Hyundai Motor's i20N Rally1 Hybrid Drive Hyundai Motor's i20N Rally1 Hybrid Drive

2024.08.07 Hyundai Motorsport Team 분량9min

[2024 WRC R8] Hyundai's Ott Tänak Secures a Podium Finish after a Thrilling Chase at the Rally Latvia

The Rally Latvia, a new addition to this season's WRC calendar, is a high-speed gravel event. While Thierry Neuville and Esapekka Lappi struggled throughout the competition, Ott Tänak was the only one aiming for the lead. In the end, Tänak didn't give up on his pursuit and managed to clinch the final Power Stage, securing a podium finish.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid Drive

Latvia Rally makes its debut on the WRC calendar, becoming the 38th country to host a WRC event as it alternates with neighboring Estonia. Although a new name in the WRC scene, Latvia Rally has its roots in the Rally Liepāja, which began in 2013, making it a relatively young rally. After gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Latvia has now chosen to host its second major international motorsports event following the Motorcycle Grand Prix. Originally, Rally Liepāja was a winter snow rally and part of the European Rally Championship (ERC), showcasing the country's enthusiasm and potential in rally sports.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid Drive

The Latvia Rally, which has its origins in the Rally Liepāja, has been added to the WRC calendar for the first time this season. Photo: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)

Since 2016, the event has shifted from its original autumn schedule to become a high-speed gravel rally, contrasting Swedens shift from a summer to a snow rally. The high-speed gravel stages in western Latvia have been highly praised by both spectators and participants. Initially held in the Riga region, the rally expanded to cover a larger area as it grew in popularity, culminating in its inclusion in the WRC this year.

Latvia holds a special place in the hearts of rally fans for another reason: it served as the debut stage for rising stars like defending champion Kalle Rovanperä and Oliver Solberg. Unlike neighboring countries, Latvia allows drivers to obtain a competition license without a driving license. Rovanperä, for instance, debuted at just 14 years old and became the Latvia Rally champion at 16.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid Drive

Latvia Rally features a combination of slippery gravel courses and high-speed stages with multiple jumps, offering a dynamic and challenging race environment.


The hallmark of Latvia Rally lies in its high-speed stages with rapidly changing grip levels. The combination of sharp corners and consecutive jumps over small ridges creates an exciting and dynamic spectacle. Due to its status as a relatively new rally, few drivers have extensive experience on these stages. Veteran drivers might have only raced here during the earlier snow rally iterations. One such veteran is Esapekka Lappi from the Hyundai team, who won the Rally Liepāja during its snow rally era in 2014. On the other hand, Martins Sesks of M-Sport Ford, who made headlines with his debut in Poland, is coming off two consecutive wins in recent competitions. Additionally, WRC2 driver Nikolay Gryazin has won the Rally Liepāja three times (2017, 2018, 2021), while Oliver Solberg claimed victories in 2019 and 2020.

Esapekka Lappi is doing an interview

Esapekka Lappi, who has a winning history at Rally Liepāja, is making his appearance at the Latvia Rally.

The upcoming Latvia Rally will feature a total of 10 Rally1 cars, along with 24 entries in the WRC2 class and 4 in the WRC3 class. Hyundai's team will be headlined by their top drivers Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak, with Esapekka Lappi making a return after some time away from the sport. Currently leading the Drivers' Championship, Neuville managed to maintain his position despite finishing 4th in Poland. His efforts on the final day allowed him to fend off Elfyn Evans, who is now trailing by just 3 points. However, the high-speed gravel rallies in Poland, Latvia, and Finland are seen as significant challenges for Neuville's quest for the championship title. To prepare, Neuville planned to participate in the Lietuva Rally in Lithuania, which has similar conditions, a week before Latvia Rally. Unfortunately, those plans were scrapped when Tänak's car was heavily damaged in a rollover accident during the first week of July at the Estonia Rally. 


