Strong result the target in Round 10

We are all set to fly through the Finnish forests at the tenth round of the 2021 WRC season, Rally Finland, where our is aim to deliver a strong all-round performance with all three of our crews.

“Our target for this weekend has to be consistency across our crews with the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC,” said our Team Principal Andrea. “The championship fight continues, and we need to maximise the remaining rallies to keep moving forward.”

At the previous round of the season, Acropolis Rally, Ott/Martin secured second place, their third podium of the year, with Dani/Cándido fourth. Thierry/Martijn battled back from a power steering issue to finish in eighth place.

Proven performance
Our mission is to continue our momentum from recent events, where we have demonstrated the pace of our i20 Coupe WRC across a variety of surfaces With a likeness to Rally Estonia, we will field the same trio of crews on the gravel roads of Rally Finland, as Thierry/Martijn and Ott/Martin are once again joined by Craig/Paul for the event – the Irish crew’s first rally since their impressive podium at Ypres Rally Belgium.

“As there are similarities to Rally Estonia, we have the potential to have a strong result if we work together well as a team and minimise mistakes and mishaps,” commented Andrea. “Although Thierry and Craig finished on the podium in Estonia, we were left wondering what could have been with Ott, and now is our chance to put that right.”

Same country, new challenge
The second of two visits to the nation this year, Rally Finland will feature a markedly different profile to its Arctic counterpart, as well as previous editions of the fast and furious event.

“Rally Finland is a very popular event,” said Thierry. “We know we have what it takes to finish on the podium, so that’s our target for next weekend.”

“As a crew we tend to go well on events with this kind of profile, and I think this could be another strong event for us given our current form,” added Craig. “I’m still searching for my first win, but we are getting closer and Finland will present one of the better opportunities this year”

With the event being held in autumn for the very first time, the conditions of the roads could become softer or rougher depending on the weather, with a potential for ice overnight as a result of cooler temperatures.

“The characteristics of this rally will be very different,” said Ott. “There is a big part of the route that we haven’t seen previously, so we will need to put a lot of effort into our recce to ensure our pace notes are completely accurate.”

Home rally hopes
Competing with our brand-new i20 N Rally2 in Finland will be Oliver and new co-driver Craig Drew, as well Jari/Mikko. Our Finnish crew is targeting a second consecutive visit to the top step of the WRC2 podium after victory at Ypres Rally Belgium.

“I am hoping my existing knowledge of these roads will put me on the front foot next weekend, as I have finished on the podium in the past and taken a victory there,” said Jari. “I think we have the potential for another good result at this demanding and fast rally.”

“This is probably the rally I have been looking forward to the most this year,” added Oliver. “I am focused on taking the experience and enjoying driving the car.”