Monte Carlo stage scrapped after Paddon crash
The opening special of the Monte Carlo Rally was abandoned Thursday after an accident involving New Zealand's Hayden Paddon in his Hyundai i20.
Paddon was fourth to start the opening event of this year's world championship, but lost control of his vehicle on a slippery left-hand bend in the final third of the special stage from Entrevaux to Ubraye.
Television images showed his car ended up on its side but also that Paddon and co-driver John Kennard had escaped unhurt.
Earlier, quadruple world champion Sebastien Ogier had lost 0.7sec to Hyundai's Belgian driver Thierry Neuville.
Other drivers already on the course or yet to start had their special scrapped and will receive an average time following the second special.
Following the accident, the cars headed off in convoy to start special stage 2 from 2200 GMT between Bayons and Breziers.