The event ended in disappointment for Solberg. Had he secured victory in the WRC2 class, he would have been crowned WRC2 champion at the same time.
However, Solberg had to settle for fourth place. Without the puncture he suffered on Saturday, he would likely have driven to victory and the championship.
After the race, Solberg and Toksport filed a protest regarding the notional time of WRC2 class winner Yohan Rossel on stage 11 of the rally. Solberg’s Skoda suffered a puncture on that stage, and after changing the tyre, he came out onto the road ahead of Rossel, forcing the Frenchman to slow down.
Rossel was ultimately awarded a 40-second time adjustment, which helped him secure the victory. According to Solberg, Rossel’s time adjustment was excessive, and he filed a protest to have the notional time re-examined by the stewards.
The stewards ruled that the protest could not be reviewed. This means Rossel retains his class victory, and Solberg remains in fourth place.
According to the decision, the stewards cannot review or rehear their own decisions through a protest. Furthermore, the protester had stated they would appeal the decision regarding Rossel’s time adjustment, so the matter is now with the International Court of Appeal.
With this victory, Rossel still has a chance at the WRC2 championship, as the Frenchman will race for points in the Central European Rally. Sami Pajari also has a shot at the title, with his final WRC2 event taking place in Japan in November. Chile was Solberg’s last points-scoring event.
