ERC Rally Driver Disqualified After Sexually Inappropriate Conduct Toward Female Scrutineer in Scandinavia
· Yahoo Sports
Slovak rally driver Róbert Kolčák has been disqualified from the BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia 2026, round two of the FIA European Rally Championship, held around Karlstad, after stewards found he made sexually inappropriate comments and grabbed his genital area in front of a female scrutineer during a routine post-stage safety inspection.
The incident took place after the stop control following Special Stage 6. According to the stewards’ report, Kolčák – competing as Car No. 18 – asked the scrutineer conducting the safety equipment check whether she wanted to see his genitals, then proceeded to grab himself in front of her. A second female scrutineer, checking co-driver equipment nearby, also witnessed the behavior. Both officials confirmed the contents of the report when heard by the stewards.
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A hearing was held on May 23rd with Kolčák, co-driver Július Lapdavský, and team manager Petr Linnart present. Kolčák confirmed both the comments and the conduct. His explanation was that post-stage adrenaline was a factor, and that he was unaware the woman was a licensed event official. He also suggested her method of checking his safety clothing had provoked the reaction.
Why the Disqualification Was the Right Call
Neither excuse holds up to much scrutiny. Whether or not Kolčák knew the scrutineer’s official status is irrelevant to how a person should conduct themselves toward anyone. The adrenaline defense is the kind of thing that might explain snapping at a team member over a pace note – it doesn’t come close to explaining what the stewards described.
The FIA cited breaches of two articles under its 2026 International Sporting Code – Articles 12.2.1.f and 12.2.1.l – and handed down a full disqualification from the event. That’s the correct outcome. Scrutineers are doing a safety-critical job that directly protects drivers‘ lives. The idea that a driver would respond to that process with sexual harassment, and then walk into a stewards’ hearing and argue mitigating circumstances, is something the sport doesn’t need a lot of debate about.
The FIA European Rally Championship is a European continental series organized by the FIA, with scrutineers and marshals forming the volunteer and professional backbone that makes events function. Conduct like this doesn’t just affect one official – it affects whether people want to work in the sport at all.
The disqualification ends Kolčák’s participation in the event entirely. Whether further sanctions follow at the championship level remains to be seen, but the stewards’ decision sends a message that’s hard to misread.