The British team’s locally hired meteo crew member, Javier Robles, committed a serious breach of regulations early on Saturday morning local time. At around 5:15 a.m., Robles drove approximately eight kilometres on the closed Carmen del Paraná stage (SS9) in a grey Chevrolet S10 marked “Auxiliary 099”.
Under FIA regulations, team members are strictly prohibited from driving on special stages before they are officially opened. Furthermore, Robles overtook several organiser vehicles while on the stage, creating what eyewitnesses described as dangerous situations for rally personnel.
Robles admitted that he had accidentally entered the stage after being guided there by Google Maps and said he was attempting to check the location of his designated work position. He also confirmed that he had overtaken several vehicles while on the stage but denied that he had been speeding.
M-Sport was handed a €5,000 fine for the incident, along with an additional €20,000 fine suspended until the end of the 2025 WRC season (30 November). This suspended sanction will be enforced if M-Sport commits another breach of Article 35.4.2 of the FIA WRC Sporting Regulations regarding reconnaissance and stage access.
The team confirmed that Robles was immediately dismissed from his duties following the incident and emphasised that he had been given clear instructions: he was not allowed to drive onto the stage under any circumstances and was only permitted to access his observation point on foot.
The stewards described Robles’s actions as a serious safety violation and a clear breach of both the 2025 FIA WRC Sporting Regulations and the FIA International Sporting Code. They stressed that it is the responsibility of the competitor to ensure that all team personnel are properly trained, briefed and fully understand the safety protocols in place at an event.
M-Sport Ford’s weekend in Paraguay was a difficult one overall. Both of the team’s drivers, Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean, were forced to retire on Saturday due to technical problems. They were able to rejoin the rally on Sunday, but finished well outside the points.
