Hyundai Motorsport has endured a frustrating day at Rallye Deutschland, the tenth round of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), as a result of a puncture that dented the team’s hopes for victory.
Saturday’s itinerary started with two runs through the Freisen (14.78km) and Römerstrasse (12.28km) stages. The afternoon saw crews tackle the immense Baumholder military roads including two attempts at the fearsome and unforgiving Panzerplatte with its notorious Hinkelsteins.
Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul had been involved in a thrilling fight for the rally lead, with just five seconds separating the top-two in the morning loop. The Belgians added two stage wins to their tally on Saturday but a puncture in the first run through the 41.17km Panzerplatte stage (SS13) in the afternoon turned the tables.
Forced to change their left-rear tyre mid-stage, the crew lost almost 90 seconds and dropped down to seventh overall. The crew battled on and reclaimed fifth place by the end of the day.
Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio put the disappointment of their Friday issues quickly behind them to claim a stage win in the opening Freisen run (SS8). Displaying their confidence with the car on tarmac, the Spaniards made their way up to fourth on the classification, setting impressive times during both Panzerplatte runs. Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger-Amland had a trouble-free day, but lacked the required pace to improve upon sixth spot.
Crew Notes: Dani Sordo/Carlos del Barrio (#6 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
- Crew put Friday disappointment aside to claim stage win in SS8 (Freisen)
- Moved from ninth up to fourth overall after a tenacious performance on Saturday
Sordo said: “We have had a pretty good day, making up a lot of positions and setting some competitive times. It was important for us to put up a strong fight and keep pushing. I have done my best on all stages and the car has been working well. We wanted to keep the pressure on because you never know what can happen in Germany. We now have to continue in this way on the final morning, to do all we can to support the team for the championship.”
Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (#11 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
- Two stage wins (SS10 Freisen and SS11 Römerstrasse) took weekend total to four
- Close fight for lead spoiled by Panzerplatte puncture
Neuville said: “The rally is not yet over, and that is the most important thing for us to keep in mind. We have to remain motivated and keep our heads held high. We always know there is a risk of puncture in the Panzerplatte stages; it’s a complete lottery and unfortunately this time our numbers did not come up. It’s part of the game. We lost a lot of time – 1m24s – changing the left-rear tyre but before that drama we were just five seconds from the rally lead. Fortune changes quickly but we showed good performance today, including two more stage wins, so that’s what we will take away from today. Anything can still happen.”
Crew Notes: Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger-Amland (#89 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
- Norwegians continued to find improvements in their first tarmac event of 2019
- Crew will maintain their efforts to support team’s manufacturers’ campaign
Mikkelsen said: “It has been another satisfactory day for us, although very tough with some long and exhausting stages. We have given it absolutely everything we could, even if the times were still not where we wanted them to be. In the morning loop, we went off a few times which really showed how much we were trying. It can always be better, but we were working hard to make up the time deficit. We made some changes to the car for the afternoon Baumholder stages in a bid to step things up a level. We’re not quite there yet but I’ve spent valuable time today focusing on my driving style so let’s see what tomorrow brings.”
Team Director Andrea Adamo: “It has not been a good day for any of us at Hyundai Motorsport. The puncture of Thierry has jeopardised any possibility for us to claim a top position this weekend. Clearly it is not the situation in which we wanted to find ourselves at the start of this weekend. We always say there is a long way to go but this could not be a more appropriate phrase for us, both in terms of the rally and the championship. It is not in our nature to give up without a fight.”
Sunday at a glance
- Four stages remain on the Rallye Deutschland itinerary, which will run over an 80km distance.
- Crews will have no opportunity to rest as they pursue championship points with the 28.06km Grafschaft and 11.69km Dhrontal left to run.
- The second pass through Dhrontal will act as the rally-ending Power Stage.
Classification after Day Two
| 1 | O. Tänak | M. Järveoja | Toyota Yaris WRC | 2:27:21.9 |
| 2 | K. Meeke | S. Marshall | Toyota Yaris WRC | +32.4 |
| 3 | J.M Latvala | M. Anttila | Toyota Yaris WRC | +41.8 |
| 4 | D. Sordo | C. del Barrio | Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | +1:10.8 |
| 5 | T. Neuville | N. Gilsoul | Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | +1:35.2 |
| 6 | A. Mikkelsen | A. Jæger-Amland | Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | +1:37.3 |
| 7 | E. Lappi | J. Ferm | Citroën C3 WRC | +1:43.1 |
| 8 | S. Ogier | J. Ingrassia | Citroën C3 WRC | +2:09.7 |
Press release Hyundai Motorsport, picture Ludovic Carnal/Sport-Auto.ch
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