Cody Crocker leads the Malaysian Rally at the end of Day 1, with team-mate Emma Gilmour in 2nd place. Indonesia’s Rifat Sungkar holds third after a troubled day with engine woes.

Unbelievably that is all the APRC runners still in the event. MRF driver Garav Gill was the first retirement on Stage 2, a double puncture was bad enough but when the jack fell over and was underneath the car it was impossible to continue.

Next to go was Karamjit Singh in the new Proton Neo S2000. It was never going to be an easy drive in a left-hand driver car, and a combination of slippery road, wrong gear led to a small off and with the car stuck fast it was an early retirement for the former multiple Asia-Pacific champion.

Katsu Taguchi’s retirement on Stage 7 is a major blow for his championship hopes. Just metres from the startline Taguchi went off on one the many super slippery corners, sliding into a deep drain and into retirement. “we’d just put some mud tyres on and  I needed to attack, but perhaps they weren’t warmed up enough or may too fast, it’s a big disappointment, but anything can happen and we will be back tomorrow and go for bonus points”.