Mikkelsen’s rally ended on the fifth special stage when he lost control of his car and crashed into a tree.
The Hyundai was stuck, forcing the stage to be suspended. According to Mikkelsen, there was little he could have done differently.
“We were running with a hard tyre on the front right of the car when we came into a slippery section. There was a stream of water running down on the right, which we hit and lost all grip, so we crashed,” Mikkelsen explained.
“It’s very disappointing, as we were trying to increase our speed in the afternoon, and our split times were looking promising, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t reach the finish,” Mikkelsen added.
The crash was ill-timed for Hyundai, as Mikkelsen’s contribution would have been vital in the manufacturers’ championship fight.
“It’s not what we wanted from today, but hopefully, the car will be fixed for tomorrow, with everything to fight for on Sunday,” Mikkelsen said optimistically.
The incident was also a personal blow for Mikkelsen. The Norwegian has had a challenging season and is without a contract for next year. It would be a disappointing conclusion to his career at the top level if this rally were to be his last.
