Harry Hunt has set his sights on on the 2017 FIA Cross Country Championship as he has been advised to not take part in the upcoming 2017 Dakar Rally following an accident earlier this month in Morocco.
Hunt and co-driver Andy Schulz were driving the Peugeot 2008 DKR for the first time during the Rallye du Maroc but hit a bump in a fast section, where the rear of the car dug in, sending it into a series of high-speed rolls.
The injuries sustained in the crash will have no lasting consequences but the Englishman has been advised to take time to fully recover from the accident. Schulz was uninjured and will join Hunt for the Cross Country campaign in 2017.
“I’m gutted I won’t be taking part in Dakar 2017,” said Hunt. “It was an event I was really looking forward to and preparations were going very well, but that’s motorsport for you.
“We were actually third on the stage where we crashed, so that hints at the potential. I’ll be continuing to compete in the FIA Cross Country Championship next year and getting to grips with the Peugeot 2008 DKR so I hope to be stronger than ever for Dakar 2018.
“While I would have loved to take part in the Dakar next year, you have to listen to medical advice, and setbacks like these only make me more determined for the future. I’d like to thank PH Sport for their support, and I’m looking forward to being back behind the wheel as soon as possible.”
The FIA Cross Country Championship starts in Russia next February.
