BBC Resources and Chrysalis Television have admitted that there were technical problems with on-board car equipment during this month's World Rally Championship race in Wales. But both companies are strongly denying that they caused Spanish driver Carlos Sainz to miss out on a World Championship title, writes Sam Espensen.

BBC Resources and Chrysalis Television have admitted that there were technical problems with on-board car equipment during this month's World Rally Championship race in Wales. But both companies are strongly denying that they caused Spanish driver Carlos Sainz to miss out on a World Championship title, writes Sam Espensen.

Sainz, joint world championship leader at the time, started the first stage of the final rally of the year more than 10 minutes late after smoke appeared in his car cockpit.

And despite suggestions that the BBC Resources equipment in the car was at fault, both Chrysalis Television - which produced the show - and BBC Resources strongly deny that they were negligent or caused the Citroen driver to retire early and subsequently miss out on a chance of winning the title.

Sainz's race was finished when he crashed on stage three and was forced to retire.

BBC Resources managing director Mike Southgate said: "Something was wrong with the interaction between our box and the Citroen car. We immediately removed it and found absolutely nothing wrong with it."

Chrysalis managing director Neil Duncanson said that to "suggest anything untoward or negligent on the part of the BBC is absolute nonsense".

Duncanson has also rejected allegations attributed to Citroen boss Guy Frequelin that a lack of testing before the race by the BBC was to blame. He said: "We have a wiring and a power issue to resolve with Citroen. The problem was compounded by a lack of testing time on both sides." Southgate agreed that "it was all put together rapidly, I don't think anyone would deny that."

Once the race was over, BBC Resources equipment - installed to allow on-board feeds of the drivers - was removed from all 15 of the cars that took part in the rally and bench tested.

Southgate said: "Of course we agreed to disconnect the kit as a priority - that was the safe solution."

According to BBC Resources there were no faults with the equipment.

Both BBC Resources and Chrysalis are so concerned with clearing up the issue that a team of people will fly to the Citroen factory in Paris next week to investigate what went wrong.

The Welsh leg of the World Rally Championship was the first race in which BBC Resources had supplied all kit and support to the rally cars after winning the contract from the EV Group. EV Group kit was reinstated in some cars following the problem.

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