Raikkonen excluded from World Rally standings

Kimi Raikkonen has been excluded from the World Rally Championship’s final standings of 2011 after failing to take part in this weekend’s Rally Australia. The Finn, Formula 1 World Champion of 2007, had signed up to contest seven events, two of which had to be outside of Europe.

The situation has occurred as Raikkonen’s Ice1 Racing squad is officially entered in the WRC class, meaning it must take part in the events it nominates at the start of the season. Despite entering the rally of Jordan earlier in the season, failure to be present in Australia results in not just the championship exclusion but also a fine of €16,200 (just over £14,000).

A stewards’ statement reads as follows:

‘Having considered the provisions of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship Sporting Regulations and specifically article 7.3.8, the stewards decide to require the team Ice 1 Racing to pay the entry fee to the organizers of the 2011 Rally Australia, to pay the FIA a fine equal to the amount of the registration fee being €16,000 to exclude Ice1 Racing from the classification of the championship.’