JWRC: Andersson to appeal against exclusion.

Suzuki's Per-Gunnar Andersson will appeal against the stewards' decision to exclude him from the Rally of Turkey, a verdict that for now has deprived him of the win and his second Junior WRC title.

Andersson was stripped of his victory after the stewards claimed that a mechanic assisted the Swede with some work on his Swift S1600 in an area where service was not allowed. The incident allegedly occurred on Saturday prior to the second running of the Akdeniz University super special.

Per-Gunnar Andersson(SWE), Suzuki Swift S1600 [Junior WRC] World Rally of Finland, World Rally Champ
Per-Gunnar Andersson(SWE), Suzuki Swift S1600 [Junior WRC] World Rally of…
© PHOTO 4

Suzuki's Per-Gunnar Andersson will appeal against the stewards' decision to exclude him from the Rally of Turkey, a verdict that for now has deprived him of the win and his second Junior WRC title.

Andersson was stripped of his victory after the stewards claimed that a mechanic assisted the Swede with some work on his Swift S1600 in an area where service was not allowed. The incident allegedly occurred on Saturday prior to the second running of the Akdeniz University super special.

"What can I say? I'm very disappointed because the exclusion is not fair and based on information that is not true," said Andersson.

"I was checking the engine before the superspecial on Saturday night, and I was doing this on my own without any assistance. A mechanic is allowed to be there to help change the light pod and that was all that he did. So of course we will appeal this incorrect decision."

As for the event itself, P-G admitted that he didn't expect to end up finishing first on the road after all his issues on day one, which meant he started the second leg in seventh, nearly 3 minutes off the lead: "I wasn't expecting to win the event after our problems on the opening day - I was just aiming to get back onto the podium. But anything can happen on the Junior World Rally Championship! We had a big scare on the penultimate stage of today with a puncture, but we just concentrated on getting the car safely to the finish," he continued.

Suzuki team boss, Nobuhiro Tajima meanwhile was quick to back his driver and is hopeful that he will be re-instated: "Many congratulations to P-G for a fantastic drive in Turkey. I'm very disappointed about the exclusion, and of course I support completely the decision to appeal against it," he added. "I hope that this story will have a happy ending. I am pleased that despite the incredibly tough conditions, which included rain, mud and even hail, our cars were fantastically reliable from start to finish. The team did a great job, and I very much hope everybody will soon be rewarded for it."

Read More