Dani Sordo, Hyundai's comprehensive insurance?

Always there when Hyundai needs it. At Rally from the Canary Islands this week, fifth round of the WRC In 2026, a well-known name in the world of rallying will make his grand return to the forefront: Dani Sordo. Twenty years have already passed since the Spanish driver made his true debut in the top category of the World Rally Championship, as Sébastien's teammate. Loeb at Kronos, a role he then shared with Xavi Pons. And yet, although his career has been full of ups and downs and his list of achievements may not fully reflect the extent of his talent, Dani is still there and has never truly seemed to leave. He had, however, left the WRC at the end of 2024 after yet another season with Hyundai, the manufacturer he joined upon his return to the WRC in 2014, and it was thought that this adventure would be his last.

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Phone call to a friend

December 2025 changed everything, both for him and for Hayden Paddon and Esapekka Lappi, who were surprisingly chosen to share the third Hyundai i20N Rally1 seat. We didn't really know what to expect from the trio's performance, and it has to be said that we were a little disappointed after the Monte Carlo Rally, where Hayden Paddon, quite logically, completely missed his opportunity. In Sweden, however, Esapekka Lappi set things right, being the best-performing Hyundai driver, even if he left... Adrien fourmaux He then secured a 5th place finish in the final standings, before going on to finish 4th in Kenya. Two weeks ago in Croatia, Hayden Paddon achieved the unthinkable, admittedly aided by his teammate Thierry Neuville, by climbing onto the podium (3rd). In this context, what can we expect from Dani Sordo this weekend in the Canary Islands, he being the last of the three musketeers to launch his WRC program this season? The Torrelavega native didn't mince words: When I enter a rally, it's always to win, and being present on the Spanish asphalt makes me think that it's achievable. “,” he told our colleagues at DirtFish. Sordo, 42, the reigning Portuguese Rally Champion in the Hyundai i20N Rally2 – a title that almost certainly earns him a return to the top tier – can he really secure his fourth WRC victory this week after his two wins in Sardinia (2019, 2020) and the one in Germany in 2013? Let’s be honest, while it would be a great story, it seems unlikely at the moment.

Where exactly is Hyundai on Asphalt?

There's no denying it, Hyundai has improved and raised its game on terrain where they weren't expected… or rather, where they no longer were. Since Monte Carlo, we thought that a Hyundai would never be able to disrupt the established order on tarmac this season. We thought, perhaps, that we might see them achieve some bold results in rallies that Thierry Neuville himself described as "endurance rallies," such as the Safari Rally in Kenya: on this point, we can't take anything away from the 2024 World Rally Champion, since Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria finished second there. We also thought about challenging rallies, like Portugal, Sardinia, or Saudi Arabia: for those, we'll have to wait. But we certainly didn't expect to see them at the forefront in Croatia. While the trip to Rijeka ended in disappointment for Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, it at least had the merit of putting the Belgian duo back on the list of contenders for victory and confirming that the efforts made by the Hyundai team in recent months had not been in vain. Hayden Paddon's podium finish alone isn't enough to truly judge Hyundai's performance in Croatia as a success, but we often remember the numbers more than their origins. A podium is a podium, after all, and Hyundai now wants to capitalize on this momentum of two consecutive top-three finishes. Dani Sordo only had the Rally La Llana in recent days to gauge his current level on tarmac, especially since, it should be remembered, he had never driven this Hyundai, which lacks a hybrid system, in competition.

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Thirst for success

While his 2024 season, his last in the WRC, was short, it's worth remembering that it was punctuated by some impressive performances. Fifth in Portugal, third in Sardinia, second in Greece: all gravel rallies, admittedly, but each time, Sordo delivered a strong performance. Proof, in any case, that his hunger for victory was undiminished and that it certainly still is, judging by the 2025 season, which culminated in Portugal, where the title was decided between veterans in the final round against Kris Meeke. Three challenges will therefore confront Dani Sordo this week: firstly, getting reacquainted with a car he's still learning. Secondly, getting the better of his experienced teammates if he wants to realize his dreams of victory. But, more concretely, he will also have to overcome the armada of competitors. ToyotaAnd although things are tending to go in the right direction at Hyundai, it's still hard to believe that this could be possible on a regular basis.