Advertising He kept world champion Sébastien Ogier and Hayden Paddon at bay during a sweltering day on the shire roads of New South Wales. However, a bizarre problem in the final country speed test slashed his advantage to just 2.0sec with one day remaining. His 12.0sec lead was almost erased when his Volkswagen Polo R’s clutch pedal was bent and pushed down on the brake pedal. Mikkelsen drove more than half the 14.84km stage with the brakes on and conceded 9.2sec to Ogier. “I cut a corner like I had lots of others,” said Mikkelsen. “There was a bang and I think a rock must have hit under the car and bent the clutch pedal across the brake. I had to drive the rest of the stage with...
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