BREEN CAN’T SEEM TO LOSE ON SANREMO
Factory Hyundai WRC pair Craig Breen and Paul Nagle became double Rallye Sanremo winners on Sunday – but not until after their attempts to hand the victory to fellow Hyundai pair Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Ometto faltered.
Breen and Nagle completed the final stage leading by 4.8s, having gone fastest on three out of eight runs in their i20 R5.
But with Hyundai Rally
Team Italia’s defending champions Crugnola and Ometto needing maximum points after a troubled season opener last month, Breen and Nagle duly obliged by checking in late at the final service to earn a 10s penalty and drop to second place.
However, all penalties were subsequently cancelled after the clerk of the course determined there had been several timecard inaccuracies in the aftermath of confusion caused by the competitor relations officer advising crews to check in either early or late to ease traffic congestion in the host town.