Double podium for Hyundai at Rally Portugal

Hyundai

The lead in the constructors' championship was taken by Hyundai Motorsport while extending its lead in the drivers' championship after the conclusion of the Rally Portugal held from 9-12 May 2024 by winning a double podium in the race.

The There Tänak and Martin Järveoja won their first podium of the season with an excellent performance in Sunday's four special stages. A unique effort from the Estonians on the Power Stage meant the #8 crew finished at the top of the Super Sunday standings, taking third place in the drivers' championship.

The efforts of the Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe (crew #11) in the Power Stage drove a clean, fast track and consolidated their third place and increased their lead in the drivers' championship. They head into Rally Italia Sardegna with a 24-point advantage over Elfyn Evans in the drivers' championship.

Similarly, the crew of the Dani Sordo and Cándido Carrera struggling in foggy and wet conditions, he maintained a slower but steady pace and managed to finish in the top five with the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, gaining several points overall.

Hyundai Motorsport now leads the constructors' championship. The next round of the WRC 2024 season will be the legendary Rally Italia Sardegna and will take place from 30 May to 2 June 2024.

Crew notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)

Tänak said: "The result is very positive. Without the problem we encountered, I think I could have gone for the win. I struggled at the beginning of the race but then I got used to the car and managed to find a good rhythm. On Saturday the special stages were very different and during the night I was able to figure out what I needed to do to get the most out of the car. I'm looking forward to Sardinia, it's a rally I usually enjoy and I hope to take my performance a step further."

Notes crew: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)

T. Neuville stated: "It was a very difficult weekend, but it ended with the result we needed, plus another five points on the Power Stage. We increased our lead in the drivers' championship by 24 points, which is a strong lead before Sardinia, where another tough race awaits us. We want to keep pushing and be consistent. We will fight for more points in Sardinia."

Crew notes: Dani Sordo/Cándido Carrera (#6 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)

D. Sordo stated: "It was a little bit difficult with the conditions we faced but I'm happy to arrive at the end of the day with very good points and our contribution to get the team back on top of the constructors' championship. It was a good rally to start before my Sardinia participation. I'm looking forward to seeing what more I can do in the next race and I want to thank the team again for helping me finish the weekend in the top five."

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Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Mr. Cyril Abiteboul said: "It was a positive race with excellent teamwork and very strong performances from both Ott Tanak and Thierry Neuville. T. Neuville leaves Portugal having extended his lead over Elfyn Evans, which is crucial in a championship where points are very difficult to accumulate. O. Tanak is starting to grow in confidence in the car, as evidenced by some very strong times he has managed to set. This is very encouraging considering the number of races we are about to face. There is a lot of work to be done to continue to maximise his opportunities over the next six races. For his part, D. Sordo, has made a significant contribution to the points accumulation for the constructors' championship and has been the support the team needed. In the next race we will see what we can do to help him improve his performance even further with the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. All three crew results helped us to take the lead in the constructors' championship, so it's an important result overall for our season."