Briton Elfyn Evans, Finland's Kalle Rovanperä's last rival for the WRC world rally champion title, went off the road on Saturday during the Central European Rally, virtually handing the title to his opponent.
Evans (Toyota) skidded and hit a barn while competing in the 11th special stage and was in third place overall behind leader Rovanperä, also on a Toyota, and Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai).
This accident virtually hands the title to Kalle Rovanperä, reigning champion, who currently occupies the lead in the standings with 31 points ahead of Evans. The maximum points a driver can score in a round is 30 and there are only more points left to contest after the Central European Rally than the Japan Rally in mid-November.
If, however, Evans' car could be repaired, he could take part in Sunday's "Power Stage", the final stage of the rally, where the top five finishers score points. He would then have a very slim chance of winning the title if Rovanperä were to retire before the end of the Central European rally on Sunday.