Kris Meeke took the blame for the crash with his Citroen C3 WRC before Rally Sweden. The accident meant that the test ended yesterday earlier than planned. Meeke rolled over. Fortunately the crew was fine. The car had some but not heavy damage.
The driver himself explained that he ran “a bit wide, dropped into a ditch and rolled”.
“It was my mistake”, Meeke told Autosport. “Otherwise, the day had gone well and we’d made good progress. I’m happy with the running we did and with our preparations for the event. If it had have happened earlier in the day, we’d have been back on our wheels and running in no time.”
Kris Meeke: After a disappointing Monte-Carlo, it’s difficult to feel fully confident coming into Rally Sweden
That was a third accident for Meeke in only three weeks after his two crashes at Rally Monte Carlo. The second one was not in the race but took him completely out of the fight.
“After a disappointing Monte-Carlo, both for me and the team as a whole, it’s difficult to feel fully confident coming into Rally Sweden. We have learned the lessons from the opening round and we’ll come back stronger at the upcoming events. It’s a long season. I’m happy to be back at one of my favourite rallies. In theory, I come here aiming to win, but we know that everyone’s performance level will depend in large part on the weather conditions. If it snows before the rally, my starting position for the first leg will be ideal. On the other hand, if we have a mild spell that melts the ice, then my chances would be reduced. We’ll do our very best”, Meeke said.
MEEKE: There was a slow roll for Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle on their PET today for @RallySweden. Crew OK ?? #WRC ? Credit: FB (not known) pic.twitter.com/BwV853hGVA
— RallyingUK ? (@RallyingUK) 5 February 2017