediately interrupted with red flag for security reasons”, it reads.
Regarding this second incident, the ACP leader once again says that he does not understand how it happened: “The tow truck driver communicates with the boss who, in an act of desperation, puts the fireflies in the car and gets in. The GNR says they forced it and didn’t even stop. We are investigating. This can’t happen“.
The Race Director and the organization representative “presented sorry for the incidents that occurred.” “They declared that the Organization had established agreements with the competent civil authority to guarantee safety and the closure of roads during the rally stages. They also confirmed that the investigation into the circumstances of this incident remains ongoing”, says the same document.
The Race Director also confirmed that, “At no time was the entry of these vehicles into the qualifier communicated to Rally Control.”.
The FIA warns that “it is imperative that the officials responsible for managing a stage (whether they are stewards or contracted service providers) are conscious that they are bound by the agreed protocol”.
“This implies not only preventing access by unauthorized vehicles, but also the duty to communicate immediately Rally Control any entry of vehicles into the qualifier, whenever the stages are closed and in dispute. These communications constitute one of the most important aspects of safety in a rally, as they are the only way to ensure that competitors can be warned in time of any unforeseen dangers”, says the text.
The FIA also recalls that “despite the organization having agreements with a third party to manage the closure of the stage roads, it remains responsible for the officials it appoints and the Race Director maintains the responsibility for conducting the event in accordance with the applicable regulations, and must ensure that the officials are at their posts and have the necessary information to carry out their duties”.
“The Sports Commissioners consider that the lack of communication of vehicles entering the stage constituted unsafe acts which led to an unsafe situation, thus configuring an infringement of Article 12.2.1.h of the FIA 2026 International Sporting Code,” the document further highlights.
For these reasons, the FIA decided to impose a reprimand on the ACP organization, as well as a fine of 15 thousand euros, suspended until December 31, 2027.
It was also decided to “formally request the organization to implement improvements in this year’s edition to avoid further security problems.
