Hyundai will discipline World Rally Championship factors chief Thierry Neuville and team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen in a nationwide rally this weekend to organize for the Rally Japan season finale.
The Korean marque is closing in on a WRC title double, with both Neuville or team-mate Ott Tanak set to win a primary drivers’ championship for the workforce. Hyundai additionally leads Toyota by 15 factors because it bids for a primary producers’ crown since 2020.
With a view to put together for Japan’s asphalt roads, which can host the 21-24 November title decider, Hyundai will deal with this weekend’s Rally La Nucia-Mediterraneo – an 11-stage asphalt rally situated north of Alicante in Spain.
The Alzenau squad has entered two i20 N Rally1 vehicles for Neuville and Mikkelsen to finish the 128-kilometre occasion. Each drivers just lately participated in extra-curricular nationwide rallies in Austria and Italy previous to final month’s Central European Rally WRC spherical.
Neuville solely wants to attain six factors in Japan to safe a maiden WRC title and deny team-mate Tanak a second crown, advantage of a 25-point lead over the Estonian who claimed the 2019 world championship with Toyota.
“It’s a comfy lead,” mentioned Neuville, who received Rally Japan in 2022 however crashed out of final yr’s version.
“The worst case situation is we have to take six factors. In every other situation, we’re fairly fantastic.
“We have to discover the correct stability [in Japan] as a result of there’s nonetheless the producers’ championship to battle for and however we’ve that third automotive with Andreas [Mikkelsen] who will go for a push.
Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Workforce Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
“We have to discover a good stability in between a secure however good drive.”
Whereas content material to safe the 2024 drivers’ title, Hyundai workforce principal Cyril Abiteboul is adamant his workforce has to carry out to its greatest to seal the producers’ title in Japan.
“We’ll give full assist to each Thierry and Ott as they tackle the ultimate spherical of the season, however we wish to make certain we additionally end strongly as a workforce,” mentioned Abiteboul.
“The producers’ title battle continues to be shut, so we should as a workforce all be on our A-game in Japan to present Toyota the toughest time attainable of their yard.”