FRANCE: MOTOR RALLYING - FINLAND'S MARCUS GRONHOLM HAS BEEN STRIPPED OF CYPRUS RALLY VICTORY BY FIA IN PARIS BECAUSE OF PEUGEOT MODIFICATION TO HIS CAR.

Record ID: 215378

  • Title: FRANCE: MOTOR RALLYING - FINLAND'S MARCUS GRONHOLM HAS BEEN STRIPPED OF CYPRUS RALLY VICTORY BY FIA IN PARIS BECAUSE OF PEUGEOT MODIFICATION TO HIS CAR.
  • Date: 26th May 2004
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 26, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. EXTERIOR OF HEADQUARTERS OF FIA (FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L'AUTOMOBILE) 2. FIA LOGO 3. PEOPLE ENTERING 4. EXTERIOR OF FIA BUILDING 5. VARIOUS OF FIA STATEMENT 6. PEOPLE LEAVING BUILDING Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 10th June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVABR3N6BRD78PSCIXX5UHTWNYFY
  • Story Text: Marcus Gronholm stripped of Cyprus Rally victory
    because of Peugeot modification.



    Finland's Marcus Gronholm lost his Cyprus Rally win
    and world championship lead on Wednesday (May 26) when the
    governing FIA excluded his Peugeot on technical grounds.

    France's Sebastien Loeb, runner-up for champions
    Citroen in Limassol on May 16, was awarded the victory and
    took the overall lead.

    The FIA (International Automobile Federation) said in a
    statement that stewards had ruled at a meeting with Peugeot
    representatives in Paris that the water pumps on Gronholm's
    car did not conform to the technical regulations.

    The Finn, twice world champion, was excluded along with
    compatriot Harri Rovanpera who finished fifth for the team
    in Cyprus.

    The win would have been Peugeot's first with their new
    307 car introduced this season.

    Loeb's Citroen and that of Spaniard Carlos Sainz,
    despite sharing many parts with stablemates Peugeot, were
    found to conform to the rules.

    Gronholm had won the Cyprus Rally, the fifth round of
    the championship, by 54 seconds to take a one-point lead
    over runner-up Loeb.

    Under revised standings, Loeb now has 35 points with
    Ford's Estonian driver Markko Martin second on 34. Subaru's
    world champion Petter Solberg of Norway is third with 28
    while Gronholm is fourth with 24.

    Ford will continue to lead the manufacturers'
    championship with 58 points to Citroen's 54 and Subaru's 40.

    Peugeot were reminded of their right to appeal.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register