Hyundai Motorsport customer results round-up bulletin

• In their first events with the i20 N Rally2 Hyundai España-supported drivers Iván Ares and Pepe López took podium finishes on Rally Tierras Altas de Lorca
• Bruno Magalhães started his Portuguese national season with third at Rally Serras de Fafe, where he also claimed sixth overall on the FIA ERC opener in his i20 N Rally2
• New Hyundai Rally Team Italia driver Giandomenico Basso won the final stage of Rally Il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio to clinch third on the Italian championship season opener.

Alzenau, Germany

March 14, 2022 – The first weeks of March have signalled the start of several national rally championships for our i20 N Rally2 and i20 R5 customers. Happily, they have been able to begin their seasons with strong performances and results to open their campaigns. This includes many teams and drivers quickly adapting to the i20 N Rally2 on their first events with brand new cars delivered over the winter.

Double podium for Hyundai España crews on i20 N Rally2 debut

Three Hyundai España-supported crews made their competitive debut in the i20 N Rally2 at the Rally Tierras Altas de Lorca (March 4-5). In his first event as a Hyundai Motorsport customer Pepe López started very strongly – winning the opening stage, which began the new Spanish Superchampionship season. Lopez and co-driver Borja Rozada held the top spot until midway through the second loop, when they fell back to third.

One of those to move above him in the order was Iván Ares. The reigning national champion on gravel he quickly adapted to his i20 N Rally2 as he closed the gap to the overall leader. Ares and López finished second and third in the final standings to claim a strong double podium for Hyundai customers to begin the season. In a third new i20 N Rally2 on the event Surhayen Pernía claimed points for sixth place of the Superchampionship runners.

The count of Hyundai crews on the event was completed by Francisco Lopez and Pedro Perez, each in i20 R5. Perez, another in their first outing aboard a Hyundai Motorsport-built car, finished 15th overall.

Team Hyundai Portugal driver on national podium in European event

Both the Portuguese national championship and the FIA European Rally Championship began their seasons at the Rally Serras de Fafe – Felgueiras – Cabreira e Boticas (March 11-13). The event was the first for the new Team Hyundai Portugal line-up of drivers Bruno Magalhães and Ricardo Teodósio in a pair of i20 N Rally2.

Magalhães finished as the best of the pairing. He completed the podium positions in the national rally, which played out over only the first nine stages run, before going on to claim an impressive sixth overall in the final ERC results. His new teammate – in his first start as a Hyundai customer – initially struggled against a mechanical issue in wet and slippery conditions on the first full day of the event before recovering time in a repaired car on Sunday. Strong pace allowed him to climb up to ninth in the final standings.

Pedro Meireles – another in his first start with the i20 N Rally2 – finished seventh among the crews entered for the national championship.

New Hyundai Rally Team Italia crew begin season with podium

Victory on the final stage helped Giandomenico Basso claim an overall podium to start his 2022 Italian rally championship campaign with Hyundai Italia Rally Team and the i20 N Rally2 at Rally Il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio (March 4-5). Consistent pace in his first weekend with the car kept him part of the lead group for entire event, with crews exchanging positions in the top five at almost every opportunity.

Despite having held the position on three different occasions through the event it took the fastest time on the final test for Basso and co-driver Lozenzo Granai to secure the final spot on the podium.

In another i20 N Rally2 Antonio Rusce finished 10th overall.

Junior’s mature comeback ends with fourth place in Paraguay

Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Junior Driver Fabrizio Zaldivar had to mount a fantastic comeback to claim fourth overall on Rally del Guairà (March 4-6) On the opening loop of stages Zaldivar and co-driver Carlos del Barrio encountered an intercom problem that left them unable to hear each other, with a puncture dropping them further off the leader’s pace.

Fortunately, the Hyundai Paraguay-backed Automotor Rally Team was able to resolve the problem at the first service, enabling the crew to regain the lost time and positions. After ending the opening loop ninth overall, by the end of the second passes on the stages they had already moved up to fifth.

Day 2 brought more of the same pace – highlighted by the fastest time on SS9 – as they completed their climb back to fourth to start the national season in Paraguay.

Dominant win in Ireland continues strong opening to 2022

Josh Moffett dominated the Mayo Stages Rally (March 6) in his i20 R5. He and co-driver Keith Moriarty won seven of the eight tests on the tarmac event to win overall by nearly 30 seconds and continue an excellent start to the season for Moffett.

The event also marked the first competitive start for Joe Connolly for nearly three years. Back aboard an i20 R5 prepared by PCRS he gained confidence through the weekend, with his performances on stage improving to match.

Podium finish from Dutch national championship opener

i20 R5 crew Bob de Jong and Erik de Wild started the national championship in Netherlands at the Jack’s Drenthe Rally (March 12). The pair were amongst the top four on every stage of the event on the tarmac roads, scoring a fastest time on SS3 on the Friday evening of the competition. Similarly, they were in the top four overall throughout the rally. They moved up to third place – a reward for their remarkable consistency – during the second day of running to claim an important podium to start the year.

Jan Van Gerven, in his first event in an i20 R5, finished ninth overall after moving up two places from the overnight halt.

Strong Day 2 pace secures Cypriot podium

Driver Panayiotis Yiangou picked up a second consecutive podium in the national rally championship in Cyprus at the East Safari Rally (March 12-13). Strong pace through the event was highlighted by a trio of second-fastest times from the six stages on the second day of the contest. The final two, in the last two runs of the weekend, were crucial in clinching the final spot on the podium in the final results.

Top five finishes for i20 R5 in latest Argentine event

In fourth position overall Nicolás Díaz led the three-i20 R5 Point Cola Racing team at Rally de La Rioja (March 11-13), the second round of the national championship in Argentina. Díaz was incredibly consistent over the course of the event. Only once was he outside of the top six stage times, and he saved his best performance – third fastest – for the Power Stage finale.

His speed on the final test kept teammate – and round one winner – Martin Scuncio behind. Despite ending the rally only fifth he showed he had the pace to again challenge for the win – topping more than half of the eleven timed runs. Sadly, a mistake at a chicane on Day 1 dropped him from the lead to fifth, and a Day 2 puncture forced him out of a podium position on the penultimate stage.

Hyundai Motorsport Deputy Team Principal Julien Moncet said: “The start of national rallying championships around the world have already given our customers with both the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 and i20 R5 excellent results. Crews supported by Hyundai national markets have begun new campaigns with podium finishes with the i20 N Rally2. On debut with the car Hyundai España crews came home second and third, and in Italy – in another first event with the i20 N Rally2 – Giandomenico Basso finished third. Our i20 R5 crews have also started their new seasons strongly, with crews showing great pace in Netherlands and Paraguay, as well as tremendous confidence in the car to fight back after minor problems. I know that these results are just the beginning of successful years ahead for everyone involved.”