MOTORSPORT: WRC's big hits and misses

This year's World Rally Championship could have an even more thrilling climax than the past two years.

The season resumes after its northern summer break in Finland this weekend with just seven points separating the top three drivers in three makes of car.

Toyota's Estonian driver Ott Tanak, winner of three of the eight rounds so far and with 150 points, leads Citroen's Sebastien Ogier, the world champion of the past six years (with Volkswagen and M-Sport Ford) on 146, and Hyundai's 'bridesmaid' of the past two seasons, Belgian Thierry Neuville, on 143.

However, Hyundai leads the manufacturer standings with 242 points to Toyota's 198, Citroen's 170 and M-Sport Ford's 152 with five rounds to go after Finland.

The Antipodean driver who was to have made a one-off return to the championship this weekend won't after a huge crash in testing.

Disappointed at not getting a call-up from Hyundai after finishing fourth last hear in Finland, the fastest event in the championship, New Zealander Hayden Paddon had bought a drive in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta even though he is still strongly aligned to Hyundai in NZ.

But in testing early this week he hit a rock that ripped the sumpguard in two and sent the Fiesta careering into bushes, too badly damaged to be repaired in time for this weekend's event.

Paddon and co-driver John Kennard escaped injury in the crash.

"The car was feeling great and I was pleasantly surprised how quickly we were able to get to grips with it," Paddon said.

"However, a rock in the middle of a sixth-gear corner lifted the front of the car off line and the rest is history at that speed on a narrow section of stage.

"Incredibly sorry for the team and everyone back home in NZ who made this event (deal) possible.

"Where to next ... who knows? But it's great to have the support of M-Sport at present.

"Motorsport can be cruel, but it is these highs and lows that makes us stronger and keeps bringing us back - fans and competitors alike."

M-Sport team principal Richard Millener said it had been a freak accident and Paddon could not be blamed.

"He's discovered a rock that's been pulled out and is sitting in the middle of the road in a blind, sixth-gear right-hander," Milliner said.

"There was nothing he could do to avoid it.

"The car needs a jig and we don't have one (on the rally) and, even if we had a car built and ready to go, it would have taken three and a half days to get it to Finland. It's simply not possible."

Paddon was dropped from Hyundai's WRC team at the end of last year but finished
second in the season finale at Rally Australia. He has been hopeful of landing a drive for this year's Rally Australia on November 14-17.

A cloud still hangs over Rally Oz's future beyond this year, with the 2020 WRC calendar delayed several times - but an announcement is now due this month.

WRC organisers want the event moved from Coffs Harbour because they say it is too far from a major city and potentially bigger crowds.

NZ has been lobbying for a return to the calendar for the first time since 2012, even if only for a year until a new Australian location is found.

Meanwhile, Paddon will compete at the next round of the Australian and Asia-Pacific rally championships - the Eureka Rally at Ballarat - on August 24-25.

He will drive a Hyundai i20 R5 owned by Tasmanians Marcus and Scott Walkem.

"Hayden is keen to close out the Pacific Cup Trophy in the Asia-Pacific championship," Scott Walkem said.

Patton won both rounds of the Pacific Cup in NZ in his Hyundai i20 AP4+ but won't contest the APRC final in China in October.

Renault has salvaged Daniel Ricciardo's power unit after last Sunday German Grand Prix retirement for this weekend's Hungarian GP - the last round before Formula 1's mid-season break.

"It was a primary exhaust, a small crack, that led to a hydraulic leak that was the cause of all that smoke - it was nothing to do with the engine," Renault F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul said.

Renault will introduce a 'C spec' engine for the Belgian GP at Spa at the start of September, which will mean grid penalties for carsales.com.au global ambassador Ricciardo, his teammate Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren-Renault drivers Carlos Sainz Junior and Lando Norris.

Four-time French world champion Alain Prost is to play a bigger role in the Renault factory team.

IndyCar has delayed the introduction of new engine regulations until 2022 - and, following F1's lead from 2014, they will be hybrids with 2.4-litre internal combustion engines and twin turbochargers.

A new generic chassis to replace the long-serving Dallara DW12 is expected at the same time.

Indycar is hoping at least one manufacturer will be enticed into its series by the hybrid
formula to compete against Chevrolet and Honda.