Among the top WRC drivers alone, most have encountered issues over the course of two proper rally days. But incidents have also occurred in the lower categories.
A dangerous situation unfolded on Saturday morning during the Karoutes stage. WRC3 competitor Stephanos Theocharopoulos failed to stop his Ford Fiesta before the time control area following the special stage.
According to a decision issued late Saturday evening by the Acropolis Rally stewards, Theocharopoulos lost control of his car in the deceleration zone and crashed into the arch at the time stop point. His Ford finally came to a stop after hitting a rock.
The incident could have ended very badly, but fortunately, the only damage was to a single camera.
“Fortunately, no bodily injuries were reported among the crew, spectators, or officials,” the stewards’ decision stated.
In the stewards’ hearing, the Greek driver explained that he had been unable to slow the car due to a brake issue. However, data from the car’s tracking device showed that the Ford actually accelerated from 108 km/h to 124 km/h after crossing the stage finish line.
“An increase not consistent with the explanation of a braking failure, as this would typically result in deceleration or, at the very least, no further acceleration,” the stewards concluded.
Theocharopoulos later revised his statement and admitted that he had misjudged the location of the stage finish line. He apologised for the mistake and the danger it caused.
There were other irregularities uncovered in the investigation. The driver claimed to have completed two recce runs of the stage, but official GPS data showed only one pass during the recce window.
Additionally, a representative from his team said the car had two onboard cameras. However, no footage was provided to the stewards, as the team claimed the cameras had overheated.
Ultimately, the stewards decided to disqualify the 56-year-old Theocharopoulos from the rally. He was also fined €2,000.
