Working against the muddy conditions left by the rain earlier in the week, the drivers were faced with an unpredictable opening gravel stage of the 2014 Vodafone Rally de Portugal. Despite the conditions though, Hyundai’s Dani Sordo brought home his i20 WRC for the win.
Volkswagen Motorsport’s Sebastien Ogier was first on the stage and found the changing grip levels difficult to negotiate. Mikko Hirvonen soon claimed the fastest pace in his Fiesta RS WRC, but this was soon outdone by Ott Tanak, again in a Fiesta, who improved on Hirvonen’s time thanks in no small part to the rapidly improving road conditions.
However, it was Dani Sordo in his Hyundai i20 WRC who came out on top, completing the stage 1.3 seconds ahead of Tanak and taking the stage win in the process. All despite finishing the stage with a missing right-rear window, which he wasn’t aware of until stage end.
Nasser Al-Attiyah stormed ahead of the other drivers in WRC2, heading up the stage 3.8 seconds ahead of nearest competitor, Jari Ketomaa. However, Al-Attiyah complained of problems with his Fiesta RRC S2000 involving a lack of oil pressure and an unresponsive turbo.
Hyundai Motorsport has today announced Finnish driver Juho Hänninen as one of the team’s test drivers for 2013, ending weeks of speculation over the mystery man behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 WRC in May.
Hyundai Motorsport has been building up its new operation from scratch since the start of the year, establishing the team at a dedicated facility in Alzenau, Germany and recruiting specialists at every level of its organisation.
Test drivers are an integral part of the team’s development programme, requiring the necessary skills and experience to develop a competitive and reliable rally car in a short space of time.
Six months ahead of the debut at Rallye Monte-Carlo in January 2014, Hyundai Motorsport is in the process of carrying out an intensive test programme to evaluate and develop the i20 WRC on all terrains and conditions.
Hänninen won the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2010 followed by the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship and the FIA European Rally Championship titles in 2011 and 2012 respectively. He will be a valuable asset for the team to prepare the assault to the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship.
Hyundai Motorsport will soon be in a position to announce a second test driver for the remainder of the 2013 test phase. 2014 drivers will be announced at the end of the year.
Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Michel Nandan commented: “We’re very pleased to welcome Juho on board for our 2013 test programme. I’m sure his experience and background will contribute to the project and I’m happy with the job he’s done so far.
We have decided to work with different drivers with unique skills and capabilities this year, which will provide us with valuable feedback for 2014.
Hänninen said: “I’m delighted to be part of the Hyundai Motorsport testing programme for this year. It’s a fantastic opportunity to work closely to a manufacturer and to give my contribution to this great challenge.
The first run with the i20 WRC was quite positive for me; I’m very impressed with the work the team has done so far in such an incredibly short space of time. I feel comfortable with everyone in the team and I look forward to carry on working with them in the next six months.”