Valais ERC: Esapekka Lappi set for win after Andreas Aigner crashes
Rising Finnish star Esapekka Lappi now looks certain of a maiden European Rally Championship victory after rival Andreas Aigner crashed out in Valais
Although works Skoda driver Lappi was more than 40 seconds clear starting the final day, Production class champion Aigner was still trying to keep the pressure on him.
But Aigner crashed his Stohl Subaru heavily early on the 22-mile Les Cols stage that concluded Saturday morning's loop.
The accident caused the stage to be neutralised while rescue crews attended, but Aigner and co-driver Barbara Watzl were unhurt.
Their exit leaves Lappi with a 1m37.7s lead over top Swiss driver Olivier Burri with four stages left.
Craig Breen won three of the four morning stages as his charge to make up for his Friday problems continued.
With his Sainteloc Peugeot team-mate Jeremi Ancian delayed by a puncture, Breen is now up to fourth and within 17s of taking the final podium place from Vasily Gryazin.
Leading positions after SS14: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Esapekka Lappi Skoda 2h25m32.9s 2. Olivier Burri Zero4 Piu Ford +1m37.7s 3. Vasily Gryazin SRT Ford +2m45.6s 4. Craig Breen Sainteloc Peugeot +3m02.4s 5. Nicolas Althaus Lugano Peugeot +4m39.0s 6. Jaroslav Orsak GPD Skoda +4m41.9s 7. Florian Gonan Lugano Subaru +5m49.5s 8. Jeremi Ancian Sainteloc Peugeot +5m53.1s 9. Pascal Perroud Lugano Peugeot +9m23.9s 10. Laurent Reuche Taifyn Renault +9m29.9s
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