Andreas Mikkelsen has taken full responsibility for his dramatic crash during Friday morning’s stages at the Central European Rally, which forced him out of the competition. The Norwegian, who had been in contention after an overnight third-place position, admitted that tricky conditions and a misjudgment on grip led to his downfall.
Mikkelsen’s crash occurred on SS5 Šumavské Hoštice, a stage where fewer anti-cut devices left the road increasingly dirty as more cars passed through. Struggling to manage the ever-changing grip levels, Mikkelsen’s Hyundai i20 N Rally1 slid wide on a medium-speed left-hander, careening through a fence and causing significant damage to the front and right side of the car.
Reflecting on the incident, Mikkelsen said, “I just went off the road. It was difficult to judge the grip, especially on this stage with less anti-cuts. The road position was tough.”
After losing hybrid power earlier in the morning, the 33-year-old had already dropped to sixth place after the first two stages of the day. With time slipping away, he was pushing hard to regain his rhythm when the crash occurred.
“We were trying to keep a good pace. I had lost too much time in the previous stage, so I was trying to make up for it. But I misjudged the grip and went off,” Mikkelsen added.
Despite the challenging conditions, Mikkelsen noted that tire choice wasn’t the issue. Like the other frontrunners, he had opted for soft compound tires, but the crash came down to driver error.
“The tire choice was fine – everyone went with the same. It was just a mistake from myself,” he confessed.
As for the car’s condition and whether it can be repaired in time to rejoin the rally on Saturday, Mikkelsen said it was too early to tell. “We haven’t had a proper look at the car yet, so we’ll see,” he concluded.
The crash marks a disappointing end to what had been a promising rally for Mikkelsen, who had looked confident after his solid start. Whether or not he can return to the action on Saturday depends on the extent of the damage to his Hyundai, but his chances of a strong finish are now in serious doubt.
