Citroën has dropped Kris Meeke from its World Rally Championship team, citing an “excessively high number of crashes” as the reason.
On last weekend’s Rally Portugal, Meeke and navigator Paul Nagle experienced an severe accident in their Citroën C3 WRC and they were fortunate to escape unharmed.
Although the Dungannon-born rally driver has won five WRC events with Citroën during the past three seasons, there have also been a number of crashes in his time with the team.
A statement issued by the Citroën Racing World Rally Team said: “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, and given that the risks involved were unjustified by the sporting stakes at play, Citroën Racing WRT has decided to terminate the participation of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle in the 2018 WRC.
“The decision becomes effective from Rally Italia Sardegna [the next round of the WRC, which takes place on 7-10 June] and we will shortly be announcing the team’s line-up of crews for the remainder of the 2018 season.”
The French team’s boss, 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.”
Citroën’s other entries for Sardinia, for Craig Breen/Scott Martin and Mads Ostberg/Torstein Eriksen, are unaffected by the decision.