Cyprus Rally winner Grönholm disqualified

FIA: Peugeots fitted with illegal water pumps

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Marcus Grönholm has been stripped of his Cyprus Rally victory, after his Peugeot's water pump failed to meet specifications. The decision to overturn Grönholm's win was made at the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA) meeting in Paris on Wednesday.
      Another Peugeot driver, Grönholm's compatriot Harri Rovanperä, who finished fifth in Cyprus, was also ruled out for the same reason.
     
The disqualifications mean that Grönholm loses the winner's ten points and falls to fourth place in the World Rally Championship standings. Rovanperä's position drops from seventh to ninth.
      In addition, Peugeot loses its third place in the manufacturers' standings to Subaru.
      Frenchman Sebastian Loeb (Citroën), who came in second in Cyprus behind Grönholm, now has the lead in the championship table, followed by Estonian Markko Märtin (Ford) and Norway’s Petter Solberg (Subaru).
      Grönholm trails 11 points behind Loeb.
     
FIA, who decided to examine both Peugeot’s and Citroën's water pumps right after the finish of the Cyprus race, ruled that the aluminium impellors used in Loeb's and Carlos Sainz's Citroëns were consistent with the regulations, whereas Peugeot's pumps with plastic parts were found to be unacceptable.
      Marcus Grönholm, who was totally unaware of the whole water pump business, first heard of the inspection while enjoying champagne on the victory stand.
      "I didn't know if I should throw up the champagne, just in case", said a naturally piqued Grönholm.
     
Despite the lost points Grönholm still believes he has got a shot at the WRC title.
      "It is not the end of the world. But it is a bit annoying, just when everything started to looked so good. The new car is finally in competitive shape. From now on I just have to floor it and start chasing the others."
      Grönholm has been disqualified once before. This happened in Argentina in 2002, when he was ruled to have received illegal help from his team to restart the engine.
      Another Finn, multiple WRC winner Tommi Mäkinen, was stripped of a victory in Australia in 2000, when his Mitsubishi's turbo was found to be illegal.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Grönholm's victory in Cyprus Rally unofficial due to suspect water pump (17.5.2004)

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  World Rally News

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