Mikkelsen: Tractor incident 'should never have happened'

Well off to a good start in the first stage of Rally from Australia, Andreas Mikkelsen was forced to retire in SS3 this Friday after going off the road due to an unusual episode. The Norwegian of Hyundai Motorsport initially encountered a tractor on the special at the exit of a chicane blocked by straw bales.

If the former Volkswagen driver was able to avoid the machine, he was however unable to avoid an exit a few moments later, undoubtedly distracted by the encounter.

“What happened today pretty much sums up my season, to be honest, Mikkelsen said in disappointment. We approached a ridge and saw a marshal signaling us to slow down. Anders told me to stop so I slowed down and saw a tractor coming out of the chicane.

We continued but in my head I was a little elsewhere rather than in the falling notes and we left. I am disappointed and angry. This situation destroyed a really important rally for us and it should never have happened. It's a shame because we felt comfortable and everything was going well until now. We will be back on Saturday, but there is not much we can do at the moment. »

This abandonment, coupled with the puncture of Thierry Neuville, only 10th overall, places Hyundai Motorsport in a delicate situation with a view to the Manufacturers' title, Toyota Gazoo Racing being currently best placed after the first day with Jari-Matti Latvala, Ott Tänak and Esapekka Lappi, 3rd, 5th and 6th respectively.

“The situation with Andreas was unusual, comments Team Principal Michel Nandan. It's not what you expect to see during a special and not the kind of thing you want to have dictating your weekend when you're trying to challenge for the world title. »