Hyundai Motorsport has scored its fourth victory of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship with torrential rain and Power Stage drama creating a thrilling final day in Rally Australia on the past weekend.
The Belgian crew of Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul battled through the tough conditions to take a well-deserved win on Sunday, clinching second place in the WRC Drivers’ Championship as a result.
Hayden Paddon and Seb Marshall enjoyed their strongest day of the weekend, finishing in third position for their second podium finish of the season. They were on course to take fourth, but were promoted to third after second-placed Jari-Matti Latvala went off in the Power Stage.
Stage wins for Paddon and Neuville brought the total for the weekend to 14 from a possible 19, the most the team has scored in any event in its four-season history.
Andreas Mikkelsen and his co-driver, Anders Jaeger, completed their third rally with Hyundai Motorsport under Rally 2 regulations after their retirement from the lead on Saturday morning.
The final day of action was scheduled to include five stages, two runs through Pilbara Reverse (9,93 km) and Wedding Bells (6,44 km), as well as tackling the longer 31,90 km Bucca test.
Heavy rain from the start of the day created challenging circumstances with standing water and unpredictable rainfall making some stages a lottery. Ultimately, conditions were so bad that the penultimate stage, the repeat of Pilbara Reverse, had to be cancelled.
Wedding Bells, run in brighter conditions for its second pass, played host to a thrilling Power Stage. Mikkelsen’s fourth place extended Hyundai Motorsport’s unbroken run of PS points in all rounds this season.
In one of the most exciting and closely fought seasons in the WRC, the Hyundai i20 Coupé WRC performed at a competitive level in most events. The car has helped Hyundai Motorsport to underscore its credentials against tough opposition, taking victories on gravel and tarmac on three different continents, and showing versatility across the WRC’s wide range of rally conditions.
Crew Notes: Neuville/Gilsoul (no. 5 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC):
With their fourth win of the season, Neuville and Gilsoul confirmed their status as the most victorious crew of 2017. Despite not winning the drivers’ title, the Belgians emerged as a genuine threat at most events, and completed a competitive season in style.
Neuville said: “This is a very special victory, and I dedicate it to the whole team. They have been working hard all season long. It hasn’t always been easy but they have never given up, so it’s a big thank you on a job well done by everyone – not only those at the rallies but everyone at the factory. We obviously missed out on the championship, but we secured second place today and it gives us a massive motivation for next season. It was a tricky final morning and we didn’t want to take too many risks, so to take our fourth win of the year is fantastic.”
Crew Notes: Paddon/Marshall (no. 4 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC):
A tough season for Paddon saw a best result of second in Rally Poland, but a third-place finish in Rally Australia will give the Kiwi and his co-driver Seb Marshall some small solace.
Paddon said: “It has been a difficult season for me. At least we have been able to bring the year to an end with a more representative result. We never want to score a podium through someone else’s misfortune, and it’s a shame for Jari-Matti, but it’s a nice result for us after a tough year. There is some light at the end of the tunnel in terms of finding our feeling with the car. We have found some answers this weekend, which has been the main objective.
“We were quite lucky with the weather this morning, as we seemed to avoid the worst of the rain in Bucca and could take a stage win. Overall, the car felt better after we made another big change with the diff mapping overnight.”
Crew Notes: Mikkelsen/Jaeger (no. 6 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC):
Mikkelsen and Jaeger have shown encouraging potential with Hyundai Motorsport in the past three rallies. The events have allowed the Norwegian pairing to settle into their new surroundings and prepare for a full season campaign in 2018.
“It was disappointing that we were forced to retire from the lead of this rally on Saturday morning,” said Mikkelsen. “Having said that, looking at the conditions we had to face this morning, it would have been a challenge to defend that. We were unlucky with the rain in the earlier stages. Even with the wipers on maximum, we couldn’t see anything. Still, at least we had a clean finish in the Power Stage and could bring the car home.
Finishing on a high
For Hyundai Motorsport, a dominant Rally Australia weekend has brought the 2017 season to a positive conclusion. With four victories, the team has doubled its win count year-on-year with 91 stage wins representing a notable increase from the 47 it scored throughout 2016.
Team principal Michel Nandan said: “That was exactly what we wanted to achieve! Our first-ever victory in Australia and a double podium is the perfect way to end the season. Thierry and Nicolas have had an outstanding weekend, and demonstrated why they have been the most victorious crew of the season. It was also a strong final day for Hayden and Seb, who were rewarded with an unexpected promotion to the podium after Jari-Matti’s issue in the Power Stage.
“The conditions have been far from easy today, but all crews kept calm and got the best out of themselves. We have taken our highest number of stage wins in a single event, which shows the high level of performance of our Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC on this tricky gravel surface. All in all, we have plenty of positives to take away from this year. It has been one of the most closely contested seasons in WRC. Thanks to our rivals for some exciting battles throughout the season, and a fantastic year of competition. My thanks also to every member of the Hyundai Motorsport team in Alzenau for their individual contributions to our season – and to our partners.”
Rally Australia final results:
1. T. Neuville 2:35:44.8
2. O. Tänak 2:36:07.3 +22.5
3. H. Paddon 2:36:43.9 +59.1
4. S. Ogier 2:38:12.5 +2:27.7
5. E. Evans 2:38:50.4 +3:05.6
6. E. Lappi 2:39:34.3 +3:49.5
7. K. Meeke 2:58:43.2 +22:58.4
WRC Drivers’ Championship final standings:
1. Sébastien Ogier 232
2. Thierry Neuville 208
3. Ott Tänak 191
4. Jari-Matti Latvala 136
5. Elfyn Evans 128
6. Dani Sordo 95
7. Kris Meeke 77
8. Hayden Paddon 74
9. Juho Hänninen 71
10. Craig Breen 64
11. Esapekka Lappi 62
12. Andreas Mikkelsen 54
WRC Drivers’ Championship final standings:
1. M-Sport World Rally Team 428
2. Hyundai Motorsport 345
3. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 251
4. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT 218
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