Two strikes and Ford are out

Colin McRae and Thomas Radstrom's hopes of a Far East victory were dashed when they hit the same concrete slab amid treacherous conditions.

A day of heavy rain, the legacy of a typhoon in Hong Kong, had made the driving conditions appalling, and McRae was the first to run into trouble after just 2km of the 9km first stage.

The impact wrecked his suspension and his race was run, followed only minutes later by Radstrom as he hit the same piece of concrete on the inside of a right-hand bend.

'We ran over concrete which we had noted during the recce without regarding it as a major hazard,' said McRae, 'but unfortunately it damaged the suspension too badly to continue.

'It's obviously disappointing but it doesn't change things for the rest of the season. Our main aim is to get the car 100 per cent for the first round next year in Monte Carlo.'

Radstrom couldn't believe their bad luck, saying, 'It was just unbelievable - with a capital U! This is hard for Colin, hard for me and hard for the team.'