Evgeny Novikov says his crash on the final morning of Rally Australia was the biggest of his career.
The 20-year-old Russian, who had already gone off the road earlier in the event after avoiding a stone, destroyed his Ford Fiesta RS WRC on the second stage this morning. He had got back up to ninth place prior to the accident. Novikov and co-driver Denis Giraudet were both unhurt.
"It was a mistake on the recce," said Novikov. "The accident came in a very fast corner. I had it marked as a flat corner in my notes, but it was not. It shouldn't have been flat.
"The car went onto two wheels and then it rolled. It was a big crash. We hit the tree four meters in the air with the back of the car. It is frustrating and disappointing, but Denis and I are OK."
The morning was not a good one for the M-Sport Stobart Ford team as Henning Solberg rolled his Fiesta at the end of SS23. The Norwegian was able to continue in 15th. The team's third driver Matthew Wilson is still on course to equal his World Rally Championship career-best in fourth.