After a robust begin to the Abu Dhabi Desert Problem when he gained the opening stage within the SSV class, João Ferreira was compelled to retire from the race on Wednesday. So as to add insult to damage, 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 obtained caught on a dune with a mechanical difficulty eighty kilometres into Stage #2. Unable to restore the car, his co-driver Filipe Palmeiro referred to as their Can-Am Manufacturing facility Staff to come back to the scene and assist them. Nevertheless, Palmeiro used their satellite tv for pc cellphone whereas nonetheless contained in the automotive, which broke Article 9.1.3 of the FIA’s Cross-Nation Sporting Rules that states “telephones could solely be used from exterior the car (whereas in a Selective Part) and have to be switched off at different occasions.”
The crew finally arrived to diagnose the issue, which they succeeded utilizing elements that Ferreira and Palmeiro already had in storage on their automotive. Their presence alone was a violation of Article 49.2.1 stipulating groups can’t be inside one kilometre of their race car 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 acquired 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 mentioned that this was a difficult race… immediately we fall from a dune and misplaced lots of time repairing the automotive.”
He’s the third disqualification of the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship after Challenger drivers Eryk and Michał Goczał have 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 general.
With Ferreira out of the image, Yasir Seaidan went on to win Stage #2 and trails Al-Helei within the SSV general by two minutes and ten seconds. Seaidan acquired 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 carrying his seatbelt for roughly twenty-five seconds whereas their automotive was transferring.
The subsequent W2RC race can be a homecoming for Ferreira because the BP Final Rally-Raid kicks off in Portugal in April.
