Toyota technical director Tom Fowler has confirmed Sébastien Ogier’s GR Yaris Rally1 suffered no mechanical failure ahead of the crash which cost the nine-time world champion the lead of Rally Finland.
Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia spent the night in hospital following a high-speed accident in Västilä on Saturday afternoon. The #1 Toyota failed to negotiate a right-hander and crashed through the trees.
Fowler told DirtFish: “I have seen a lot of conspiracy theories going around about this crash, but the car is in our workshop with all four wheels still pointing in the same direction.
“The suspension system and the mechanics of the car are all still fully functional. From the data analysis we did straight after the car came back, the only thing we could see is, unfortunately, the car was carrying a bit more speed than maybe the others in this place.
“I think the main point about this place in the road is that it’s a combination corner: left, right, very fast. And as soon as you have any kind of oversteer situation, you’re already pointing the wrong direction for the next part of the combination. The margins are incredibly small. We’re not talking like he’s gone there like too, too fast. It’s like we’re talking like a couple of kph situation and you just start to lose the rear.