Hyundai Looking For Another Podium Finish

Following a strong showing from Hyundai Motorsport in Croatia, the team is heading to Rally de Portugal (May 9-12) for the fifth round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with another podium finish in its sights.

The 2024 season remains incredibly close, with Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe leading the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings with a small margin of six points. After a nail-biting weekend in Croatia, where the Belgians led for the majority of the event before finishing third overall, the crew is looking to get back to winning ways at a rally where Neuville was victorious in 2018.

2019 winners Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja have enjoyed solid performances so far this season as they have built confidence in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. The Estonians departed Croatia as the second-highest scoring crew and hope to capitalise on this momentum on their return to gravel, as they seek to make gains in the championship standings.

Portugal also marks the return of Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team crew Dani Sordo and Cándido Carrera. The Spaniards have claimed two back-to-back podiums in Portugal, with Sordo boasting seven top-three finishes at the event. The gravel specialists will be focused on improving the team’s position in the manufacturers’ standings, where the gap to first stands at just seven points.

The ever-evolving gravel and sizeable jumps of Portugal present unpredictable challenges for crews. With the profile changing on each pass, deep ruts can become rally-ending risks if not navigated precisely. Rain is one of the biggest threats to a clean weekend at the Matosinhos-based rally: adding water to the extremely dusty surface creates a muddy threat for the Rally1 cars. The fan favourite Fafe stage (11.18km) returns once again on the final day of the weekend, with the iconic jump posing a unique test to close the rally.

Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “We enter the fifth round of the season with a lot of positive momentum. Despite Croatia not going exactly as planned, we can still gather plenty of positives from across the weekend – including a podium finish. We are happy to welcome Dani and Cándido back and we know how well they perform in Portugal. Having them in the car means we have plenty to anticipate this weekend. Thierry and Martijn are looking to extend their lead in the championship, so they will be going full force into the weekend in search of a clean drive and maximum points. In Ott and Martin, we know they are looking forward to getting back to gravel and they can push the car here to score as many points as possible, similarly to how they operated in Croatia. Finishing on at least one of the podium steps would be an ideal end to the weekend to help us advance in all three championships, and a win is at the forefront of our minds.”

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