Portrait of Ott tanak

After an unexpected collision with a deer in Poland, Ott Tänak's streak of bad luck continued with an incident in Estonia. Fortunately, both he and his co-driver, Martin Järveoja, emerged unscathed, allowing them to remain in the entry list for the Latvia Rally. Meanwhile, Lappi, in his third outing of the season, faces significant challenges due to limited adaptation time with the rally car. Despite Thierry Neuville opting out, Lappi participated in the Lithuania Rally to hone his skills. Hyundai, known for its weaknesses on high-speed gravel, hopes the Finnish driver can secure a podium finish on such terrain.

Rally course of 2024 wrc 8R

Toyota, trailing Hyundai in both driver and team points, deployed a full force of four Rally1 cars for a comprehensive effort. Regular season drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta were joined by former champions Kalle Rovanperä and Sébastien Ogier. Rovanperä is the strong favorite for this rally, given his expertise on high-speed gravel and his familiarity with the Latvian terrain, which he has driven on since his youth.

M-Sport Ford also entered three Rally1 cars. Alongside Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster, they enlisted Mārtiņš Sesks again. Despite driving a Rally1 car without a hybrid unit in his debut in Poland, Sesks impressed everyone by finishing fifth. As a native of Latvia, Sesks is now expected to perform even better in his hometown of Liepāja with a fully equipped hybrid version of the car.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid is running on the road

Though the course included many paved sections, the mixed surfaces required an off-road setup. Image: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)


Thierry neuville of Hyundai rally team

Thierry Neuville Ranks Second on the First Day of the Latvia Rally

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid is running on the road

Hyundai's Neuville navigates a sharp corner during the shakedown test. Photo: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)

On Thursday morning, July 18, the shakedown test began on a 3.58km stage near Liepāja. Afterward, participants moved to the capital city of Riga in central Latvia to start the competition on SSS1 Biķernieki. This 11.31km stage, which combines a rallycross track with nearby roads and forest trails, featured a high proportion of paved surfaces but required an off-road setup. Rovanperä took the top time, with Neuville close behind. Meanwhile, Lappi, running on hard tires, struggled with grip and ended up 10 seconds behind the leader.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid Drive

On Friday, July 19, the rally covered a total of 120.92km across seven stages, beginning with the 4.99km Milzkalne, followed by the longest stage of the event, the 27.56km Tukums, and the 17.86km Andumi, repeated both in the morning and afternoon, concluding with the 20.52km Talsi. As the points leader, Neuville once again had the unenviable task of sweeping the stages first. "It's quite slippery, quite dusty. Some corners on the exit was very slippery. My pace notes were a little bit slow in the beginning, so I sped up my rhythm. Not the perfect stage but ok,” said Neuville. Rovanperä maintained his overall lead by setting the top time on SS2, while Ogier, Sesks, and Tänak battled for second place.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid Drive

Hyundai's Tänak, struggling with brake issues, had to settle for sixth place.


Rising star Sesks was the fastest on SS3, marking his first WRC stage win in his debut hybrid rally car. He continued his momentum by winning SS4 as well, generating excitement on his home ground. Many drivers, including those from Hyundai, suffered from low grip conditions.

 

In the afternoon, Ogier and Rovanperä shared the top times. Rovanperä remained in the lead, but surprisingly, Sesks finished Friday in second place overall, just 15.7 seconds behind. Ogier and Katsuta followed, with Fourmaux in fifth. Tänak and Evans were in sixth and seventh, respectively, with Munster, Neuville, and Lappi rounding out the top ten. Tänaks brake issues caused him to drop two places from his initial fourth position.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid Drive

Saturday, July 20, featured eight stages over a total of 104km, starting with the 18.87km SS9 Pilskalns and concluding with a 2.56km super special stage in downtown Liepāja. Except for SS12 and SS14 in Vecpils, all stages were different, presenting a nightmare for Neuville, who had to sweep the roads clean.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid is running on the road

