A logistical issue means that PSRX Volkswagen Sweden are likely to miss scrutineering ahead of the final round of the FIA World RallyCross Championship due to both cars being stuck on a container ship that is unable to dock.
The team have already missed scrutineering today and look set to miss the shakedown. They hope to be ready for first practice at Killarney International Raceway tomorrow, though participation this weekend largely relies upon the weather at Port.
According to team principal Pernilla Solberg the cars were meant to leave Dock from Antwerp, Netherlands on the 14th November, but for an, as yet, unknown reason were not on the container ship. The RallyCross cars had previously been collected as planned on the 23rd October.
They were instead put on a ship a week later, with the cars expected to land in Cape Town this Wednesday (21st November). Unfortunately bad weather at sea ensured the boat was delayed, with further bad conditions meaning it cannot dock as planned, leaving it stranded at sea.
Asked whether she knew when the cars would be ready, Pernilla Solberg said; “We are completely in the hands of the weather and the shipping company.
“As soon as the boat comes in we will bring the container with the cars in straight to the track and start working on preparing the cars for practice tomorrow. But, obviously, we will have to get the cars scrutineered first.”
A hugely despondent Petter Solberg, who was hoping to fight for second in the championship this weekend said: “It was already complicated to try to make the silver this weekend, but now it’s got even more complicated. It’s so disappointing. Johan and me, we are here, we are ready to go, but we just have no car to drive!”
Solberg’s teammate Johan Kristofferson, who has already wrapped up the title this season, having won every event but one, is also stranded on land this weekend with the teams kit also stuck on the boat.
“Unbelievably!” continued Pernilla. “Like Petter said, we are here, ready to go and looking to finish this fantastic season in the best possible fashion. We have the chance to make the perfect year: teams’ title and gold and silver in the drivers’, but that is getting more and more complicated by the minute. To be honest, it’s a nightmare.”
