Hyundai Rally Leader Tanak Penalized 5 Minutes Finland Incident

Ott Tänak, the championship leader at Rally Finland, received a five-minute penalty and a suspended 35-point deduction after an incident where he accelerated prematurely from stop control, striking and injuring a scrutineer. The incident occurred after Tänak's Hyundai i20 N suffered cooling system damage from a collision with a tree, prompting him to leave stop control early to prevent overheating. The stewards found Tänak in breach of multiple FIA sporting code articles related to unsafe conduct and failure to follow scrutineers' instructions. The scrutineer sustained minor injuries, including bloody scratches, and Tänak apologized, explaining communication difficulties and that he was unaware of the injury. The penalty caused Tänak to drop from 10th to 29th position in the event standings. This situation highlights the challenges rally drivers face balancing safety protocols and technical demands during competition.