Kris Meeke has been dropped by Citroen for the rest of the 2018 World Rally Championship after he has been involved in ‘an excessively high number of crashes’.
Meeke has had an accident-prone season so far, culminating in a massive impact with a tree during Rally Portugal that was severe enough to warrant a trip to hospital.
He sits only eighth in the championship after two non-finishes, only 17 points ahead of team-mate Craig Breen who missed two events to give up his seat to Sebastien Loeb.
A statement made by the team has said that ‘the risks involved were unjustified by the sporting stakes at play’ and that on safety grounds it had come to the decision to terminate Meeke’s participation with the team.
‘This wasn’t an easy decision to make because it effects a driver and a co-driver, but it is largely founded on safety issues which come under my preoccupations as team principal,” said Citroen team principal Pierre Budar.
“We have consequently chosen to make this decision as a preventive measure.”
Citroen has not yet announced its further driver plans for the remaining part of the 2018 season but Mads Ostberg and Breen have already been confirmed for the next event in Sardinia, with Loeb completing the third and final rally of his 2018 campaign in Spain.
