Hyundai Motor achieved a historic double podium at the final rally of the 2022 World Rally Championship held in Aichi and Gifu Prefectures, Japan, from the 10th to the 13th. Thierry Neuville of the Hyundai World Rally Team secured 1st place, while Ott Tänak claimed 2nd place, marking a significant achievement for the team.
This was the first WRC event held in Japan in 12 years since the last competition in 2010. Hyundai’s rally team fielded three drivers: Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Dani Sordo, who competed in the ‘i20 N Rally1 Hybrid’ race car.
Although many experts anticipated a win for the Toyota team, given the home advantage, Hyundai’s team surprised everyone by securing the double podium at the final event of the season, showcasing their determination and skill.
The victory is especially significant as it occurred in Toyota City, which is considered the home of the winning Toyota team, leading experts to assess Hyundai’s success in the Japan Rally as even more valuable.
During the rally, anticipating rain on the last day of the competition, Hyundai’s rally team uniquely opted for rain tires among participating teams, allowing them to achieve a stable double podium finish, outperforming the Toyota team.
Thierry Neuville, who struggled with several setbacks throughout the season, lifted his second trophy of the season at the Japan Rally, finishing third in the overall driver standings and creating positive expectations for next season.
Neuville maintained a competitive pace during the rally, leveraging his extensive driving experience across various terrains to keep his position in the top tiers from the middle of the race onwards.
Seizing the lead during the 13th stage of the 19 stages, Neuville executed a flawless performance, allowing Hyundai to secure its fifth trophy without relinquishing the lead.
Ott Tänak, who consistently delivered strong results throughout the season, earned a second-place finish in the Japan Rally, thus concluding the season in second place in the driver standings, right behind his teammate, Neuville.
With this victory, Hyundai’s World Rally Team accumulated an impressive 45 points, finishing second in the manufacturer standings as they look ahead to the next season.
An official from Hyundai stated, “Achieving a double podium in the Japan Rally, held after 12 years, is very meaningful, as it showcases Hyundai’s strength until the very end.” They added, “We will continue to strive to present even better performances to motorsport fans in the upcoming season.”
Hyundai’s circuit competition vehicle, the ‘Elantra N TCR’ (domestically known as Avante N TCR), marked a significant moment by winning both finals during the WTCR Round 8 event held on the 11th (Friday) and 12th (Saturday, local time) at Bahrain International Circuit…
This Bahrain event was particularly noteworthy as it was the first WTCR event in history held in the Middle East, featuring 15 high-performance racing cars from the C-segment, including the Audi RS3 LMS, Honda Civic TCR, and Cupra Leon Competicion.
Mikel Azcona from the ‘BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse’ team racing the Elantra N TCR crossed the finish line first in the first final race on the 11th (Friday) with a time of 33 minutes and 34 seconds.
Competing in the same car, Norbert Michelisz took 2nd place in the first final race following Azcona and achieved 1st place with a time of 29 minutes and 4 seconds in the second final race held on the 12th (Saturday).
The BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse team celebrated a perfect win in both final races held in Bahrain.
With this victory, Mikel Azcona secured 30 points and added 18 points by finishing 4th in the second final race, totaling 48 points from the Bahrain event, solidifying his position at the top of the driver standings with a total of 297 points.
Furthermore, the BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse team achieved a total of 94 points from this event, increasing their total to 476 points and successfully widening the gap with the second-place team as they inch closer to the season title.
The final round of the WTCR will take place from November 26th (Saturday) to 27th (Sunday, local time) in Saudi Arabia.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr