There has been huge hype surrounding the new season of the WRC, but an incident at the first stage of the Monte Carlo rally has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Hayden Paddon’s Hyundai i20 Coupe lost control under breaking into a tight left hander. According to Paddon he was “Caught out by black ice near the end of the stage. The car snapped sideways and we were a passenger.” The car slid into a bank before rolling onto its side. An unfortunate spectator was watching from the bottom of the bank and got struck by the car. The man was airlifted to hospital in Nice but despite best efforts from medical staff, he sadly passed away. Hyundai have withdrawn the number four car from the rally as a mark of respect for the spectator. They have also released the following statement.