Back pain force Kosciuszko retirement

Michal Kosciuszko and Maciej Szczepaniak have unfortunately been forced to retire their Lotos Team WRC Ford Fiesta RS WRC after the fifth stage of this weekend’s ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

Suffering from severe back pain following some heavy compression on SS4, Kosciuszko was left with no option as this afternoon’s tight hairpin junctions have the potential to cause further damage.

Following a consultation with the team physician, Kosciuszko has been taken to hospital for further checks and a decision remains as to whether he will restart under Rally 2 regulations tomorrow.

His early retirement was a huge disappointment after what had been an impressive performance on his Tarmac debut with the Fiesta RS WRC. Fighting through the pain over the morning loop, the Pole was on course for anther top-ten result.