Burns doesn't let car crash hinder Monte prep

The rally route has been hit by blinding snow blizzards, and many roads are now covered in sheet ice and packed snow. It was in such conditions that Burns, who celebrated his 30th birthday today, and Reid had to negotiate a slow section of road between two stages this morning. Burns' Subaru skidded on ice and then slid into the path of an on-coming truck.

Neither Burns, Reid nor the driver of the truck were hurt in the crash, but Burn's car was 'incapacitated' after the accident and the Subaru pair had to jump into a spare recce car so they could continue.

However, Burns, who has yet to win the 'Monte', did not let this morning's mishap get in the way of his preparations to the new season. By the afternoon he had completed his recce and was in his Impreza WRC ready to get on with the pre-event shakedown.

"I think this kind of accident has happened a dozen times this morning, the weather has been atrocious," said a Subaru spokesman. "But because he's Richard Burns, it has kind of been blown out of proportion. Richard, Robert and the truck driver are fine."