Hyundai Motorsport has begun the second half of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship with a generally trouble-free opening day at Rally Finland, round 8 of the 14-event WRC season.
The team has set its sights on a debut Rally Finland podium this weekend, and the initial signs look promising. Thierry Neuville holds third place on the overall classification at the end of a gruelling Friday itinerary.
Hayden Paddon is not far behind his Hyundai Shell World Rally Team colleague in sixth place at the conclusion of 12 of this weekend’s 24 stages. Kevin Abbring – stepping in for the recovering Dani Sordo for this event – is fighting for a top-ten position in the Hyundai Mobis World Rally Team entry.
None of the three New Generation i20 WRC crews had any significant troubles on the first complete day of action in Finland, although the team will use evening service to make setting adjustments ahead of tomorrow’s eight stages.
Neuville (#3 New Generation i20 WRC) and his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul are on a competitive run of form following their sensational win in Sardinia and a fighting fourth in Poland. The Belgians took Hyundai Motorsport’s best Finnish result twelve months ago – fourth place – and will be hoping to consolidate their current third position as the rally continues.
Paddon (#4 New Generation i20 WRC) and fellow Kiwi John Kennard are holding a solid top-six position at the end of day one. The crew will be aiming for improvements tomorrow as they look to follow up their Polish podium with another strong points scoring result.
Paddon said: “It’s been a disappointing day but if you take the top two drivers out of the equation, we are not too far off. The morning was difficult. We tried to be aggressive but we struggled with the car on the loose and slippery conditions. We were sliding around and couldn’t stay in the lines. We tried to enjoy it a bit more in the afternoon but it’s hard when the times are not as we’d like them to be. Still, we will come back fighting tomorrow and aim to make up some positions.”
Hyundai Motorsport has targeted the podium this weekend, to add to the top-three results it secured in Monte-Carlo, Sweden and Poland, and the two victories in Argentina and Sardinia. Although there is room for improvement, the New Generation i20 WRC cars have shown their potential on the exhilarating, high-speed Finnish stages.
Saturday’s itinerary will take in a repeated loop of four stages, including the famous Ouninpohja test, run over a total stage distance of 150km. Starting with the classic 33km stage, drivers will then navigate the 23.50km Päijälä course before heading onto the shorter 14.51km Pihlajakoski and 4.23km Saalahti stages.
Overall Classification after Day One
K. Meeke / P. Nagle (Citroën DS3 WRC) 1:13:22.2
J. M. Latvala / M. Anttila (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) +18.1
T. Neuville / N. Gilsoul (Hyundai New Generation i20 WRC) +44.3
A. Mikkelsen / A. Jaeger (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) +45.4
C. Breen / S. Martin (Citroën DS3 WRC) +53.8
H. Paddon / J. Kennard (Hyundai New Generation i20 WRC) +58.2
M. Østberg / O. Floene (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +1:02.9
O. Tanak / R. Molder (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +1:14.4
E. Camilli / B. Veillas (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +1:22.6
E. Lappi / J. Ferm (Škoda Fabia R5) +2:01.8
K. Abbring / S. Marshall (Hyundai New Generation i20 WRC) +2:06.0
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