The images are more than eloquent and allow us to imagine the desperation of the moment. the Spanish driver Daniele Sordo and his partner escaped this Friday unscathed from a dramatic car fire while competing in the japan rallyfor the last date of the World Championship.
Sordo explained that he started to smell petrol and immediately saw the flames “go out between the seats” of his Hyundai, as they faced the second day of competition.
The Spaniard stopped the vehicle, got out of the car with his co-driver Cándido Carrera and tried to put out the fire with fire extinguishers.
However, the flames quickly engulfed the vehicle, leaving it with no choice but to abandon it.
“After a few minutes it started to burn, it came from behind and we tried to put it out but it was absolutely impossible”said Sordo, who had been on the podium three times this season.
“I’m sorry the team loses such a car. It’s a bad day,” he said.
The stage was marked with a red flag, as was the subsequent special section due to the delays caused by the accident.
Belgian Thierry Neuville and Briton Elfyn Evans share the lead with identical times after the short morning session.
Kalle Rovanpera, the recently crowned Finnish world champion, is just 0.7 seconds behind them.
Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier, who won the opening stage on Thursday, had to change a flat tire and dropped to sixth with 2 minutes and 41.5 seconds from the lead.
“Our career is over,” he said.
Agencies.
Source: Clarin
