Sebastien Ogier has won four out of eight Friday's Special Stages, but the wheel damage at SS2 has marked his day. Although he managed to change the wheel losing only 1 minute and 7 seconds, Ogier was penalised one more minute by the Stewards of the Meeting after receiving the video evidence.
Ogier and his co-driver Vincent Landais did not have their safety belts correctly fastened while their car was in motion. At the hearing, Ogier explained that he had buckeled his safety belts and had stated to drive initially slowly until the safety belts were properly fastened. He had asked his co-driver for the confirmation they can re-start the special stage and after receiving one he was driving initially slowly until the belts were tightened. At the hearing, Ogier added that he wasn't aware that Landais had not positioned his FHR Device nor his safety belts were incorrectly fastened.
The penalty dropped French crew to the seventh place with Takamoto Katsuta and Pierre-Louis Loubet climbing in the overall standings with 12 Special Stages to go. Competitors were reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards.
