Dani Sordo’s Hyundai catches fire mid-race at Rally Japan

Spanish driver Dani Sordo and his co-driver escaped unscathed but were forced to abandon Rally Japan after their Hyundai was destroyed by fire mid-race on Friday. Sordo said he smelled gasoline and saw fire breaking out “between the seatsas he and his co-driver Candido Carrera approached the second stage of the race along a wooded road.

Sordo stopped the car and, once outside, he and his co-driver tried to put out the fire with fire extinguishers. But the flames quickly invaded the vehicle and they had to abandon it. “After a few minutes it started to burn, it was coming from the back and we tried to put it out, but it was absolutely impossibleexplained the driver, who has finished on the podium three times this season. “I’m sorry for the team, losing a car like that is a bad day.The stage was therefore red flagged and the following event was cancelled.

Belgian Thierry Neuville and Briton Elfyn Evans shared the lead with identical times after the shortened morning session. The new world champion Kalle Rovanpera won the first event ahead of Neuville and Evans by 0.7. Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier, who won Thursday’s opening stage, was forced to change a deflated tire on stage two and fell to sixth place, 2’41.5s behind of the head. “Our race is already over», your Ogier.

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