Sebastien Loeb has blamed an incorrect pace note for being too fast through the corner where his hopes of a ninth victory in this year’s FIA World Rally Championship ended this morning.

Loeb was leading Rally Italia Sardegna by 1.1s when he hit trouble, damaging his Citroen DS3 WRC’s steering striking a rock.

“I was pushing really, really hard but it was a little mistake in the notes in a corner,” said Loeb. “I entered a bit too fast and hit the stone on the exit. It threw the car into a spin and finally we spun on the road. I turned around and continued but the steering was very hard so I knew something was broken in the steering. I continued for a few corners but after the steering was blocked completely and I had to stop there.”

Loeb blamed the pace note error on a loss of concentration during reconnaissance after he picked up a puncture on the previous corner to where he went off.

Thierry Neuville, in a Qatar World Rally Team Citroen, will also go no further on Rally Italia Sardegna after the burns to his hands sustained when he was pushing his car back onto its wheels after he rolled on stage three proved too painful for him to continue.