Clerk of the Course, Kai Tarkiainen, confirmed during Rally Finland route announcement that a virtual chicane, or in other words, a slowdown area, will make its debut at the WRC level in Jyväskylä. And where else but on the Ouninpohja special stage.
The reason for this special arrangement is clear: the speed of Rally1 cars needs to be controlled on the high-speed special stage. This was one of the conditions for including the classic stage in its full 33-kilometer version.
Traditional chicanes usually use hay bales. In the virtual chicane placed on the fast section of Ouninpohja, the crews must reduce their speed to a target speed defined by the organizers over a 200-meter area. Tarkiainen mentions that the target speed will likely be set somewhere between 60-70 kilometers per hour.
The virtual chicane has already been introduced in Finnish Rally Championship. Last summer’s Itäralli featured a slowdown area on the Mäkrä special stage, where drivers had to temporarily reduce their speed to 40 kilometers per hour over a 50-meter area.
Speed display signs familiar from urban areas were placed on the side of the road, which showed a green smiley face when the speed dropped to the target speed.
It’s wise to follow the slowdown area instructions. For instance, in the Itäralli, a competitor would have received a five-minute time penalty if the smiley face had not flashed on the sign.
In Rally Finland, virtual chicanes plan to utilize the cars’ warning system. The light turns green once the speed drops to the target level. After that, drivers can accelerate again.
The plan is for the WRC drivers to get accustomed to the virtual chicane already during the rally’s shakedown, which will be held in Ruuhimäki.
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