WRC: Tanak escapes Mexico reservoir crash

Ott Tanak and co-driver Raigo Molder escaped unhurt when their M-Sport Ford crashed into a reservoir on the first full-length stage of Rally Mexico on Friday. The Estonian rolled off the road just under two miles into the Los Mexicanos stage on Friday morning. Their Fiesta landed in the reservoir and was completely submerged within 30 seconds, the crew reckon.

Tanak and Molder were able to escape before the car sank, with Molder managing to retrieve his pace notes intact.

"Our first priority is the crew and we're enormously relieved that they're OK," M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson said.

Mystery had surrounded the incident at first, with the submerged Ford completely disappearing from following crews' view and all radio communication lost when it went into the water.

Kris Meeke, Hayden Paddon and Robert Kubica have also had incidents during the morning – in Meeke and Kubica's cases while battling for the rally lead.

Sebastien Ogier is currently in first place, eight seconds ahead of Thierry Neuville.

Originally on Autosport.com