Only Rovanperä and Munster carried two spare tires, while the rest had one, all equipped with soft tires. Ogier, Sesks, and Evans opted for hard spares. Lappi led the way, followed by Neuville, Munster, and Evans. Rovanperä set the top time in the opening two stages, maintaining his overall lead. Tänak claimed SS11, eyeing a podium finish, while Ogier overtook Sesks for second place, with only a 0.2-second difference between them.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid is in accident

Hyundai's Tänak was blocked by a collapsed arch structure. Photo: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)

Rovanperä extended his lead by winning SS12, SS13, SS14, and SS16. Tänak closed the gap with Sesks to six seconds but faced a near-miss in SS14 when an inflatable arch structure collapsed onto the course after being hit by Evans, causing a temporary race halt. The race control assigned Tänak a virtual time for the stage, preventing a repeat of the nightmare he experienced in Poland. Tänak and Hyundai's team principal, Cyril Abiteboul, criticized the race control for not immediately canceling the stage for safety reasons.

Hyundai Motor's i20N Rally1 Hybrid gets into an accident while driving

Hyundai's Tänak collided with a hay bale obstacle during the race. Photo: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)


Despite the scare in SS14, Tänak hit a hay bale in SS16, increasing his gap with Sesks to 20.8 seconds. "On the jump landing, a driveshaft or gearbox or something broke. I couldn't slow down at all. It has been awesome afternoon,” he explained. At the end of Saturday, Rovanperä remained the overall leader, with Ogier in second, 4.7 seconds ahead of Sesks. Tänak held onto fourth despite his late mistake, with Fourmaux, Evans, and Katsuta following. Neuville and Lappi were eighth and ninth, with Munster in tenth. In WRC2, Solberg led, followed by Heikkilä and Pajari.

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid is running on the road

On Sunday, July 21, the final showdown began with SS17 Krogzemji, a stage 18.7 km in length, followed by the 13.34 km stage Mazilmāja, both of which were run twice. Following Munster, who drove the first stage, Lappi had this to say: "We were really hoping the humidity would've stayed that was there this morning, it has all disappeared. The grip is really poor, in many corners I gave everything we had. We tried."

Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid is running on the road

Hyundai's Tänak pursued the lead with top times at the last minute. Photo: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)

Ogier claimed the opening stage on Sunday, followed by Rovanperä in second and Tänak in third. In SS18, Tänak secured the top time, reducing the gap with third-place Sesks to 13.7 seconds. In an interview after the stage, Tänak expressed his frustration: "This whole rally we haven't been able to find a good rhythm. I try my best, I push hard. The flow is missing, that's all."

Tänak kept his podium hopes alive by clocking the fastest time again in SS19, closing the gap with Sesks to 4.6 seconds. Sesks, feeling the pressure of the close chase, lost time after missing a turn at an intersection.

Ott tanak is on the podium to express his joy

Tänak finally reaches the podium after a fierce chase.

Only the final Power Stage, SS20, remained. Reports indicated light rain before the race. Lappi faced disappointment as his engine kept stalling during his run, while Tänak recorded the fastest time, securing third place on the podium. Sesks, struggling with car issues, fell to seventh in the final stage. Rovanperä claimed victory, with Ogier in second and Tänak in third, salvaging Hyundai's standing. Following were Fourmaux, Evans, Katsuta, and Sesks, with Neuville and Lappi, who struggled throughout the race, finishing eighth and ninth.


Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid is on service park

The second gravel race of the high-speed gravel triple-header proved challenging from the start. Despite the difficulties, Neuville and the Hyundai team maintained their lead in the championship points. Tänak's accumulation of Super Sunday and Power Stage points allowed him to overtake Evans and reclaim second place in the championship, trailing leader Neuville by just 8 points. In the manufacturer points, Toyota's substantial score brought them within 1 point of Hyundai. In WRC2, Solberg claimed victory, followed by Heikkilä, Mäkinen, and Pajari.

 

The ninth round will be held in Finland from August 1 to 4. Known for its relentless jumps and high-speed runs, Finland is Toyotas home ground. However, Hyundai's Tänak holds the record for the most wins (three) among active drivers.

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.

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