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Hyundai WRC driver Loeb unhurt in crash testing for Rally Sweden

Hyundai World Rally Championship driver Sebastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena emerged unharmed from a sizeable testing crash on Thursday in preparation for Rally Sweden.

A team spokesman confirmed the accident, which happened on one of the Frenchman's final runs of the day.

Sources in the area of northern Sweden where Hyundai is testing stated the car hit a snowbank and rolled.

Hyundai Motorsport has worked through the night to rebuild the i20 Coupe WRC for Andreas Mikkelsen's test on Friday. The team does not expect to lose any testing time due to the accident.

Loeb, who has not competed on a snow event since 2012, arrived at his pre-event test directly from being inducted to the FIA's Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

The nine-time WRC champion told Autosport he had been happy to take a brief break after Monte Carlo.

"I was driving for nearly every day in January between Dakar and the Monte Carlo test, recce and then the rally," he said.

"It was nice to take some time at home and be out of the car for a short time."

Loeb finished fourth on his debut for Hyundai on the Monte Carlo Rally, having posted a pair of fastest stage times and run in a podium position before Toyota's Ott Tanak moved into third on the final day.

Zdroj: autosport.com