Stobart Ford driver Henning Solberg has called on the organisers of Rally Australia to lengthen the gaps between competing cars on this week's World Rally Championship round. Solberg is worried that running with just the usual two minutes between the cars will not be enough to let the dust settle, making the event unsafe.
The recent dry weather means the New South Wales stages will be among the dustiest of the season. That problem is worsened where the roads run through the trees – where wind cannot get in and clear the dust from the air.
"We need three-minute gaps [between the cars]," said Solberg. "If there's not a strong wind and we go into the dust then it's dangerous.
"They [Rally Australia organizers] said no, but we could see what happens in Sardinia when the dust is bad. It's dangerous. I hope they can make this change, otherwise you simply can't see a thing if you catch the car in front."
A source within the organizing team said they would be considering the problem once the event was underway.