By Carlo Canova

The WRC’s official teams are looking for a definitive solution to dust after the recent problems in both Portugal and Sardinia.

Each season of the Wrc Calendar has its own specific issues, following discontent regarding the details of the new starting order that have been altered, those relating to the average speed and the more or less feasible proposals for placing artificial chicanes in special tests. Now the point of discontent that increases the instability among the WRC teams is the utter lack of regulation on how to overcome the problem of suspension dust that limits not only the visibility of competitors, but also the innocent victims who suffer from Powder of other pilots on stage.

The dust in suspension creates different problems, especially safety as well as sports. Organizers can increase the time gap between cars when the dust begins to stay in the air, moving away from the passing of the cars in the special tests. But what happens when a pilot is late in special testing, such as a drilling and then restarts creating dust for another pilot who is following him closely?

Jari Matti Latvala suffered in Sardinia and proclaimed aloud that the organizers “would have” had to make a proper adjustment of his time in PS.

Jari Matti Latvala suffered in Sardinia and proclaimed aloud (read this article) that the organizers “would have” had to make a proper adjustment of his time in PS. This was said because at a previous event they had made this agreement to Neuville in Portugal, which was penalized by Latvala’s powder. But this time they did not, because they argued that the conditions were not the same. In fact, in Portugal the Finn stopped and then resumed at a lower speed for problems with the car, damaging the Belgian. In Sardinia Latvala we say it was damaged by the dust of competitors who were traveling at the normal speed and that they did not stop for problems.

Hyundai said there is no permanent solution, cases should be analyzed case by case at each different rally.

M-Sport said that all competitors should have the radio so they can receive the organizers’ instructions to warn the competitor who is slowing down and be able to allow a faster passage of the car following it – just like blue flags in Formula 1 – this solution simply raises the issue of dust from one car to another.

Citroen said a moving car that is traveling slowly should stop and be pulled off, but have no solution when the damaged car restarts at full speed as a result of a drilling.

Toyota then explained that the issue should be brought into question between the official teams and those responsible for the FIA, and what is really needed will be the consistency of intent.

We note that team proposals are uneven and almost certainly difficult to solve. Low-cost regulation will not be easy, I remember that about thirty years ago in a Liburne rally on Earth they found a solution chemically. In the area there is an important company Solvay who gave them a granular / powdered salt-based product. Once scattered in the most dusty specials, this product absorbs moisture “dampening the ground” in this way it reduced the dust by 70% at least. Then the environmentalists intervened, the green who blocked all the experiments.

True that there would be costs, but in the face of security and the solution of such a serious problem, could not at least discuss, test and estimate the cost per km?

The RacerViews info

By carlo canova, June 2017

www.carlocanovarallye.org

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