Rally Cyprus 2004

[RallyRaider]

Just checked out World Rally News and there is a quote from a Peugeot Sport spokesman who said:

“We presented documents to the stewards that proved that the pumps were built with standard parts and that the performance was absolutely the same as from the other water pump. They didn’t accept this,”

So it sounds like Peugeot believe they are standard

[freakray]

I know who you meant when you said they were so stupid Phil, but I still think it's actually pathetic to exclude a team on something so trivial.

From my experience in working in the motor industry, it's not unusual for a manufacturer to initially start production with a brass impellor in a pump whilst the plastic impellors are developed.
Ford actually did this with the impellor in the fuel pump for the Focus, so why wouldn't Peugoet have possibly done the same?
Peugeot may have initially been using a pump with a brass impellor and may have now moved to a plastic impellor, it's possible they didn't even think about the impellor material when they pulled the pump off the shelf, why should they when it's a standard production pump?

On the other hand, if the homologation record shows that the water pump has a brass impellor and they didn't register a change with the FIA, they can only blame themselves.

[RallyRaider]

I think you are probably right Ray. The explanation was much the same for Tommi Makinen's exclusion from the 2000 Rally Australia. The components used in the construction of the road car had changed and nobody thought to consider how that would affect the homolgated rally car.

[RallyRaider]

Read on World Rally News that Corrado Provera has finally lashed out in a scathing attack on the FIA concerning the Cyprus exclusion.

“Were we conformable in Cyprus? My answer is yes. Did we make the proof it? The answer is yes. Was something missing to prove it was conformable? Yes. We could not prove that it [the water pump] was mounted on the XU7JP4 engine. The history is quite complicated. We gave official documents proving that this pump was mounted as a spare part, but we couldn’t prove it had been mounted [as standard] on the same engine.

“Why do we consider that the punishment was completely excessive? I don’t want to consider that it was not a question performance-wise, because everybody knows it. By throwing us out, shame has been thrown on Peugeot. This is unacceptable. Outside our microcosm, people may believe we did something against the law.

“Why we decided not to go to appeal court? This decision was taken after discussion with [Peugeot chief executive] Frederic Saint-Geours and Jean-Martin Folz, the President of PSA. We decided it was useless to go to appeal, because even though we were sure of winning, we could have taken back our Cyprus points, but who knows what would happen to us? Another reason is that in our sport - and this is not at all what happens in Formula 1 - sanctions are given according to the interpretations of different people,” Provera said.

He listed a string of incidents, from Marcus Gronholm’s exclusion for speaking to an engineer within one kilometre during the 2002 Rally of Argentina, to Sebastien Loeb’s penalty for using illegal tyres on the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally, to Carlos Sainz going off-route during the 2003 Tour of Corsica and Petter Solberg being pushed in the 2004 Rally Mexico when he asserted that the punishment was incorrect. In every case aside from Gronholm’s, he suggested that it was too lenient and that the other drivers should also have been excluded.

He disclosed that chief engineer Michel Nandan had offered his resignation following the stewards’ verdict and that it had been refused. He added that Peugeot staff had, by agreement with Saint-Geours, been paid their usual winning bonus for the Cyprus result.

“Are we depressed? Are we sad? Are we empty? No, we are disgusted. Will we give up? No, never,” Provera concluded.

Too bloody right! But then I am a Peugeot fan. On the bright side it means Marcus will have a slightly easier time of things not leading on day one of the Acropolis.

[freakray]

Can you blame Corrado for being upset though?
I certainly don't.