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Rally: Ogier and Ingrassia concerned about safety in WRC Sardinia

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Khatir Soltani
Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia have contacted Rally Italia’s director in order to ask safety changes on the Sardinian stages.

Both men sent an e-mail to the organizers after they spotted dangerous places during the recce, especially with open-ended barriers at some points of a new special stage that has been added this year.

In June, a crash in a similar barrier cost the life of Gareth Roberts, Craig Breen’s co-driver aboard a Peugeot 207 S2000, during the Targa Florio, an IRC round presented in Sicilia. In 2011, Robert Kubica was seriously injured in similar circumstances during a local rally in Italy.

"I noted the places where they are very dangerous and for three point, it was very bad, so this is why I made the email to them," said Ingrassia. "We have spoken about this with huge importance since some very bad accidents in the last 15 months. This is the black point of the moment and I was really upset and angry that nothing has been done on a new stage like this."

Event director announced that changes will be made on those particular points.

The first day of the rally Italia Sardinia, which consisted in two runs of the same special stage, was dominated by both Citroen driver, who took each one stage victory. Sebastien Loeb remained in first position ahead of team mate Mikko Hirvonen. Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford) lost time when he damaged a front wheel following a contact with a rock.


Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
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