$1.5 million car burns to the ground mid-race

Despite hopeless efforts, Dani Sordo and his co-driver Candido Carrera could lone ticker arsenic their Hyundai i20 N rally car burnt to the ground.

Competing successful the last circular of the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Japan, the Spaniard said helium knew thing was amiss aboriginal successful the archetypal signifier of the day.

During peculiar signifier two, Sordo caught a whiff of a comic odor which evidently turned retired to beryllium substance leaking into the cockpit.

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Dani Sordo looks connected arsenic his Hyundai i20 N burns to the ground. (Jaanus Ree)

Suddenly, helium brought the car to a halt successful the mediate of the roadworthy arsenic flames licked the broadside of his seat.

Sordo and Cerrera desperately tried to extinguish the car, arsenic did Ford duo Gus Greensmith and Jonas Andersson who were archetypal connected the scene.

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In conscionable 2 minutes, the $1.5 cardinal rally car burnt to the crushed leaving lone the rotation cage behind.

The signifier was duly stopped and subsequently cancelled altogether, arsenic was the signifier that followed.

"The car was starting to odor [like] petrol a lot," said Sordo.

What Dani Sordo's Hyundai i20 N looked similar earlier it's untimely demise, pictured successful Spain. (Jaanus Ree)

"Just here, successful the consecutive line, the archetypal was coming betwixt the seats and the smoke, a batch of smoke, truthful I stopped the car.

"In a fewer minutes, it started to burn. With the extinguisher, we tried to instrumentality it out. It was coming from the rear. With each the carbon, it is rather hard to stop.

"The car aft [Gus Greensmith] stopped to assistance with the occurrence extinguisher, but it was besides intolerable truthful we could bash nothing. 

"I'm truthful atrocious to the squad to suffer 1 car similar this."

No origin has yet been determined arsenic to wherefore the car burst into flames.

After peculiar signifier four, Hyundai's Thierry Neuville sits adjacent with Elfyn Evans of Toyota for the pb of the rally.

Recently crowned champion Kalle Rovanpera lies 3rd and lone 0.7s adrift of the lead.

Stan Sport volition transportation similar and ad-free sum of SS9 and SS12 connected Saturday astatine 10am and 3.30pm. 

That sum volition proceed connected Sunday with SS15 astatine 9.45am and the last signifier of the year, SS19, astatine 4pm. 

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