Rallye Deutschland Update

Hyundai Motorsport has claimed its ninth podium finish of the 2018 World Rally Championship (WRC) on a dramatic final day at Rallye Deutschland, the ninth round of the season, on the weekend.

The result enabled the team and their front-running driver, Thierry Neuville, to retain the top spots in the manufacturers’ as well as the drivers’ championship.

Neuville and fellow Belgian and co-driver, Nicolas Gilsoul, took the runners-up position on a thrilling Sunday morning, which included two runs through the 29,07 km Grafschaft stage, and the rally-ending Power Stage at Bosenberg.

The result let Neuville increase his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship to 23 points over Sébastien Ogier, but with Ott Tanak closing the gap to second place following his victory on the weekend in Germany.

Hyundai Motorsport’s home event offered plenty of action throughout the weekend, and the final morning was no different with many leading contenders retiring from the rally – including Hyundai’s Spanish duo Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio.

Going off into the vineyards in the opening Grafschaft stage, the time loss dropped the crew from second to seventh. However, the damage sustained to their Hyundai i20 Coupé WRC prevented them from continuing. As a result, Norwegians Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jaeger inherited the Hyundai team’s second points-scoring position in sixth place.

The allocation of points sees Hyundai Motorsport continue to lead the manufacturers’ championship, but with a reduced 13-point gap over Toyota, who moves ahead of M-Sport Ford into second with four rallies remaining this season.

“It has been a challenging weekend, so to come away with second place is a job well done,” said Neuville. “I have been able to increase my lead in the drivers’ championship slightly, which was the objective. I was hoping to take a few more points in the Power Stage, but, unfortunately, I made a mistake and had to reverse, so I took it steady after that. We have struggled with confidence and pace, even if we have been consistent over the weekend. The championship battle is going to be closely fought right to the end of the season!”

Mikkelsen, who had to settle for sixth place said: “This weekend has been one of experimentation with the car, trying to adapt the settings and my driving style to match the demands of these tarmac stages. We have found some things that have given us a positive feeling but there have also been things that worked less well.

“To get a top-six finish is not too bad, considering. We didn’t take any risks at all in the Power Stage because these points are too important for the manufacturers’ championship. When you don’t feel completely comfortable, it’s easy to make a mistake when you push.”Sordo said: “I am incredibly disappointed for the team and for myself. We had put ourselves into a strong position after Saturday’s stages and the car this morning – in the first kilometres – felt amazing, with lots of grip. I had a lot of confidence. I was a bit late braking into a corner with some gravel in the road that sent us wide into the vineyards. The windscreen was smashed and there was some damage to the radiator. We tried to repair it, but the temperatures were too high to continue. In any case, our rally was already over with the time lost in the stage. I can now only look forward to my home event in Catalunya in October.”

Team principal Michel Nandan commented: “I am pleased that we have been able to secure a podium result in our home rally in Germany. It was an eventful final morning, which unfortunately included a retirement for Dani and Carlos, ending their own podium charge. It was a pity for them after a strong weekend.

“It has not been the ideal weekend for us, but it was not too bad. Second is a good result and even if we have lost some ground, there is a lot more to come this season. We now shift focus to the next event in Turkey, a rally that will be new to everyone.”

Next: RallyTurkey

The tenth round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship takes place in Turkey from 13-16 September. It is a gravel event, and it will be Hyundai Motorsport’s first visit to the country, as Rally Turkey makes a return to the WRC for the first time since 2010.

However, the stages are completely new to all competitors, as the WRC has never been to the region of Marmaris before.

Final results Rallye Deutschland:

2018 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings:

1. T. Neuville – 172; 2. S. Ogier – 149; 3. O. Tanak – 136; 4. E. Lappi – 88; 5. A. Mikkelsen – 65; 6. D. Sordo – 60; 7. J.M Latvala – 55; 8. E. Evans – 52; 9. M. Østberg – 48; 10. C. Breen – 47; 11. K. Meeke – 43; 12. T. Suninen – 42; 13. H. Paddon – 34.

2018 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings:

1. Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team – 254; 2. Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team – 241; 3. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team – 224; 4. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team – 159.