World Rally Championship leader Sébastien Ogier has lost 20 minutes on Arctic Rally Finland after crashing just meters from the end of the final stage of Saturday, beaching his Toyota Yaris WRC in a snowbank.
Ogier was lying sixth overall after seven stages, overhauling Oliver Solberg on the previous stage after Solberg made a mistake.
He has struggled to match the ultimate pace this weekend as first car on the road on Friday, lying ninth overall overnight.
Towards the end of SS8 Siikakämä 2, Ogier drifted off the clean line on a sweeping right-hander which left him without grip for the following left-hand bed.
Ogier’s Toyota Yaris WRC subsequently smacked the snowbank on the last corner of the stage and the nose of the car was sucked into the road-side snow and became stuck fast.
With no spectators permitted for this event to restrict the spread of COVID-19, it looked like Ogier had no hope of getting out.
Describing the incident, Ogier said: “Just tire wear gone like for everybody, little bit too much sideways, hit the bank and it caught the front.”
Asked how frustrating it was, he replied: “It’s not so much, it’s a weekend to forget when you come here first on the road.”
