Citroen hopes Sebastien Loeb will restart on day two following crash
The Citroen team is hoping Sebastien Loeb will return to Rally Australia for the second leg tomorrow, after the Frenchman crashed out of the event this morning
The team is still waiting to see the rolled DS3 WRC, but a spokesperson from Citroen said initial indications were that the defending world champion would be back out.
"The [telephone] line and the radio connection to Sebastien and Daniel [Elena, co-driver] was very bad and we couldn't hear so much," said the spokesperson. "We have communicated mainly by text message. The car does not look so bad, we're hoping he will be back out in the car, but we have to wait to take a look at the rollcage."
If the car's rollcage is damaged, the pair will be ruled out of the event on safety grounds. If they do return, they will be hit with 35 minutes of superally penalties and would, therefore, be unlikely to score any drivers' points. They would be eligible for an extra three points if they won the powerstage on Sunday.
The precise reason for Loeb's accident on the Brooklana stage is unknown, but the team thinks he may have been distracted by a split time which was beamed to the car. Loeb went off the road at a tightening right-hand corner which would have been taken in third gear. The car hit the bank and rolled onto its side.
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