Hyundai, a click after the Safari Rally slap

June 26, 2022: final stage of the Safari Rally, in Kenya. Far from the celebrations at home Toyota, who has just signed a historic quadruple, Hyundai dark. Far, very far from its Japanese competitors, the Korean firm's pilots experienced a real nightmare in Africa. On the tricky and dusty terrain of the Kenyan savannah, Thierry Neuville (5th), Oliver Solberg (10th) and Ott Tänak (abandonment) each suffered. The Belgian, the highest ranked in the team, finished more than ten minutes behind the victorious Toyota of Kalle Rovanperä.

More than a lesson, the Safari Rally was a humiliation for Hyundai. If the car showed signs of competitiveness – Ott Tänak had scored the very first victory for a Hyundai hybrid in WRC during the previous round in Sardinia – the reliability of the i20 Rally1 was more than hit or miss. Julien Moncet, deputy director of the team, believes that his troops had hit rock bottom in Kenya.

"This rally definitely woke up the team, confided the Frenchman. Things were looking better than in Monte Carlo and we had good results with victory in Italy and other podiums, but Kenya was a disaster. After that, the team responded very well, pushing all season. Before Kenya, we really had difficulties with the supply of parts and reliability was not there. Afterwards, the team reacted very well and we got closer. The reliability was finally there and we were able to concentrate more on the performance of the car. »

Hyundai, the potential to play for the title in 2023?

Ultimately, even though the Kenyan rally was difficult for Hyundai to endure, it was necessary to help the team develop. Following the African round, Hyundai hung up the wagon and won four times in the last seven events, winning on Toyota soil in Finland then in Japan. Finally, the Korean manufacturer enjoyed its most successful campaign since its arrival in the WRC in 2014, with 5 successes in 2022.

Despite a difficult first half of the season, Julien Moncet says he never lost confidence in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1. “It was difficult to know where we were starting the season with the new cars, did he declare. Everything was so new. Were the other cars going to be a few seconds faster or slower? Nobody knew, but we could see pretty early on that we would be able to fight. From the second round in Sweden, we saw the potential of the car. »

Despite the internal turmoil and the numerous barbs thrown by Ott Tänak, vice-world champion for the 2022 financial year, Hyundai has returned to the level of Toyota. Without his Estonian world champion – gone to M-Sport – Hyundai will have to rely on its loyal driver, Thierry Neuville, to compete for the drivers’ title in 2023.

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