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2024.05.28 Hyundai Motorsport Team 분량11min

[2024 WRC Round 5] Hyundai Motorsport Achieves Double Podium in Portugal, Leading Manufacturer and Driver Rankings

Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Dani Sordo led the Hyundai Motorsport to a double podium at the 2024 WRC Round 5 in Portugal. As a result, the Hyundai Motorsport secured the top positions in both driver and team rankings, raising expectations for a double championship this season.

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From May 9 to 12, the fifth round of the WRC took place in Porto, Portugal's second city. As suggested by its name, which means 'Port,' Porto was a major trading hub during the Age of Discovery and symbolizes the golden era of Portugal. The Portugal Rally, which began in 1967 and was part of the WRC calendar since its inception in 1973, initially took place in Estoril in central-southern Portugal, featuring a mixed surface course near Sintra, close to Lisbon.


Portugal has been chosen as 'the best rally in the world' five times due to its popularity, with rallies known for enthusiastic support from tens of thousands of fans, though not without incidents due to poor crowd control. Particularly during the Group B era, when there were almost no restrictions on rally car performance, major disasters occurred, including fatalities among spectators and participants.


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Despite these adversities, the love for rally racing among locals persisted, and the event continued despite recurring accidents. After a hiatus from the WRC calendar following a rainy event in 2001, the Portugal Rally returned in 2007, initially relocating to Algarve in the southernmost part of Portugal, but since 2015, it has moved back north to its current location in Porto. Notably, Markku Alen and Sébastien Ogier share the record for most victories in this rally, each with five wins. If Ogier wins this time, he would set a new record for most wins.

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The Portugal Rally is known for its challenging course and beautiful scenery. source: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)

In 1997, following an FIA decision, Portugal shifted from mixed surfaces to a purely gravel rally. This year's stages were set up northeast and southeast of Porto, featuring hard stones and soft soil that make the surface slippery and dusty. As the race progresses, sharp rocks emerge, making it critical to avoid damage to the undercarriage and tires by maximizing ground clearance. The tricky corners hidden by ridges, combined with the hot weather as summer approaches in Portugal, also challenge the drivers.


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Fafe is arguably the most famous stage of the Portugal Rally, where cars showcase their jumping capabilities and aerodynamics

Fafe is arguably the most famous stage of the Portugal Rally, where cars showcase their jumping capabilities and aerodynamics at the peak of a hill in a segment known as the 'Fafe jump.' Despite its mountaintop location, it draws massive crowds annually. Between giant wind turbines, dirt clouds rise as diverse rally cars race furiously, becoming an iconic image of the Portugal Rally.


This season's rally in Portugal marks the first 'traditional' gravel rally, unlike the third round Safari Rally, which was more akin to a rally raid across wilderness. Following Portugal, the gravel rallies will continue in Italy, Poland, Latvia, Finland, Greece, and Chile, significantly influencing this season's championship direction.

Drivers of Hyundai World rally team

Hyundai Motorsport, for the first time this season, fielded Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Dani Sordo.

Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, for the first time this season, fielded Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Dani Sordo. Neuville, leading the championship points following a win in the opening round and third place in Croatia, is six points ahead of Toyota's Elfyn Evans. However, as the first driver on the gravel tracks, Neuville faces the challenging task of 'sweeping' the road. Although Neuville has strong past performances in Portugal, including second place in 2017, a win in 2018, and second place in 2019, he has not been on the podium recently.

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Tanak, yet to reach the podium this season after returning to Hyundai, has gradually accumulated points under the new system, currently ranking fourth in the championship. He can expect relatively easier early races as Neuville, Evans, and Adrien Fourmaux clean the path. Sordo, participating in his first rally of the year, prepped with a local rally in late April. As part of a shared third car, Sordo has fewer appearances this year but has shown strength in Portugal with three consecutive podium finishes from 2021 to 2023.

Table describing course of 2024 WRC fifth round Portugal rally

Toyota entered four cars in Rally1, nearly half of the entries, including the full-time driver Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, along with former champions Kalle Rovanperä and Sébastien Ogier. M-Sport Ford entered only Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster, with Fourmaux currently third in championship points thanks to back-to-back podiums in the second and third rounds.

The competition was also fierce in WRC2, with 40 cars participating, including eight of the current top ten point leaders. Wins have been shared by Yohan Rossel, Oliver Solberg, Nikolay Gryazin, and Gus Greensmith in the first four rounds. Hyundai gave Teemu Suninen its Hyundai i20 N Rally2, instead of Emil Lindholm who is taking a break.

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The thrill of the Portugal Rally began in a resort city on a specially prepared stage.

The thrilling spectacle of the Portugal Rally began in a resort city on a specially prepared stage, with Kris Meeke, a 44-year-old veteran from Northern Ireland, also participating. Meeke, who debuted in the WRC in 2002 and won five races with Mini, Citroën, and Toyota, is now competing in the Portuguese national championship as a member of Hyundai Portugal's Sport&You team, taking over the role previously held by his close friend Craig Breen.

