When Dani Sordo crossed the finish line in Portugal, his frustration wasn't just about a tough morning on the stages—it was about rules that, in his words, are "completely mad." The Hyundai driver has called for an urgent rethink of the World Rally Championship's tyre regulations after a costly mix-up left him stuck on the wrong compound.

Let's break down what happened. In Portugal, WRC crews had to decide their tyre choices for Friday morning's opening loop immediately after Thursday evening's stage three, which wrapped up at 7pm. Because the rally itinerary didn't include a return to service before Friday's leg—thanks to the long distances crews needed to cover to reach the day's stages—a tyre fitting zone followed the final Thursday stage instead.

But for Sordo, that's where things went sideways. A mistake during the Thursday night fitting zone meant he ended up with more hard tyres than the softs he originally wanted. While his Rally1 rivals sliced through the morning loop on softer rubber, Sordo struggled for grip and pace, watching his chances slip away on a surface that demanded the opposite compound.

"We did a mistake yesterday, we put hard tyres instead of soft," Sordo explained. "Anyway, the guys who made the rules to set the tyres the day before—it's completely mad." He didn't hold back, pointing to Formula 1 as a comparison: "In F1 they don't put the tyres two days before! There's no point in doing this."

For Sordo, this isn't just about one bad call—it's about what rallying should be. "We want to do a good spectacle. We need all the confidence to the meteo guy. This is not rally, just strategy," he said. "We want to drive, we want to push and make people happy in the stages by pushing with the right tyres. This is a stupid thing; for the future they can modify it."

The FIA, however, has explained the practical reasons behind the timing. A spokesman noted that Friday's itinerary included the Arganil remote service, which required service infrastructure and tyre equipment to be in place well before the first cars arrived. That made a morning tyre fitting zone impossible—even if it left drivers like Sordo feeling like they were playing a guessing game instead of a rally.

For fans and drivers alike, the debate raises a bigger question: should tyre strategy be decided hours in advance, or should the focus be on pure driving skill? As the WRC continues to evolve, Sordo's call for change is a reminder that sometimes, the rules can get in the way of the sport's true spirit.