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Mathieu Serradori has been disqualfied from the Rallye du Maroc after FIA stewards found two of the wheels on his Century CR7-T were underweight and had beadlocks installed.
At the end of Stage #1 on Monday, two of Serradori’s wheel rims were subjected to a random inspection. When measuring them, both were under the minimum weight of twelve kilograms with one weighing in at 11.006 kg and the other at 10.946 kg. Article 285-11.6 of the FIA’s International Sporting Code Appendix J stipulates that “only rims made from aluminum alloy and weighing more than 12 kg are authorised.”
An underweight wheel would usually just result in a fine, though the wheels were also found to have screws attached to keep the tyre’s beads secured to the wheel. Such a process is known as beadlock. ISC Appendix J’s Article 285-8 states the “use of any ‘Beadlock’ type device is forbidden” for four-wheel-drive cars like the Century.
Serradori’s team explained they had used beadlocks at the Baja Morocco, which took place a week before the Rallye du Maroc and is not under FIA sanction. According to the stewards’ report, they also admitted they were unaware of their ban from FIA events and that they “did not know anything about minimum weight limits. […] They have a person in the team responsible for tyres and rims, but this person also did not warn them about any weight limits.”
The misunderstanding can likely be attributed to the fact that Serradori previously drove the Century CR6, a two-wheel-drive machine where beadlocks are allowed and are not subject to weight requirements.
Of course, ‘I was unaware that was a rule’ is not going to fly in the stewards’ eyes. As such, the FIA ruled “only disqualification of the Competitor Car No 214 may be granted.”
Serradori had finished fifth in the Ultimate category in Monday’s leg and eighth among all cars. He briefly led Stage #2 prior to the 100-kilometre mark before settling for tenth, then returned to the bivouac to receive the ruling.
He is the fifth driver to be disqualified in the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship and second from the premier Ultimate class. Challenger drivers Eryk and Michał Goczał were knocked out of the season-opening Dakar Rally for noncompliant clutches, while the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge saw SSV competitor João Ferreira and Ultimate racer Juan Cruz Yacopini be DQ’d for having crews approach their disabled vehicles while still in the Selective Section. The BP Ultimate Rally-Raid and Desafío Ruta 40 did not have any disqualifications.