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From SS1, a spectacular display unfolded in front of the Portuguese audience. Photo: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)

On the morning of Thursday, May 9, the shake-down test began, with the Hyundai trio led by Sordo setting the best record. Rovanperä had to return early to service due to issues with his rally car. At 7 PM that same day, under the setting sun, SS1 kicked off on a specially prepared stage in the resort town of Figueira da Foz, south of Porto. The 2.94km SS1 featured multiple obstacles and continuous 360° turns around the beach road and parking lot. Although spectacular drifts were ideal for responding to the enthusiastic crowd, conserving tires was essential to avoid potential punctures the following day.


After recording the top time in SS1, Neuville shared his thoughts: “Somehow, we made it with a strong Friday run and then after that, we were consistent yesterday and we pushed hard today." Neuville led overall, followed by Ogier, Tänak, Katsuta, Rovanpera, Fourmaux, Sordo, and Evans, wrapping up Thursday.


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The true gravel rally kicks off.

On Friday, May 10, the rally started with the 18.15 km Mortágua stage, followed by four stages repeated in the morning and afternoon. The combined distance of SS2 to SS9 was 126.9 km. Katsuta recorded the top time in SS2, closing the gap to Neuville by 0.8 seconds. In SS3 and SS4, Sordo secured consecutive top times, while Katsuta rose to the overall lead. Neuville, having to clear the course as the first to run, gradually fell in the rankings.


The 18.72 km Arganil stage, the longest on Friday, saw Neuville setting the fastest time, climbing to second overall. Evans, who chose the same tire combination as Neuville, dropped to eighth. Sordo, unfortunately, experienced hybrid system issues and a tire puncture, falling to sixth. Suninen, competing in WRC2, retired.

Driving view of Toyota team driver Elfin Evans

Elfyn Evans's co-driver, Scott Martin, showed resourcefulness by navigating using a smartphone after losing the pace notes. Photo: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)

In the afternoon, the stages were repeated, with Ogier securing two top times and Sordo and Rovanperä each recording one. During this period, the Toyota trio took the lead, with Rovanperä finishing Friday as the overall leader, followed by Ogier and Katsuta. Hyundai's Tänak, Sordo, and Neuville were in pursuit in positions four to six, respectively, with only 18.1 seconds separating leader Rovanperä from sixth-placed Neuville. Fourmaux, Evans, Munster, and Solberg completed the top ten. Evans faced further difficulties with a punctured tire, widening the gap with championship rival Neuville to 1 minute 25 seconds.

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Hyundai drivers maintain strong early performance in the Portugal rally.

On Saturday, May 11, the rally continued with the relatively short 8.81 km SS10 Felgueiras, followed by four stages repeated in the morning and afternoon, concluding with the Super Special Stage (SSS18) Lousada. Amarante (SS12/SS16) was the longest stage at 37.24 km. The Lousada stage, originally a rallycross track, allowed spectators to enjoy thrilling drift battles up close. The combined distance of SS10 to SSS18 was 145.02 km. The starting order was adjusted based on the rankings from Friday, with Munster, Evans, Fourmaux, and Neuville entering the course first.


Rovanperä set the fastest time in SS10, with Tänak recording the second-fastest time, breaking the Toyota trio's dominance and moving up to third. In the foggy SS11 Montim, the damp road conditions caused spins for Evans and Katsuta, while Neuville's braking mistake resulted in some body damage.

How the Race Car Abalone Accident at the Portugal Rally

Both rally leaders Kalle Rovanperä and Oliver Solberg, leading in Rally1 and WRC2 respectively, had accidents and retired from the race. Photo: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)


The most unfortunate incidents involved Rovanperä, the overall leader, and Solberg, the WRC2 leader. At the 3.8 km mark of SS11, they hit a tree and rolled over. Ogier inherited the lead, with Tänak moving to second overall. Solberg's retirement meant a simultaneous collapse of leaders in two classes. Meanwhile, Chris Meeke won his first stage of the event in WRC2.

 

In the long Amarante stage, Tänak recorded the top time, overtaking Ogier by 3.4 seconds to take the overall lead. Munster, who lost over a minute due to engine trouble, was fortunate to continue. Katsuta retired due to significant damage to his rear suspension.

The drivers of the Hyundai World Rally Team

Ott Tänak maintained strong position, but victory remained elusive.

Tänak's hopes for a season-first win were dashed in the 16.09 km SS13 Paredes, suffering a slow rear-right puncture early in the stage that he believes cost him around 20 seconds. Tänak further explained his tire problems: “I was driving really slowly to not take it off the rim, so we could at least keep some pace and rhythm.” By Saturday afternoon, Ogier led, with the Hyundai trio - Tänak, Neuville, and Sordo - chasing him.

