Hadn't it been for Dani Sordo's car fitted with the same device, Loeb would have ended the rally even further down the field. However, both Citroen drivers and Citroen Junior's Sebastien Ogier were handed the same penalties, as all Citroen C4s were found with the same illegal anti-roll bar.
Due to Citroen's mistake, Loeb is now 5 points ( instead of one) behind title rival Mikko Hirvonen in the overall classification, with only 2 rounds to go. Therefore, back-to-back wins in Spain and Great Britain will not be enough to retain his WRC crown unless Hirvonen fails to secure a runner-up spot in the aforementioned events.
“We accept the decision given that the photo on the homologation form does not match the part fitted to the car. The difference had no effect on either the performance or reliability of the car; it was simply due to an administrative error and does not stem from any desire to cheat,” said Citroen's boss Olivier Quesnel after Rally Australia.
“On behalf of the team, I would personally like to apologize to Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena who scored a superb victory on the stages this weekend,” added the French official.
While also complimented by Hirvonen for his superb drive in Australia, Loeb admitted frustration for being unable to close the gap on his Ford rival in the standings.
“I am obviously disappointed, but you've got to accept it when the regulations are applied. Instead of being just one point behind Mikko Hirvonen, I now have a five-point deficit to make up. That clearly complicates matters regarding our bid to win a sixth title, but this won't have any effect on our determination to win in Spain,” said the Frenchman.
Google News