Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi endured a tough return to the World Rally Championship in Rally Sweden on Friday as he lost time stuck in a snow bank on the first stage.
The Abu Dhabi Citroen Total World Rally Team driver lost seven minutes after sliding off on the second stage of the event in Karlstad.
The Emirati said of the incident: "It was a very bad start and just what I didn't want, but conditions are very difficult and causing problems for a lot of drivers. I've just put that behind me now and will look to make up as much ground as I can."
Sheikh Khalid dropped to 39th as a result of the incident, but despite losing four minutes on Stage 5 with another slight excursion he was up to 27th by the end of Stage 6 on Friday.
It was not a good day for his teammate as Mikko Hirvonen, who had been a pre-event favourite, having won the event in 2010 and 2011, saw his victory hopes wrecked after he lost 22 minutes stuck in a snow bank on the second stage, dropping him out of contention. "We dropped slightly into a ditch but it was enough to send us into a spin," the Finn said. "We rolled once, gently over the snow.
"There were only two spectators nearby when we went off and so it took us a long time to try and get the car out. Four or five more people came along soon after. I must say thanks to them for helping. In the end it all came down to manpower."
Sebastien Ogier has dominated at the front in his Volkswagen, going fastest in five of the six stages yesterday as he opened up a lead of 32.2 seconds over Abu Dhabi Citroen's Sebastien Loeb.
Jari-Matti Latvala is 1.5 seconds adrift of Loeb in third.
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