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As Saturday concluded, the Hyundai Motorsport held strong in 2nd to 4th place, with the victory to be decided on Sunday.

In the subsequent stages, Tänak and Ogier each recorded two top times, continuing their fierce battle for the lead. Anticipating rain, the Hyundai team fitted soft tires to the rear, but the rain never came. By the end of Saturday, Ogier was in the lead, with Tänak trailing by 11.9 seconds in 2nd place, securing 15 points. Neuville, nearly a minute behind his teammate Tänak, held 3rd place, and Sordo was 14.2 seconds behind Neuville in 4th.


After finishing the last stage on Saturday, Neuville reflected on his performance, saying that his start had been good, especially considering he had been in first place on Thursday. He mentioned that if someone had told him he would be in third place by Saturday, he wouldn't have believed it. Although the journey to this point had been tough for him, he admitted that he felt good and thoroughly enjoyed the large crowd that had gathered. Fourmaux was in 5th, and Evans was in 6th. Gryazin from Bulgaria led the WRC2 and was in 7th overall, followed by newcomers Jan Solans and Joshua McErlean.


The drivers of the Hyundai World Rally Team

Since the introduction of the Super Sunday Points System, strategic battles on Sundays have become quite common.

Sunday, May 12, started early at 7 AM with the 19.91 km Cabeceiras de Basto stage in the northernmost part of the course, followed by the famous Fafe stage. SS19 to SS22 spanned 62.18 km, setting the stage for the final showdown. The opening SS19, climbing over 1,000 meters above sea level, was shrouded in heavy fog and drizzle.


Drivers with a podium in sight had to balance risk and safety. Meanwhile, Rovanperä and Katsuta, who had a disastrous Saturday, aimed to earn additional points on Sunday; up to 7 points for the day's combined records and another 5 points from the final Power Stage.

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Tanak, aiming for his first win of the season, and the Hyundai team kept up the chase until the very end. Photo: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)

However, reality was harsh. Rovanperä, entering the course first, lost time clearing the road, while Katsuta's hybrid system malfunctioned. Evans faced engine issues, forcing him to drive in EV mode. Ogier maintained the overall lead with the top time in the opening stage, while Tänak, despite a fierce chase, fell 18.1 seconds behind. Sordo, struggling with understeer, was overtaken by Fourmaux and slipped to 4th.

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The most popular stage of the Portugal Rally, Fafe, welcomed the drivers.

SS20, a preview of the Power Stage Fafe, was blanketed in thick fog. Tänak recorded the fastest time, narrowing the gap to Ogier to 13.6 seconds. Neuville widened the gap to Fourmaux by 31 seconds, securing his podium position. In SS21, run again after about two and a half hours since SS19, the fog persisted. Tänak's consecutive top times reduced the gap to Ogier to 10.1 seconds. In the Super Sunday standings, Tänak, Ogier, and Neuville were separated by just 2.5 seconds. Munster, veering off course, lost his chance to enter the points zone.

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A huge crowd gathered at the mountain summit to witness the decisive moments of the Portugal Rally.

Shortly after noon, SS22, the Power Stage, commenced. With the fog finally lifting, the decisive final stage in Fafe began under partly cloudy skies. Neuville recorded the top time, but Ogier, driving flawlessly, secured the overall victory. Power Stage points went to Neuville, Tänak, Rovanperä, Ogier, and Katsuta. Ogier also set a new record for the most wins at the Portugal Rally with his sixth victory. Hyundai secured the remaining podium spots with Tänak in 2nd and Neuville in 3rd.

Images of players on podium and spectators filming them in Portugal rally in Round 5 of the 2024 WRC

Victory went to Ogier, but Hyundai took double podium and led in driver and team standings.

Tänak, despite missing the win by 7.9 seconds, collected substantial points from the Super Sunday and Power Stage. With Ogier taking 25 points, Tänak secured 26, and Neuville 24, extending Neuville's lead over Evans in the championship and moving Tänak up to 3rd. In the team standings, Hyundai surpassed Toyota by 4 points to take the lead.


The next event is scheduled for May 30 to June 2 on the second-largest Italian island, Sardinia. Known for its rough gravel roads and temperatures exceeding 30°C, the Sardinia Rally tests the endurance and durability of both drivers and rally cars to their limits.


By Su-jin Lee


In 1991, Su-jin Lee’s passion for cars led him to enthusiastically write letters to the newly launched Korean car magazine Car Vision. This unexpected connection led him to start his career as an automotive journalist. He has served as editor and editorial board member for Car Visionand Automobile Life, and now works as an automotive critic. While eagerly covering the latest trends like electric vehicles, connected cars, and autonomous driving technology, he is also a car enthusiast who secretly hopes that the smell of gasoline engines will never disappear.

Table describing the overall rankings and scores of players and teams based on the 2024 WRC Round 5 Portugal Rally