After two weeks of meticulous preparation at the 555 Subaru team's headquarters in Banbury, Petter Solberg's Impreza WRC2003 was in bad shape yeste🧸rday after an accident at shak🦂edown threatened to end his rally before it had even begun.

Solberg was negotiating a right-hand corner near the sta⭕rt of the 7km practice stage, when he hit a patch of gravel and slid off t🌺he road.

In a series of impacts, the car sustained damage to the fronꦿt and rear ends as well as to the driver's side rear quarter panel following a collision that was so hard it broke a telegraph pole.

Co-driver Phil Mills was the fi🦩rst to notify the team of the incident, with a telephone call to principal engineer൩ Pierre Genon.

Once it was clear that he and Solberg were uninjꦓured, oper🔥ations director Paul Howarth co-ordinated efforts to ensure Petter's car was ready to start the event on Friday morning as planned. Here's how the plan worked out:

1120hrs Accident occurs.

1130hrs 🌌A group of team members g𝔍o to evaluate nearby car repair workshops.

1230hrs Recovery truck delive𒐪rs Solberg's car to the SWRT service area in Ajaccio.

1300hrs Initial assessment of damage. No.1 mec♛hanic and Solberg's engineer dispatched to assess facilities at♒ chosen workshop, Les Moulins Blanc, 3kms outside Ajaccio. Engine, gearbox and suspension removed from car.

1530hrs Bodyshell loaded onto transporter truck and taken to workshop. Six of Petter's crew of technicians (who originally took two weeks to build the car in the UK) are joined by one of Makinen's crew, two parts technicians, and the three staff from the local workshop. Simon Steele, the team's technical supp🤪ort manageܫr and Pierre Genon supervise the work.

1600hrs Shell secured to body bench. Repair♎ work begins to front and rear chassis legs, sill section, rear wheel arch and C-pillar.

2130hrs Bodyworꦆk completed. Re-assembly commences.

2230hrs Gearbox and new engine fitted.

0230hrs All major mechanical components i🥀ncluding all suspension fitted.

0350hrs New wing, bumpe💎rs, boot lid, rear spoiler, rear door, radiator package✨ and intercooler fitted.

0400hrs Principal engineer Pierre 𝔍Genon takes car for road test.

0415hrs Car driven back to service area in Ajaccio. Team fine-tune su🌼spension alignment and set-up using service area facilities.

0700hrs Stickers and oth🗹er cosmetic work completed. Overnight crew take a break, relieved by fresh technicians.

0730hrs Solberg and Mills arrive in service.

0745hrs Scrutineers re-check and approve the car.

0911hrs Solberg and Mills start the ra🍒lly♔ as scheduled.