Latvala says crash which put him out of Monte Carlo lead was his fault

The Finn told team principal Malcolm Wilson that he failed to focus on the note his co-driver Miikka Anttila called to him mid-way through the Burzet-St Martial test.

The pair had just arrived at the long icy section of the stage and Latvala said he was preoccupied with the road surface rather than the corner.

Wilson said: "I have spoken with Jari now and he's admitted it was completely his fault.

"Miikka called a note about a tightening corner with ice in it. Jari was looking for the ice and didn't register the tightening part of the call. The car slid wide, hit a wall and rolled over it."

Latvala was 30 seconds in the lead when he went off the road.

Latvala's team-mate Petter Solberg is now running third, just over a minute down on leader Sebastien Loeb.

"I am so sorry for him [Latvala]," said Solberg. "We were working very well as a team this morning and I am a little bit pissed off, you know.

"We needed to be together, this is very important. It's so important for the team that we stay together to fight for the manufacturers' championship.

"As a team you have to work together. If you are strong, you are strong together."