RCCO World eX is introducing a new, motorsport-inspired grid-penalty system, replacing the previous yellow- and red-card approach.
The change follows feedback from both the World eX community and the RCCO team, with the aim of making consequences for on-track incidents clearer, more immediate and easier to understand.
Until now, the championship used a football-inspired system in which yellow cards accumulated over several race events and a third yellow card resulted in a red card. Under the new model, incidents are assessed individually and result in a starting-grid penalty for the following World eX event.
Depending on the severity of an incident, a driver can receive a grid penalty of between two and six positions. The sanction applies to both races at the next World eX event: the sprint and the feature race.
This brings the disciplinary process closer to familiar motorsport practice. Rather than carrying card totals through several rounds, drivers know directly how a decision affects their next race event and their starting position on the grid.
The new system follows a transparent two-step process:
1) Determine the initial penalty: Race Control assesses whether the incident affected race results or progress, whether it resulted from an avoidable or unnecessarily risky action, and whether it significantly affected the other driver’s result. Each applicable criterion adds two grid positions, up to a maximum starting penalty of six places.
2) Consider mitigating circumstances: The penalty may be reduced by two positions if the driver responsible for the incident lets the affected driver back ahead or actively waits for them to recover the position. A further two-place reduction is possible if the driver’s own race result was meaningfully compromised in the process. The final penalty will never fall below two grid positions.
The intention is clear: drivers who take responsibility immediately after an incident can be recognised, while avoidable contact and actions with serious consequences remain subject to appropriate sanctions.
The new grid-penalty system takes effect from the next World eX race event in Maastricht and will not be applied retrospectively. All previously issued yellow cards, including those from the Imola event, are void and will have no further effect.
The RCCO retains the right to impose additional sanctions in exceptional cases, including disqualification from an event. This may apply to deliberate misconduct, extremely reckless driving, unsporting behaviour or actions that fundamentally violate the spirit of fair racing.