Hyundai Motorsport has moved a step closer to securing its third consecutive Rally Argentina podium

Hyundai Motorsport holds a provisional double podium at the end of the penultimate day of Rally Argentina, round five of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), following a strong performance for all three crews.

Saturday’s itinerary totaled 146.88km of special stages including the longest of the rally – the 40.48km Cuchilla Nevada–Rio Pintos. Foggy conditions made for a tricky morning, while the rougher afternoon loop put tyre management at the top of the crews’ priority list.

By the end of the day’s seven stages, Thierry Neuville had moved up into second position overall after an unbroken run of top-three stage times, including a stage win, his second of the weekend, in SS12 (Super Special Fernet Branca). Heading into Sunday, Neuville has a 46.5-second gap to rally leader Ott Tanak, but is crucially two places ahead of his championship rival Sébastien Ogier.

The Belgian’s team-mate Dani Sordo helped to secure a Hyundai Motorsport 1-2 in SS12 as the Spaniard chases his second podium of the 2018 season. He then secured an impressive stage win in SS15 (Cuchilla Nevada-Rio Pintos 2) to end the day third overall. Andreas Mikkelsen, fighting back from a disappointing Friday, has moved into fifth.

WRC Crew Notes: Neuville/Gilsoul (#5 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

• Belgian looking to score his third podium of 2018 after victory in Sweden and third in Corsica
• Stage win on Saturday led a Hyundai Motorsport 1-2

Neuville said: “I am pleased to have moved up into second place in the overall classification. We have had to stay really focused today. We lost a bit of time early on as we tackled the foggy morning stages but pushed as hard as we could. In the afternoon, with soft tyres, we had to take things carefully to avoid risking a puncture. We could have done a bit more but it wasn’t necessary. Ott has a commanding lead of this rally so our target tomorrow is to secure second place and maximise points for both championships.”

WRC Crew Notes: Sordo/Del Barrio (#6 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

• Strong Saturday for the Spaniards with a stage win in the 40.48km stage
• Moved back into podium position, 50.8 seconds ahead of Ogier in fourth

Sordo said: “The opening loop was really difficult in the fog, and it was impossible not to lose some time getting through in those conditions. Things improved at the end of the long stage but it offered a tough start to the day.  The fight for the podium places has been quite open. The final stage went really well – although I was a bit scared of the tyres because we were on the limit. We couldn’t afford a single mistake so we drove clean and just enjoyed it. In the end, the time was good and we moved back up to third. We will do all we can to keep this position on Sunday.”

WRC Crew Notes: Mikkelsen/Jæger  (#4 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

• Top-five position for the Norwegians
• Turnaround in fortunes after losing lead of rally on Friday

Mikkelsen said: “We have used today to try and make up some places after our issue on Friday. The fact we are back into the top-five is a positive result considering where we were at the start of the day. We have made some changes to the car during the day in a bid to find more rear stability and there was a definite improvement. We are not a million miles behind Seb in fourth place but we are just trying to drive neat and tidy, and we’ll see where we end up tomorrow. As we’ve seen again today, this is a particularly tough and unpredictable rally.”

Targeting the double

Team Principal Michel Nandan said: We have had a trouble-free and positive day with all three of our crews. Out at the front, Ott is in a class of his own so all we can do is try to keep the pressure on but focus on the more realistic target of a podium finish. As it currently stands, we have a good chance of securing a double podium – and a good haul of manufacturer points – with Thierry and Dani, but we know the job is not yet done. Andreas is also in the top-five, underlining the strength of our package in this rally.  There’s still a way to go, though, with El Condor promising to offer another exciting finale to Rally Argentina.” 

Sunday’s itinerary at a glance

• Three stages remain on Sunday, including the famous El Condor
• 55.27km left to complete could cause a few more surprises
• Crews will start with the 16.43km Copina-El Condor before tackling the 22.41km Giulio Cesare – Mina Clavero head of the El Condor Power Stage.

Classification after Day Two

Press release Hyundai Motorsport