Citroen sack British world rally driver after spate of crashes

French world rally championship team Citroen said Thursday they had sacked British racer Kris Meeke for reckless driving following a spate of crashes. In a statement the team said that Meeke, 38, from Northern Ireland, veered off the road "too often" after taking risks that were not justified in sporting terms. He and his Irish co-pilot Paul Nagle were dismissed with immediate effect. Some of his accidents were "particularly violent and could have had serious consequences for the security of the team," Citroen Racing WRT added in the statement. Team leader Pierre Budar said the decision had been taken as a preventative measure. "The decision has not been taken lightly because it affects a driver and a co-pilot but it is largely motivated by security considerations which are part of my concerns as team leader," he said. Meeke and Nagle, eighth in the current world rally championships, were involved in a spectacular crash in the recent Rally of Portugal but both emerged unscathed from the accident. smr/cw/dmc