Hyundai Motorsport has completed the opening stages of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with two crews inside the top-three of the overall timesheets, following a dramatic start to Rallye Monte-Carlo.
Andreas Mikkelsen, in his first complete season with Hyundai Motorsport, was classified in second position after Monte’s two night stages, 17.3-seconds from rally leader Sébastien Ogier. Dani Sordo was a further eight seconds back in third, with 15 stages still to run this weekend.
Challenging conditions, which featured icy patches in SS1 (Thoard-Sisteron) and slippery sections in SS2 (Bayons-Breziers), caught out a number of crews, including Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team’s Thierry Neuville.
The Belgian lost over four minutes of time, at around one-third distance in the opening stage, after initially getting stuck in a snow bank. A stronger run through SS2 offered a more representative indication of the #5 crew’s pace.
WRC 2018 got off to a spectacular opening in Monte-Carlo earlier on Thursday with the ceremonial start outside the world famous Casino. Crews then made their way up into the mountains for the traditionally tough night stages. 62.18km of stages, including a reverse run of the Thoard-Sisteron test, completed a busy first day of action.
Crew Notes: Mikkelsen/Jæger (#4 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
2nd overall at the end of the opening stages, 17.3s from rally leader Ogier 2nd fastest time on a dramatic SS1 despite brake trouble in the downhill section
Mikkelsen said: “A tricky start to the rally for everyone, so I think we can be pretty happy with these first two stages. We played it a bit safe because of the conditions. It was difficult to know how much to attack. I lost the brakes towards the end of SS1, which wasn’t ideal for the confidence. There was a lot of gravel on the second stage, so at every corner we had to leave a safety margin. It’s easy to make a mistake. There is still a long way to go and lots of things can happen.”
Crew Notes: Sordo/Del Barrio (#6 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Spanish crew 3rd overall after solid night stages 4th fastest in SS1 and SS2
Sordo said: “The main priority for this evening’s two stages was to make it through to the end without too much trouble. Even if the stages were complicated to drive, we achieved our initial target and can now look forward to the first complete day of rallying on Friday. We know that this is a tough, demanding event, so it is too early to get carried away. Naturally, we will do all we can to keep fighting at the front.”
Crew Notes: Neuville/Gilsoul (#5 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Stopped mid-stage in SS1 after getting stuck in snow bank; lost over four minutes 2nd fastest time in SS2, 1.4-seconds from leader Ogier
Neuville said: “Not the start we wanted. I got stuck on a snow bank about 12km into the first stage. I pulled the handbrake but locked all four wheels and went off wide. Unfortunately, there were only a few people around so it took a long time to get going again. The second stage went OK, more slippery than we expected, but we had a good run and set a decent time. We have to continue in this way on Friday.”
Mind the Gap
Team Principal Michel Nandan commented: “Monte’s night runs always present challenges, and Thursday’s two stages were no exception. On the positive side, we have Andreas and Dani, who both made it through without incident, and are positioned in the top-three overall. However, on the other hand, we have Thierry who unfortunately got caught out in the conditions in SS1 – like many other crews. Losing over four minutes of time puts him on the back foot, but this is Monte; anything can happen. Friday’s stages are equally tough and unforgiving.”
Friday’s itinerary at a glance
Crews will tackle six stages on Friday, a repeat loop of three individual tests covering a total distance of 144.88km. The longest day in terms of outright competitive distance will begin with the 26.72km Vitrolles-Oze stage, followed by the longer 30.54km Roussieux-Eygalayes and the loop will conclude with the 15.18km Vaumeilh-Claret test. A 30-minute lunchtime service splits the two loops with a 48-minute flexi-service at the end of the day’s action.
Classification after Day One
1 S. Ogier J. Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 38:09.8 2 A. Mikkelsen A. Jæger Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +17.3 3 D. Sordo C. del Barrio Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +25.6 4 E. Lappi J. Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC +37.4 5 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Toyota Yaris WRC +42.4 6 J. M. Latvala M. Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC +55.4 7 C. Breen S. Martin Citroën C3 WRC +1:02.3 8 B. Bouffier X. Panseri Ford Fiesta WRC +1:51.0 9 K. Meeke P. Nagle Citroën C3 WRC +2:12.7 10 E. Camilli B. Veillas Ford Fiesta R5 +2:42.2 17 T. Neuville N. Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +4:18.2
Press release Hyundai Motorsport
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