VW head Capito slams Meeke’s Finland win

Kris Meeke’s Rally Finland win meant nothing according to Volkswagen team principal Jost Capito, who has continued his invective against the FIA’S running order regulations.

Capito made similar comments following Meeke’s win in Portugal, which he said devalued the championship. Of the top five drivers in the WRC standings – who are, by regulation, the first five on the road – only Jari-matti Latvala was able to fight Meeke for victory in Finland. Capito says that’s all wrong.

“Who is interested in this fight?” said Capito. “Publicly, nobody. If the top five had consistent conditions, the top five would fight and it would be great. This fight was over on Friday lunchtime. It’s completely wrong that if you win a rally you move into the top five and then have no chance to fight on the next rally. Look how close the fight was [between most of the top five] for the bottom step of the podium, wouldn’t it be better if this was the fight for the win?

“Kris can’t be happy with this win. If he comes and it’s predictable and he doesn’t do a major mistake what is the value of this win? This is why he was p*ssed off that I said there was no chance for anybody else to win, it devalues it. It does. It’s a fact. Kris could only lose in Finland. If he didn’t, if he finished second, he would be a complete idiot.”

Meeke’s response to those comments was short: “I’ll see you next year.”

Clarity from the running order debate will come from the World Rally Championship Commission meeting in Geneva at the end of the month, with confirmation of any changes made coming from World Motor Sport Council in Paris on September 28.