The stewards clocked both Hyundai and M‑Sport crews for a one‑minute offence after their co‑drivers left seat belts unsecured during the Acropolis Rally. The decision saw Josh McErlean slide from fourth to sixth, while Adrien Fourmaux fell a place lower.
Unfastened Belts on Gravel
During stage 12, Hyundai’s Fourmaux pulled over to change a punctured tyre, rejoining the flow only after checking that navigator Alex Coria’s restraints were secure. A stewards report confirmed Coria had not properly belted, prompting the Frenchman to slow the i20 N to mitigate risk.
Similarly, on stage 16, M‑Sport’s McErlean suffered an off‑road incident. Navigator Eoin Treacy unbuckled his belt when exiting the road to sign the safety triangle, re‑entered the stage, and re‑started only after Coria had secured himself – an act the stewards flagged as a breach.
Videos Confirm Breaches
Stewards reviewed footage from Rally.TV, which showed McErlean’s Ford Puma in motion with the navigator’s belt improperly fastened after they had re‑joined the stage. The evidence supported the one‑minute penalty for both crews.
Championship Ripple Effect
McErlean’s demotion from fourth to sixth removed a hard‑fought podium finish, keeping him at his career best WRC finish despite the penalty. Fourmaux’s points, which began at sixth, slipped to seventh, further tightening the standings.
Elfyn Evans, in seventh place at the rally, gained the championship’s fifth‑place slot, lifting his lead from seven to eleven points over Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta. Toyota’s Sami Pajari was re‑classified fourth on the points sheet after the penalty shuffle.
These adjustments highlight how a single procedural slip can affect driver fortunes and the broader championship race, underscoring the strict enforcement of safety regulations in the WRC.
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