M-Sport’s Josh McErlean retired from the second day of Rally del Paraguay on the road section with an engine that had lost all of its oil.
The Irishman had been running seventh overall after nine of the event’s 19 stages, but failed to start SS10 due to an impact on the previous stage.
An M-Sport statement said: “Unfortunately, Josh McErlean has been forced to retire for the day on the road section after SS9 due to damage following an impact in the stage.”
TV pictures showed the sump guard off McErlean’s Puma Rally1, with oil drained all over it.
His M-Sport team-mate Grégoire Munster also encountered an issue, dealing with “a bit of a stress getting the car started before the stage” which forced him to start SS10 three minutes late and behind Sami Pajari.
At the head of the field, Kalle Rovanperä has extended his lead to 14.5 seconds over Adrien Fourmaux.
Ott Tänak had nipped ahead of his Hyundai team-mate on SS9, despite his wipers dislodging themselves, but a rear-left puncture on SS10 cost him over 35 seconds and dumped him to sixth.
That means Sébastien Ogier is now onto the provisional podium and just 3.8s adrift of second-placed Fourmaux.
“It’s a big shame the punctures are deciding the championship,” Tänak lamented. “It’s not so nice.”
