Are testing accidents common?

The progress of a test session in WRC is quite simple. Several people are responsible for blocking access to a section of road or dirt road and the designated crew can use it as many times as necessary. After several back and forths, the pilot masters the base so well that it almost resembles a circuit. It is in these conditions that unpleasant surprises can arise, because the latter constantly pushes the limits. Throughout a season, teams carry out dozens of testing days. Most of the time, this goes off without a hitch. This can also end very badly as experienced Thierry Neuville and Martin Wydaeghe when they plunged into a river with their Rally1 Hybrid. The Belgian has already experienced several similar situations in his career since he notably went out during the Portugal 2016 tests before doing it again in Corsica in 2018 where he went down into the bed of a stream!

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In June 2020, it was in Finland that he damaged an i20 too much for the session to continue. Neuville, however, is not the only one to have experienced this type of mishap. Preparing the rally of Finland 2019, Hayden Paddon had a very violent encounter with the Finnish trees at the controls of the Fiesta WRC with which he was preparing to compete in the event! The Kiwi had to give up his participation! It was also with a Ford that Fergus Greensmith plunged into an Ardèche ravine while training for Monte-Carlo 2021. The Englishman was able to resume his tests, an opportunity that he did not have Sébastien Ogier last January during his working session for the Monaco meeting. This is exactly what happened to Elfyn Evans a few days ago with the Yaris hybrid near Gap where the Welshman ended up on the roof. This non-exhaustive list should make people aware that testing may not be the race, but a mistake is always possible. These examples demonstrate that the danger remains and that spectators must choose their location carefully when they come to watch the cars move.