Hyundai Motorsport aims to finish WRC season on a high in Australia
- The 13th and final round of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) takes place next weekend with Hyundai Motorsport looking for its first Rally Australia podium
- After confirming second place in the Manufacturers’ Championship at Wales Rally GB with a fourth consecutive podium, the team hopes to finish its most competitive season in style
- Four drivers still have a mathematical chance of taking second in the Drivers’ Championship with Thierry Neuville, Hayden Paddon and Dani Sordo all involved in the close fight.
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Hyundai Motorsport will be aiming to extend its run of podium finishes to five consecutive rallies next weekend, as Rally Australia brings the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship to its conclusion.
The team confirmed its second place in the Manufacturers’ Championship at Rally Wales GB, but there is still all to play for in Drivers’ Championship. 24 points separate second from fifth position heading into Rally Australia with all three of Hyundai Motorsport’s drivers still in with a mathematical chance of claiming the runner-up spot.
2016 has been Hyundai Motorsport’s most successful season in its short WRC history with two victories (Argentina and Sardinia) and nine additional podiums so far. However, the team has yet to finish on the podium in Australia, so that will be its primary target next weekend.
2016 has been Hyundai Motorsport’s most successful season in its short WRC history with two victories (Argentina and Sardinia) and nine additional podiums so far. However, the team has yet to finish on the podium in Australia, so that will be its primary target next weekend.
Three New Generation i20 WRCs will take to the Australian gravel for the car’s final WRC event ahead of new technical regulations being introduced for 2017. Thierry Neuville will once again take to the #3 car but will be joined in the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team line-up by Hayden Paddon in the #4 car. Dani Sordo will represent the Hyundai Mobis World Rally Team in the #20 entry.
Once again, Coffs Harbour will play host to Australian round of the Championship. A firm favourite among fans and competitors, it moves to a new position as season finale for 2016, having been held in September in recent years. Contested over a mix of hard base roads, which vary from the tight and twisty to the fast and flowing, Rally Australia consists of 23 stages totalling 312.98km.
After a run of four consecutive podiums alongside his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul, Neuville (#3 New Generation i20 WRC) has moved into second place in the drivers’ classification. Currently on 143 points, fourteen points ahead of his nearest rival Andreas Mikkelsen, a strong showing in Australia will be enough to equal his career-best Championship finish - and his best since joining Hyundai Motorsport.
Finishing just twelve seconds behind their Belgian teammates in Wales, Paddon (#4 New Generation i20 WRC) and co-driver John Kennard are also hopeful that they can finish their season with a strong showing Down Under.
Sordo (#20 New Generation i20 WRC) and compatriot co-driver Marc Martí will also be targeting a podium finish, as they look to finish the season with a third top-three finish. After a tough event in Wales, the Spanish duo will want to replicate the sort of performance that saw them challenging at the front in Spain last month.
Hyundai Motorsport has finished on the podium in all but three events so far this season, securing the team its best ever Championship finish in second place. Australia will see the final round for the competitive New Generation i20 WRC as the team will compete in the 2017 season with a brand new car to meet the WRC’s revised technical regulations.
Rally Australia action gets underway on Friday with familiar stage names such as Utungun (7.88km), Bakers Creek (16.75km) and Newry (25.30km). Saturday will see the greatest distance covered, with 135.19km of stages, including two runs of the daunting 50.80km Nambucca, one of the longest stages of the season. Sunday will see the action head north of Coffs Harbour and will include two runs of the popular Wedding Bells (6.44km) stage, the second of which will serve as the rally’s Power Stage - and the final stage of the 2016 Championship.
Once again, Coffs Harbour will play host to Australian round of the Championship. A firm favourite among fans and competitors, it moves to a new position as season finale for 2016, having been held in September in recent years. Contested over a mix of hard base roads, which vary from the tight and twisty to the fast and flowing, Rally Australia consists of 23 stages totalling 312.98km.
After a run of four consecutive podiums alongside his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul, Neuville (#3 New Generation i20 WRC) has moved into second place in the drivers’ classification. Currently on 143 points, fourteen points ahead of his nearest rival Andreas Mikkelsen, a strong showing in Australia will be enough to equal his career-best Championship finish - and his best since joining Hyundai Motorsport.
Finishing just twelve seconds behind their Belgian teammates in Wales, Paddon (#4 New Generation i20 WRC) and co-driver John Kennard are also hopeful that they can finish their season with a strong showing Down Under.
Sordo (#20 New Generation i20 WRC) and compatriot co-driver Marc Martí will also be targeting a podium finish, as they look to finish the season with a third top-three finish. After a tough event in Wales, the Spanish duo will want to replicate the sort of performance that saw them challenging at the front in Spain last month.
Hyundai Motorsport has finished on the podium in all but three events so far this season, securing the team its best ever Championship finish in second place. Australia will see the final round for the competitive New Generation i20 WRC as the team will compete in the 2017 season with a brand new car to meet the WRC’s revised technical regulations.
Rally Australia action gets underway on Friday with familiar stage names such as Utungun (7.88km), Bakers Creek (16.75km) and Newry (25.30km). Saturday will see the greatest distance covered, with 135.19km of stages, including two runs of the daunting 50.80km Nambucca, one of the longest stages of the season. Sunday will see the action head north of Coffs Harbour and will include two runs of the popular Wedding Bells (6.44km) stage, the second of which will serve as the rally’s Power Stage - and the final stage of the 2016 Championship.
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
