WRC: Ogier forced to take Rally2 penalty

Sebastien Ogier's troubled Tour of Corsica received a further blow on Friday night when his retired his Volkswagen from leg one with a gearshift problem on a road section.

The World Rally champion had already fallen to 10th place when he picked up a puncture on the second of the two stages that ran on a Friday disrupted by torrential rain causing floods and landslides. He then had to park near the end of the 45-mile road section back from the flexi-service in Corte to the overnight parc ferme in Bastia's Place St Nicolas when the transmission issue struck.

VW says the fault can be repaired so Ogier can rejoin under Rally2 rules for Saturday. But he will do so from 55th place, 11m13s behind surprise leader Elfyn Evans, due to the 10-minute penalty for failing to complete leg one.

The opening day of the WRC's return to Corsica proved incredibly eventful, with Ogier and Robert Kubica tied for the outright lead after SS1. SS2 was then canceled and SS3 delayed due to the appalling weather conditions, before Evans and Kevin Abbring shot from sixth and seventh to first and second in a single stage when the event resumed.

Originally on Autosport.com