WRC Rally Portugal organisers fined after stage security breach

Rally Portugal organisers have been issued a suspended €15,000 fine and a reprimand following a security breach that resulted in two unauthorised vehicles entering a live stage of the World Rally Championship event.

Friday’s second pass through the famous Arganil test (stage seven) was halted after two separate incidents where unauthorised vehicles had entered the stage while it was live. 

First, Toyota’s Elfyn Evans encountered a recovery tow truck that had entered the stage. Officials were then forced to issue a red flag several minutes later when a car entered the stage that was caught rapidly by Lancia WRC2 driver Yohan Rossel.  

The Rally Portugal organising committee subsequently launched an investigation into the security breach.

The matter has since been referred to the FIA stewards which has resulted in the organisers being hit with a suspended fine and a reprimand. 

According to a report from the stewards, the organiser has been requested “to further improve the existing safety measures to avoid any other safety issue” during this year’s event. The stewards decision has also been forwarded to the FIA WRC Commission, FIA Road Sport Committee, FIA Safety Committee, FIA Closed Road Commission and the Portuguese ASN, FPAK.

The report also details the timeline of events that resulted in the stage being red-flagged. The clerk of the course Horacio Rodrigues confirmed “that at no time was the entry of these vehicles on to the stage communicated to Rally Control.”

The Stewards found the lack of communication of the entry of the vehicles onto the stage amounted to unsafe acts that lead to an unsafe situation, and therefore a breach of Article 12.2.1.h of the 2026 FIA International Sporting Code. 

“The Clerk of the Course explained that it had been established that a recovery vehicle was on its way to collect a competitor who had retired from the rally,” read the report. 

“The driver had entered the GPS coordinates, and the sat-nav system directed him along the SS7. The driver of the truck was unaware that he had entered on to a running special stage. Nevertheless, the truck was able to pass several barriers marking the special stage.As the truck quickly escaped to a side road and was secured, the stage was not interrupted. 

“Approximately 35 minutes later a second vehicle, which belonged to the same company as the recovery truck and was reportedly on its way to assist it, also passed the barriers and entered SS7 in front of car No. 21. 

“The stage was then immediately red-flagged for safety reasons.

The Clerk of the Course and Mr Joao Paulo Jordao [Representative of the Organising Committee] apologised for the incidents that had occurred. They stated that the Organiser had arrangements in place with the relevant civilian authority to provide security and road closures for the rally stages. 

“They have confirmed that the investigation into the circumstances of this incident is still ongoing.”

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– The Autosport.com Team