The decision comes just hours after Hyundai duo Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville were penalised for the very same error during Thursday evening’s Pukekawa Auckland Domain super special.
Although Rovanperä’s time penalty does not affect his overall standing in fourth overall, the Finnish youngster will now start Saturday’s penultimate leg 5.5sec behind team-mate Sébastien Ogier, who currently holds the final podium spot.
The report from the FIA Technical Delegate stated that the energy released during a hybrid boost on Rovanperä’s car during SS1 was 240.16 kJ - 0.16 kJ higher than the maximum value allowed for that stage.
Although rally stewards agreed the performance advantage was very negligible, the maximum value measured by the FIA sensor was nevertheless exceeded and they therefore decided to impose the 5.0sec penalty - explaining that it is the competitor’s responsibility to ensure compliance of the car at all times.
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