Mikkelsen to spend night in hospital following crash
After complaining of feeling unwell
Defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen will spend Saturday night in hospital following his accident on stage 12 of the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally.
Mikkelsen was challenging for victory on the event when he slid into protected hay bales at high speed after being caught out under braking on a wet surface.
Although co-driver Ola Fløene was uninjured, Mikkelsen reported feeling dazed when he eventually reached the stage finish following a delay of approximately 40 seconds.
“After complaining of feeling unwell, Andreas was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure where it was discovered that he has a perforated right eardrum, which will heal,” said a spokesperson for ŠKODA UK Motorsport. “As a further precaution Andreas will have a CT scan in the morning, although this is purely a precaution.”
Despite his accident, Mikkelsen was able to reach the finish of the event in second overall to maintain his lead at the top of the IRC drivers’ standings after three rounds.