Citroen aces unhurt in testing crash

Citroen Total World Rally Team stars Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen were uninjured in a testing accident in Italy yesterday.

The Finns were helping the multiple title-winning French team prepare for Brother Rally New Zealand later this month with a two-day test in Tuscany when they crashed at high speed.

Although their Citroen DS3 WRC suffered extensive damage, Hirvonen and Lehtinen were passed fit following precautionary checks in a local hospital.

Hirvonen, currently second to team-mate Sebastien Loeb in the race for the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship crown, had completed half of his scheduled running prior to the accident. He Tweeted: “Me and Jarmo are both okay so no worries there.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Citroen told Autosport.com: “Mikko rolled a lot of times, the accident was high speed. The most important thing is that Mikko and Jarmo are both okay. They are back at the hotel tonight. The test is finished.”

Loeb was able to complete his testing as scheduled and is now heading to Le Mans for the official pre-event test on Sunday.

Brother Rally New Zealand is based in Auckland from 21-24 June. Loeb is a two-time winner in the country, triumphing in 2005 and 2008. Hirvonen has never won in New Zealand before.