No action will be taken against Sebastien Ogier following his wrong route on the way into the service park on Rally Mexico on Friday. The Citroen driver accidentally drove straight into the midday service area when he was supposed to head for a regroup first.
The Citroen team declined to comment on the news, but rival Ford team manager Malcolm Wilson admitted he was surprised by the decision.
"At the end of the day we have to respect the decision," said Wilson. "But there's no question that he didn't follow the roadbook – he drove into service.
"OK, it was a mistake, but when you think about the likes of the penalty Petter [Solberg] got here [a five-minute penalty] when the spectators helped push the car [in 2004], it's a strange situation."
The decision leaves Ogier right in the thick of the fight for victory with teammate Sebastien Loeb. Ogier will run first on the road on Saturday, having finished Friday's gravel stages just 1.6 seconds ahead of the seven-time champion.