WATCH: Cais rolls in Fafe Qualifying Stage

The 23-year-old came unstuck when his Fabia was brutally ejected from the ruts on a tight a left-hander towards the end of the stage. The car rolled over once before landing back on its wheels, enabling Cais to complete the test a credible 17th overall, less than four seconds adrift of pacesetter Craig Breen.

The rally begins later this evening (Thursday) with a super special stage in Fafe town centre, which means Cais' Orsak Rallysport crew has just a few hours to repair the damage.

“It felt for me like I was in a good position before the corner but I don’t know if the speed was too high for the ruts or what happened," reflected the youngster. "If you push somewhere, you get a reaction - and the reaction was that we rolled out because there was so much grip or pressure to the car and basically it went to the side and rolled."

Cais wasn't the only driver to be caught out by the corner. Gregor Jeets, also driving a Škoda, suffered a similar fate, as did Patrick O'Brien.

"A lot of cars crashed there and it’s probably because of the ruts," he continued. "The speed, from my point of view, was normal, but for sure I was driving the car so it’s my mistake. The crew probably has a lot of work to do but I have a really good team so they are all preparing for tonight.”