Hyundai Motorsport holds the provisional lead of Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), after Friday’s seven stages
Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe moved into the top spot after the final run of the day, taking a 4.3-second advantage into Saturday
Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson hold fifth spot after showing encouraging pace, while two-time stage winners Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja retired with a hybrid issue after SS5.
Umeå, Sweden
February 25, 2022 – Hyundai Motorsport has enjoyed a competitive start to Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with all three crews showing encouraging pace on Friday’s snowy stages.
Thierry Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe have positioned themselves at the front of the pack after the first seven timed tests, leading the rally by 4.3-seconds in a tantalisingly close contest so far.
Friday’s itinerary covered a repeat loop of three stages, split by a 30-minute flexi-service at Umeå. Estonian pair Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja got their Swedish rally off to a flying start in picturesque conditions, setting the fastest time through the opener, Kroksjö (14.98km). Solid runs through the subsequent Kamsjön (27.81km) and Sävar (17.28km) ensured the #8 crew were in the mix for the podium positions in a tight field.
They resumed their competitive pace in the afternoon loop, claiming a second stage win in the repeat of Kamsjön, but reported an issue with their hybrid system. Unfortunately, the issue triggered the red light on their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car. In accordance with FIA regulations, and as a safety precaution, the crew was retired for the day with the team needing to investigate the problem further during evening service.
Oliver Solberg, alongside co-driver Elliott Edmondson, also demonstrated positive pace with several top-three stage times in the morning loop. The crew arrived at lunchtime service in a provisional podium position and in buoyant mood. Sadly, a strategic tyre gamble in the afternoon left them struggling for grip in the loop’s latter stages. The time loss dropped them down to fifth overall, 28.1-seconds from their rally-leading team-mates.
For Hyundai Motorsport – after a challenging start to the new hybrid era in Rallye Monte-Carlo last time out – the early signs from Sweden have given cause for optimism with plenty more action yet to come over the next two days.
Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Belgian crew hold provisional Rally Sweden lead by 4.3-seconds
Strong afternoon loop with stage win in SS6 (Sävar 2) and second in SS7 (Umeå Sprint)
Neuville said: “This has been an important day for the whole team, and a great start to this rally for us. Leading after the first day has certainly put smiles back on our faces after Monte-Carlo. We started well this morning. We had a red flag in the second stage, but we got a new notional time which kept us in our representative position. We made some small set-up changes at lunchtime service but only a few adjustments. I felt comfortable and I was able to drive fast. The car was working perfectly. We managed our tyres well in the afternoon to catch back important seconds and we made it into the lead. The rally is still long, and I am going to keep pushing hard.”
Crew Notes: Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (#2 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Encouraging pace in the morning saw crew hold third spot at lunchtime service
Tyre gamble in the repeat loop failed to pay off, dropping the crew to fifth
Solberg said: “At the end of this first day, I am happy. Fifth place is not really what we hoped for, but the pace this morning was good. I know that with consistent and clean speed, I am up there, and that’s very encouraging. We just need a bit more experience. I made a mistake with the tyres this afternoon, which was a gamble that didn’t pay off. That was a bit annoying, but we have a long weekend still ahead of us. We have to keep pushing. The others today have had times when they are on the limit, so tomorrow will come down to whoever makes the fewest mistakes. The aim for me is the same as today: drive clean, fast and stay smart.”
Deputy Team Director Julien Moncet said: “Today has been another day with some ups and downs. Obviously, we are very happy with the performance of Thierry, who is in the leading position, having shown strong pace over today’s stages. Oliver has had a consistent start to his rally and has set some promising times. On the downside, we had a red light with the hybrid system on Ott’s car this afternoon. For safety reasons, and as per the FIA regulations, we decided to stop the car. It will be under investigation by the team tonight and will re-start tomorrow.”