Hyundai Motorsport leaves Sweden rueing missed opportunity
- Hyundai Motorsport has finished Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), in fourth place
- For the second rally in succession, Dani Sordo was the highest finishing Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team driver as the team missed out on another victory fight
- After crashing out from the lead on Saturday evening, Thierry Neuville salvaged three points in Sunday’s Power Stage. Hayden Paddon claimed the final PS point
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Hyundai Motorsport has completed the second round of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
Hyundai Motorsport has completed the second round of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with a fourth-placed finish for Dani Sordo and Power Stage points for Thierry Neuville and Hayden Paddon.
The team started Sunday knowing that it had once again missed out on an opportunity to push for the outright victory with the competitive Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC. However, there was clear intent from all crews to salvage something from a challenging weekend.
Sunday morning’s final three stages included a repeat of the 21.19km Likenäs test followed by the 16.43km Torsby Power Stage, which was first run on Friday afternoon in the dark. The Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team drivers set about finishing the rally on a positive note, with the final stage offering a chance to pick up a handful of points.
Sunday morning’s final three stages included a repeat of the 21.19km Likenäs test followed by the 16.43km Torsby Power Stage, which was first run on Friday afternoon in the dark. The Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team drivers set about finishing the rally on a positive note, with the final stage offering a chance to pick up a handful of points.
Crew Notes: Paddon/Kennard (#4 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
The Kiwi crew of Paddon and Kennard used Sunday’s stages to further their understanding and feeling in the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC. After difficulties on Friday and Saturday, they had been unable to develop a rhythm so Sunday was important for them to try some new ideas, and to build confidence. Scoring top-five times in all three stages showed clear signs of improvement, with a consolatory Power Stage point for their efforts.
That was most certainly not the easiest of weekends but getting to the finish feels like a release of pressure. Things just didn’t click for us 100% but we used this morning to try a few things and there are definitely things we can learn for future rallies. We gave it a bit of a push in the Power Stage and finishing P7 gives us some points to kick-start our Championship. I am positive about this car and the direction we are heading, so it’s a case of onwards and upwards.
Crew Notes: Neuville/Gilsoul (#5 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul set about putting the huge disappointment of Saturday evening behind them with a focus on scoring Power Stage points. They saved their tyres during the opening stages in order to give maximum attack on the Torsby test. Setting the provisional fastest time, the duo had to concede to reigning Champion Sébastien Ogier and eventual rally winner Jari-Matti Latvala, but scored three important points.
We gave it everything in the final stage but we had to settle for three points instead of the five we wanted. It was a very close-run stage with just 1.5-seconds separating the top-three. The result overall is of course a big source of frustration. I feel disappointed for the whole team that we lost the lead of the rally for a small driving mistake. It was another issue with big consequences for the Championship. I am sure that our approach to this rally was correct, until our misfortune, however our potential is clear and we have to focus on moving forward positively.
Putting the Pieces Together
It may not have been the start to the 2017 season that Hyundai Motorsport was expecting but it takes comfort from the performance of its Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC. Six more stage wins in Sweden, in addition to the seven in Monte-Carlo, shows that the team is the most competitive it has ever been, even if the results don’t reflect that so far.
I am sure we will look back on these two opening rounds of the season as character-building for our team. There’s no such thing as guaranteed results so we have to work doubly hard to show what we are capable of. We have crews who have all shown their ability to fight for stage wins, we have a car, the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC that has demonstrated its potential to win WRC events, and we have the fighting spirit we need to succeed. The pieces of the puzzle are there, we just need a turnaround in fortunes – hopefully that will start in Mexico. On behalf of everyone at Hyundai Motorsport, I would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to Toyota for an historic win this weekend. If one thing is clear after two rounds, the WRC is in great health with plenty of competition. That’s the one real positive we take away from Sweden.
Next Rally
Rally Mexico is next up for the WRC, taking place from 9-12 March 2017. The scene of Hyundai Motorsport’s maiden podium in 2014 will offer happy memories as the team seeks to move on from two disappointing rally results.
Final Overall Classification - Rally Sweden
- 1. J. M. Latvala / M. Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 2:36:03.6
- 2. O. Tanak / M. Jarveoja Ford Fiesta WRC +29.2
- 3. S. Ogier / J. Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC +59.5
- 4. D. Sordo / M. Martí Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +2:11.5
- 5. C. Breen / P. Nagle Citroën C3 WRC +2:51.2
- 6. E. Evans / D. Barritt Ford Fiesta WRC +5:26.6
- 7. H. Paddon / J. Kennard Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +5:31.2
- 8. S. Lefebvre / G. Moreau Citroën C3 WRC +7:14.7
- 9. P. Tidemand / J. Andersson Škoda Fabia R5 +9:11.1
- 10. T. Suninen / M. Markkula Ford Fiesta R5 +10:02.9
- 11. O.C Veiby / S. Skjaermoen Škoda Fabia R5 +10:18.5
- 12. K. Meeke / P. Nagle Citroën C3 WRC +10:28.7
- 13. T. Neuville / N. Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +11:31.5
2017 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings (after round 2)
1. J.M Latvala, 48
2. S. Ogier, 44
3. O. Tanak, 33
4. D. Sordo, 25
5. C. Breen, 20
6. E. Evans, 18
7. S. Lefebvre, 10
8. T. Neuville, 8
9. H. Paddon, 7
2017 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings (after round 2)
1. M-Sport World Rally Team, 73
2. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC, 53
4. Hyundai Motorsport, 40
5. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, 26
All results remain subject to official FIA confirmation.
Contacts
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Florian Büngener
Head of Department PR & Communications
fbuengener@hyundai-europe.com LinkedIn ProfileAdriana Cerami
Head of Section Corporate & Brand PR
acerami@hyundai-europe.comKatharina Kupper
Hyundai Newsroom Lead
kkupper@hyundai-europe.comAnja Wente
Product PR & Communications Expert
awente@hyundai-europe.comElvira Herrera
Corporate Communications Expert
eherrera@hyundai-europe.comÁngel Pino Pérez
Product Communications Professional
apinoperez@hyundai-europe.comMaria Bricio
Corporate & Brand Communications Expert
