The Ford team says Jari-Matti Latvala was extremely lucky to escape injury when he crashed while leading the Rally of Portugal this morning.
The Finn was 10 seconds clear of the field when he rolled near the mid-point of the Malhao stage.
Latvala's car went over the top of an armco barrier, and continued rolling for some distance - ending up 50 metres off the road. The Ford Focus came to rest against a tree, which prevented it from falling down an enormous drop.
The team reports that the car has been 'destroyed' and there is no chance that Latvala will be able to restart tomorrow.
Having crashed early on in both Ireland and Cyprus, Latvala had pledged to take a more measured approach to this weekend's event. His previous accidents meant he was only seventh in the championship heading for Portugal.
The Ford team says Jari-Matti Latvala was extremely lucky to escape injury when he crashed while leading the Rally of Portugal this morning. The Finn was 10 seconds clear of the field when he rolled near the mid-point of the Malhao stage. Latvala's car went over the top of an armco barrier, and continued rolling for some distance - ending up 50 metres off the road