Rheinard declared winner of controversial A2, Orlowski’s title hopes over

Marc Rheinard has been declared the winner of a controversial A2 at the IFMAR ISTC World Championships in Bangkok, after race winner Bruno Coelho was given a 5-second penalty for contact with Top Qualifier Michal Orlowski, the Pole’s title hopes now over.  In the closing minute of the race, Orlowski who led from the start was coming under intense pressure from Coelho.  With his car stepping out the defending World Champion tried to execute a pass that would result in contact that sent the Schumacher driver rolling off the track.  Suffering a body tuck, the 1:12 World Champion’s ISTC title hopes were done, as Coelho crossed the line in first ahead of Rheinard.  While a penalty was called by officials, the calling of that penalty incorrectly made for car No.1 not car No.2, by the time the error was noticed the race was complete.  After a long deliberation, officials handed Coelho a 5-second penalty giving the win to Rheinard and putting the two 3-time World Champions in a head to head in A3 for their fourth titles.

Reacting to the news of his A2 win, Rheinard said, ‘I’ll take it for sure but I had no pace.  Even when Bruno was a bit struggling I was close but my car was so difficult to drive I had no know pace.’  He continued, ‘I knew he had so much room because I had no pace he was going to make move at one point.  If I had been closer to him maybe it would not have happened.  So yeah he took him out, he gets a penalty.  It should be more than just a 5-second penalty because the race for Michal is over, the Worlds is done for him, so we need to think about something for the next big races to find some kind of penalties cause this ruins the sport.’  He added, ‘He did it in 2024 in Bakersfield and now again, I don’t know, it is two times already for Michal and it shouldn’t be like this.’  On his chances for a fourth World title in A3, the German said, ‘I will go for it.  I am at least second so lets see what happens in A3.’

Giving his take on the incident, Coehlo said, ‘I don’t know what to say.  It is a very tough moment because I didn’t want things to happen this way but yeah Michal had two spin outs on the same spot earlier in the run and already on the final one and with the time coming closer to the end I tried my move and he again spun out on the position so I tried to move to the inside but yeah it is always easier to put the fault on the guy in the back.  But my question is what if he spun out in front of me and I crash him and ruin my World Championship.’  He explained, ‘In the first final he spun out in the straight and I didn’t crash him by luck.  If I crash him then it ruin my World Championship.  Now he loses the rear in front of me, as everyone can see in the video, and I crash him and still my fault and I am the guy that tried to take him out intentionally or whatever.  So I think it is super easy to put the fault on the guy in the back.  When he make a mistake in the first final and now for me I can also say 50/50 because he make a mistake and I pay for his mistake because I tried a move but again it is easier to suggest it is Bruno’s fault and that is it.’