SIT rejects blame for timing issues after Rally GB

SIT Sports boss Cieza says he now has confirmation of an internet hacking attack during the final round of the WRC, and responded angrily to claims that it was his firm which left national runners on the Deeside event waiting three days for final results.

"Check the contract we have with the FIA," said Cieza. "We are under no obligation, no obligation at all to provide live results for the national rallies - we have nothing to do with these national results.

"We lend the organisers our equipment and we allow them to use our system for free and they blame us for everything. This will change next year, I assure you."

Cieza said he had written to the organisers of Rally GB to clarify the situation.

"They are trying to make some noise about this," he said, "and it's not right."

The results for the national events which followed the WRC-qualifying Rally GB were finally made provisional yesterday, three days after the finish on Sunday.

Talking to AUTOSPORT yesterday, Rally GB chief executive Andrew Coe denied the organisation was to blame, saying: "This is absolutely not the fault of Wales Rally GB. We are required to use and pay for the full costs of the championship system."

The cost to Rally GB is close to £100,000.

One source within the event added: "Regardless of whether SIT is paid for the national event, I think we're forgetting the chaos which went on in the full WRC round - the times for the final afternoon of the world championship were added up manually!"

On the subject of the WRC results Cieza added: "We stated the final results would be ready at 18:00, Sunday and they were there at 18:00 Sunday."

Cieza added that he would be passing further documents and evidence of the cyber attack to the British and Spanish police.