Isolation rules could rule me out: Devine
CALLUM Devine is determined to put this season’s setbacks behind him but he faces hurdles ahead of the next round of the European Rally Championship in the Azores.
Firstly, the Philip Case Rallysport team in Letterkenny have to assess whether his Hyundai can be repaired in time after what Devine called “the biggest accident of my career” in Latvia last weekend — and then there is the issue of quarantine rules should he and co-driver Brian Hoy make it to the Azores, a Portuguese territory not on the Irish government’s Green List.
“Even if the car can be sorted for Azores, travel restrictions could be an issue,” said the 26-year-old Co Derry building contractor who was Motorsport Ireland’s International Driver of the Year in 2019.
“As it stands, not only myself and Brian but also all the mechanics would have to isolate for two weeks after returning to Ireland after the rally. I work between events so to isolate for two weeks upon return would be a big problem.
“Government guidelines are changing all the time so we’ll just have to wait and see. It’s worth pointing out this isn’t just a problem for us, it’s a problem for many competitors and teams in the Championship.”
The past few weeks could not have gone worse for Devine and his ERC hopes.
He was forced to retire from the first round of the series, Rally di Roma in Italy, when a rock punctured the sump of his Hyundai and last weekend came the massive crash in Rally Leipaja, his first gravel rally in the R5 car.
After problems with the car before the start, forcing him to miss the qualifying stage, Devine was just getting into his stride, climbing into the top 10, when the accident happened.
“I mentioned before the rally, this was not an event where you want to get things wrong as the speeds are so high. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened,” he said.
“We carried a bit too much speed into a fast right-hander and caught the undergrowth on the outside of the corner, sending us into a roll. Myself and Brian are okay, just a little sore, and thankfully all the safety equipment stood up to the accident, the Hyundai is a strong car.
“I’m just so disappointed for all the team who worked so hard over the last month. To have taken just one point from the opening pair of rallies is sickening and doesn’t reflect all the work we’ve put in. Hopefully we can put it right before the end of the season.”
Following Rallye Azores, the remaining rounds of the 2020 ERC will take place in Cyprus, Hungary and the Canary Islands.