SupeRally to be got rid of?

Jean Todt has hinted that he may remove the SupeRally from usage in the WRC.

The rule permits a car that has retired from a day of competing can return the next day, provided they haven’t retired on the final day, albeit with hefty time penalties. It was introduced at the 2004 Acropolis Rally.

However, the rule has had a controversial past. The rule divided the sport right down the middle, with one half believing that a retirement meant that you were out of the rally, while the other half believing that re-entering meant that rookies could gather more experience.

The SupeRally rule has been a deciding factor in recent times. During the 2006 Rallye Monte Carlo, Sebastian Loeb slid off the road and out of the rally. However, he returned the next day and stormed through the field to finish second.

Even though the SupeRally rule helped Sebastian Loeb to win his third successive Drivers title, Todt has said that he isn’t too fond of the rule.

"I'm not a big fan of SupeRally. Maybe for the spectators - if people have been travelling for a long time to see the cars they would be disappointed not to see them. Maybe we can find a way of allowing to test, but to score points once you have retired? I don't like the philosophy; it doesn't seem natural to me.”

One man that wants to see SupeRally stay is M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson, who said: "It costs a huge amount for the privateers in the Juniors and Super 2000 WRC to go around the world and if they retire on the opening stage all that money and effort is wasted. But SupeRally gives them the chance to gain experience. It keeps cars on the stages and that has to be a good thing."

However, Todt did say that the rule would not be dumped immediately: "We have the process to change, but before we change we must make sure it's a good change against an emotional reaction. We must make sure it's the right change."