Early Azores exit for Peugeot´s Wilks

Guy Wilks has been forced to retire from the second day of Sata Rallye Açores, round six of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

The Peugeot UK driver was in sixth overall when he went off the road approximately six kilometres from the end of the 18.30-kilometre Sete Cidades test located in the far west of the mid-Atlantic island of São Miguel.

A Peugeot Sport spokesperson said: “He has broken the front-right wishbone and is out of the rally. There was quite a lot of mud in the place where he went off so you can imagine it was very tricky.”

The Briton’s misfortune means local hero Ricardo Moura moves back up to sixth overall in his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, albeit by a slender 1.0s margin over Bryan Bouffier, in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000.

It is unclear whether Wilks and co-driver Phil Pugh will restart on the third day of the gravel rally.