FRENCH WORLD RALLY championship team Citroen say they have axed Northern Ireland racer Kris Meeke following an ‘excessively high number of crashes.’
The team have decided to ‘terminate the participation’ of Meeke and his Irish co-driver Paul Nagle in the 2018 WRC, according to a statement on the Citroen website.
The statement also says that the decision was taken ‘due to an excessively high number of crashes, some of which were particularly heavy and could have had serious consequences with regard to the crew’s safety.’
“The decision becomes effective from the 2018 Rally Italia Sardegna and we will shortly be announcing the team’s line-up of crews for the remainder of the 2018 season.
“The entries of C3 WRCs for Craig Breen / Scott Martin and Mads Ostberg /Torstein Eriksen still stand for Sardinia.”
Due to an excessively high number of crashes, some of which were particularly heavy, Citroën Racing WRT has decided to terminate the participation of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle in the 2018 WRC. #WRC
— Citroën Racing (@CitroenRacing) May 24, 2018
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Team leader Pierre Budar added:
“This wasn’t an easy decision to make because it effects a driver and a co-driver, but it is largely founded on safety issues which come under my preoccupations as Team Principal. We have consequently chosen to make this decision as a preventive measure.”
Meeke and Nagle, eighth in the current world rally championships, were involved in a spectacular crash in the recent Rally of Portugal but both emerged unscathed from the accident.
Additional reporting by AFP
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