Kiwi driver Hayden Paddon won't be re-joining Rally Portugal, after a nasty crash during Ponte de Lima test on Saturday morning (NZ time).
Paddon was trying to avoid a big rock on the inside of a corner and as a result, fell into a ditch.
The 31-year-old suffered back pain following the accident and was taken to hospital in Porto as a precaution. His co-driver Seb Marshall is uninjured.
His Hyundai Motorsport team have since confirmed he will stay in hospital overnight for observation due to the severity of the impact.
"In a right corner, Hayden tried to avoid a stone on the inside," Hyundai team manager Alain Penasse told Autosport.
"He went to the outside of the corner and went to the ditch. The ditch was ending and the car hit the end of the ditch with a strong impact on Hayden's side.
"They both came out of the car themselves, then Hayden started to have some lower back pain, so they decided to ask for a doctor.
"The ambulance came [into the stage], it took them back to the start and Hayden was airlifted to the hospital in Porto where they are doing a check-up."
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