Wales Rally GB: Neuville loses wheel in SS3;Latvala crashes out in SS2

Thierry Neuville has retired from day one of Wales Rally GB after taking a wheel off his Hyundai i20 WRC in SS3. Neuville, who has been demoted to Hyundai’s second team for this event in a bid to re-build his confidence, stopped 10.3 km into the 30.23km Myherin 1 test.

Early reports suggest he went wide and clipped a tree. Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul both escaped unharmed.

The Belgian had been running seventh overall post-SS2, posting a ninth quickest in the first test of the day and a fifth best in the second.

Meanwhile, team-mate Kevin Abbring was also forced to retire in SS3, when a temperature warning light came on just 2km from the end. He was unable to re-start his i20 WRC.

Wales Rally GB: Latvala crashes out in SS2

Volkswagen’s Jari-Matti Latvala has retired from day one of Wales Rally GB after crashing in SS2.

Latvala, who was second quickest in the first test of the day, just 0.8s off early leader, Sebastien Ogier, went off and into a ditch just 600 metres into SS2, the 3.33km Sweet Lamb 1 test.

Andreas Mikkelsen, who was next into the stage, told the official WRC site: “After the second corner he [Latvala] was in a ditch. When I saw him I braked extremely early! A clean stage for us.

“I’m sorry for him.”

“Surprising to see Jari-Matti off in here, it looks like he went off under braking – a strange part of the stage to go off at,” added Kris Meeke.