20 Oct 11

Villagra
allowed to
recce late

Federico Villagra has received special dispensation from the RallyRACC-Rally de Espana organisers to recce two stages out of sequence after was late reaching the event base in Salou.

Villagra’s participation on Rally de Entre Rios in his native Argentina last weekend meant he had to delay his departure to Europe in order to begin the recce on Tuesday as scheduled.

However, with ash clouds from a volcano disrupting flights in South America, Villagra and co-driver Diego Curletto didn’t arrive in Salou - where the penultimate round of the World Rally Championship takes place this week - until 1100hrs on Wednesday.

A representative of Villagra’s Munchi’s World Rally Team submitted a request to the organisers to allow him to recce the new-for-2011 stages outside of the permitted timeframe, which they duly accepted.

In an official communication, clerk of the course Armin Barfull, said: “Following a request made by the clerk of the course to the FIA, asking for a wavier related to the reconnaissance schedule of Federico Villagra/Diego Curletto who were unable to arrive in Spain until today due to the recent events in Argentina, thus missing the reconnaissance scheduled for yesterday and due to reasons of safety, the FIA has granted waiver allowing the crew to make the reconnaissance of the two new stages (SS1-4 Pesells and SS3-6 Les Garrigues) today in addition to the stages scheduled for today.”

Villagra has contested RallyRACC-Rally de Espana on four previous occasions. The event will mark his last appearance in this year’s WRC.