Michael Park had been active in rallying since the early 1990s

Michael Park, 39, who was widely known by his nickname Beef, was partnering Estonian Markko Martin when the Peugeot 307 they were in hit a tree at Margam, near Port Talbot.

The final stages of the rally were cancelled.

Mr Park, from Newent, Gloucestershire, had been involved in a serious crash with Martin last year in Argentina.

He had driven with Martin since 2000. The pair had won five world rallies.

Mr Park had been a familiar face in the world championship since 1994, when he was co-driver for Mark Higgins.

Married with two children, the Herefordshire-born co-driver had also worked with former champions Richard Burns and Colin McRae.

The car crashed side-on into a tree during the 17-mile stage on Sunday morning. Martin escaped without injury.

Michael Park was on the right-hand side of the car when it hit a tree

The stage was halted immediately and will not be resumed. The second run through the Margam leg, scheduled to be the last stage, was also cancelled.

The competitors returned to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for presentations, but as a mark of respect, none of the planned celebrations involving champagne and fireworks took place. A one-minute silence was also held.

Norwegian Petter Solberg was named the winner.

Peugeot said the car had left the route shortly after the start of the stage.

Drivers hold a silent tribute instead of the usual celebration at the rally's end

"Peugeot Automobiles and Peugeot Sport would like to express their feeling of extreme sadness and deep emotion to the family of Michael Park, known affectionately as 'Beef'," the statement said.

Peugeot Sport director Jean-Pierre Nicolas added: "Markko (Martin) spun off at top speed shortly after the start of the stage and the right side of the car slammed into a tree".

"I think that Michael was killed outright. It's hard to take. The championship is nothing when you compare it to the life of a man. None of us want to continue."

Race leader at the time of the accident Sebastien Loeb added: "Who wins the race is not what counts today."