World Championship runner-up Oliver Solberg spun into the ditch on the opening special stage and will not race again on Friday.
The 24-year-old Swede can restart on Saturday - which begins with stage nine - but will then have a significant time penalty and can no longer challenge for the top positions. Even taking some World Championship points will be a challenge.
Solberg started the season by winning the Monte Carlo Rally in January and followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the Swedish Rally. At the Safari Rally in Kenya last month, he finished tenth.
Ahead of this week's competition, he is second in the overall standings, behind Briton Elfyn Evans.
