Sainz forced to miss Oz
Carlos Sainz will not participate in the Telstra Rally Australia after sustaining a neck injury during an accident on the recce for the event
The WRC finale was supposed to be the 42-year-old's last event before retiring from the sport as its most successful driver.
The double world champion, who has won more events (26) than any other driver, was told that another heavy impact on the injured disc could do irreparable damage. It is believed that this is what made his mind up, despite an obvious desire to end his career with a farewell drive in Australia.
"I cannot compete in the rally," he said. "The doctor says it is not possible. One disc in my neck has moved a little bit and it is not safe to drive. If I have one small accident then it can be bad."
Sainz missed Wednesday's recce and wore a neck brace to protect the disc he damaged after hitting a tree in the team's Gp N-spec Mitsubishi Evo V recce car the previous day.
"The accident happened because I was concentrating on the notes, and of course we were driving on the really loose stuff," Sainz said of his crash on the gravel roads around Perth.
"We didn't have a normal gravel tyre on the car," he added. When we are doing the recce we have quite a narrow tyre, more like a road tyre. I went a little bit to the side, we got on the loose and the car slid to the right and we headed straight into a tree. The car stopped very quickly and we were doing between 70-80kph."
Sainz admitted the injury came as an emotional blow but is resigned to the situation: "Obviously it is very disappointing not to do my last rally. But that's life and at the same time I'm lucky to already have some nice memories from a couple of weeks ago in Catalunya.
"There is nothing I can do about this, what can I say I'm just very disappointed. But at the same time, when it's not possible, it's not possible."
Sainz will have another medical examination on Thursday morning, and will stay on in Australia to take part in the drivers' parade in Gloucester Park before flying home on Friday morning.
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