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Test crash sidelines Lukyanuk in Finland
World Rally Car debutant Alexey Lukyanuk will not start this week’s Neste Oil Rally Finland after destroying his car in a huge test crash on Monday (27 July) morning.
The Russian rolled his Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car during his first run over the test road at Yijalantie, south-west of the event’s Jyväskylä base, which he was sharing with Martin Prokop’s similar car.
Both Lukyanuk and co-driver Alexey Arnautov were checked by the on-site medical team before being taken to hospital for further precautionary checks.
Lukyanuk was preparing for only his second FIA World Rally Championship event and his first in a World Rally Car. The 35-year-old lies third in the FIA European Rally Championship after winning Rally Estonia earlier this month.
The car was prepared by British squad M-Sport and a team spokesperson said the damage was too great to repair in time for Thursday’s start of the eighth round of the WRC season.
“The car will require a complete rebuild back at M-Sport. There was a lot of damage to the rear, especially to the roll cage, which is not something that can be repaired away from our workshop.
"The damage is such that our technicians estimate the car will need 10 days’ work to get it fit for the stages again,” the spokesperson said.
Photos by Lina Arnautova
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