The most read articles in 2019

Before diving into the deep end of the 2020 season, a quick look back at the 2019 campaign with the ten articles most read by you, Internet users. Of rally, F1, Porsche, le Dakar … sont au rendez-vous.

1) Sébastien Loeb discovers the Hyundai i20 WRC in testing

Sébastien Loeb est un habitué de nos meilleures statistiques. Et quand le nonuple champion du monde des rallyes, tout juste rentré du Dakar sud-américain, entame ses premiers essais « officiels » avec Hyundai Motorsport avant le Rallye Monte-Carlo, l’attente est forcément grande.

The Alsatian, winner of the Catalonia Rally in October 2018 with Citroën Racing, has signed up for a partial program of six rallies with the Korean brand. His contribution will be more than useful to the brand ultimately crowned in the Manufacturers' ranking.

©Hyundai

2) Loeb, his records that you may not know

On this Tuesday, February 26, 2019, Sébastien Loeb celebrates his 45th birthday. The opportunity for the editorial team to look back on some of the records of the Hyundai driver, king of rallying between 2004 and 2012.

© DPPI

3) Sébastien Ogier pinpoints a weak point in the Citroën C3

If he has just regained the lead of the championship after the Rally of Chile, a new event on the calendar WRC 2019, Sébastien Ogier does not hide having discovered a weakness on his Citroën C3. If the Frenchman will fight for a long time to keep his world crown, the end of the season will not smile on him.

© Red Bull

4) Porsche returns to rallying

Official WRC program update for Weissach. But who says Porsche in competition that necessarily increases interest tenfold. The German brand announced at the start of the year that it wanted to work on the basis of a Porsche 718 Cayman for the R-GT category.

Except that since then... nothing, the program seems to have been buried.

© Porsche

5) Daniel Elena's rant against the Dakar

The first part of the marathon stage of the Dakar 2019 is over but before setting off again on the South American tracks, Daniel Elena did not fail to point out an error in the road book of the event, having caused a clear loss of time for the tandem formed with Sébastien Loeb.

© Red Bull

6) Horner: Red Bull influenced by public pressure on Gasly

Established at Red Bull Racing for 2019, Pierre Gasly will not have been able to complete the entire season within the Milton Keynes team. Demoted to Toro Rosso for the benefit of Alex Albon from Belgium, the Normandy faces a real blow.

However, he will be able to bounce back perfectly in Faenza, signing a great end to the season, with a second place in Brazil at the end of a crazy racing scenario. A few days later, Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, put forward new explanations for the choice made by the energy drink brand.

© DPPI / F. Flamand

7) The transfer window and the return of Esteban Ocon to Renault F1 on the front page of AUTO n°2231hebdo

Who says summer period, says transfer market. And it is indeed the return ofEsteban Ocon in Renault F1 Team as holder from 2020, announced on the front page of AUTOhebdo, which did not fail to interest you.

Two years of contract for the Norman, who was then officiating at Mercedes, after the non-renewal of his contract at Racing Point F1, new property of Lawrence Stroll.

© DR

8) Abiteboul: “Already a step ahead” for Ocon

Freed from his Mercedes contract, Esteban Ocon does not wait long before returning to the seat of the car Renault. The Normand completed two days of driving during end-of-season testing in Abu Dhabi, which proved to be important according to the driver and the Losange management, to prepare in advance for the 2020 season.

© DPPI / F. Gooden

9) Ogier narrowly wins the Monte-Carlo Rally

A seventh victory in the Principality was well worth a top 10 in 2019. By resisting until the end Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), despite a problem with the accelerator, Sébastien Ogier (Citroën) begins his return to the French brand at the Monte-Carlo Rally in the most beautiful way.

A success which will also remain the 100th achieved by the firm with its chevrons in the WRC.

© Red Bull

10) Loeb: “I like my new Hyundai colors”

He opened our top 10, he also closes it. Sébastien Loeb talks about his hopes with Hyundai Motorsport, following his visit to the Alzenau premises in Germany, and just after casting his seat in the i20.

©Hyundai

All AUTO editorial staffhebdo thanks you for your loyalty and is counting on you in 2020 to follow a new motorsport season.