Preview: Round 12 – Rally Chile

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team is ready to push for another strong result at Rally Chile (September 10-13) following a successful Rally del Paraguay, where Hayden Paddon and John Kennard finished second, ahead of Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria in third.

Hyundai Motorsport demonstrated front-running pace across the weekend, claiming ten stage wins and leading for three stages on Friday. The team now turns its attention to the second event of the FIA World Rally Championship’s (WRC) South American double-header, where it will look to deliver another competitive performance.
 
Based around Concepción, Rally Chile features smooth, compact gravel roads that combine fast, flowing sections with more technical stages and frequent changes in rhythm. Coastal fog and mist can reduce visibility, while rain can quickly transform the roads and loose gravel can build away from the racing line. The 2026 edition features 16 stages covering 311.70km of competitive distance, with a new Friday route comprising of Turquía, Nuevo Rere and Hualqui, while the new 26.82km Carampangue stage replaces Laraquete on Sunday.
 
Hyundai Motorsport arrives with Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux joined by Esapekka Lappi in the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1. Lappi and co-driver Enni Mälkönen return for their fifth WRC event of the year following appearances in Sweden, Kenya, Estonia and Finland, bringing further experience to the team. Hyundai Motorsport’s three cars will also retain the special livery introduced at Rally del Paraguay, celebrating the WRC’s two-round South American double-header.

Q+A with Hyundai Motorsport WRC Sporting Director Andrew Wheatley

After the double podium in Paraguay, how confident are you that the team can carry that performance into Chile?
“After a double podium in Paraguay, we have a good level of confidence that we can carry the same speed into Rally Chile, though the road surface and weather conditions differ between Paraguay and Chile. We are expecting lower temperatures and the region has had a lot of rain in recent weeks. The profile and construction of the roads are different, however the principle is the same: medium-to-high-speed gravel roads with more camber and elevation change. We are confident that all three crews can be competitive. The challenge is that there are now five Toyota drivers fighting for overall success and six drivers who have won events in 2026. Getting onto the podium will be just as difficult, and success will have to be earned.”
 
What did you learn about the car in Paraguay that you believe will help you in Chile?
“From a learning perspective, Paraguay was a very good rally because the conditions refused to behave as we predicted. Throughout the event, one of the biggest questions was when the rain would arrive. Friday was expected to be dry, with rain forecast from Saturday morning. In the end, despite the storm that ravaged the service park on Saturday morning, the stages stayed largely dry. However, this gave the team the unexpected benefit of working through several options that would not normally have been relevant in those conditions. With Thierry and Martijn running under restart regulations, they were able to test a more radical set-up. This helped us confirm some details and gave us confidence that the latest updates have widened the car’s performance window, which is very positive for the upcoming events.”
 
What are your expectations for Rally Chile?
“Chile is another event where the lead can ebb and flow, and where one-tenth of a second is not the most important element. It is a rally where consistent speed is rewarded. The most significant advantage we have for Chile is that the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 has been very reliable in 2026. We know it is a strong car when the conditions get tough, which is the result of a significant effort from the entire team to learn about and adapt the Evo version of the car. In 2025, Adrien and Thierry finished third and fourth. These were good results, but the speed shown by Ott Tänak gave us an indication of the car’s potential. I am confident that we will have three crews able to compete for the podium.” 

Views from the crews

Adrien Fourmaux said:

I’m really looking forward to Rally Chile after showing very strong pace throughout the weekend in Paraguay - it gives us confidence and hopefully we can carry this performance into Chile. It’s a rally I really enjoy, last year we were fighting at the front and we finished on the podium. The stages are fast and flowing, but also quite technical, so you need a lot of precision and confidence in the car. We know we were competitive there last year, and after the performance we had in Paraguay, the target is to fight at the front again and push for the best possible result.

Thierry Neuville said: 

Chile is very different from Paraguay. It starts with the surface, which is much more grippy and abrasive, while Paraguay is hard, very slippery and compact. Chile can also be a little bit rougher and more rutted. Tyre wear is always very high and tyre choice can be complicated depending on your starting position. It’s not the event I enjoy the most, but when you have a good feeling, it is an enjoyable drive, although still technically demanding. I have mixed experiences after a crash in 2019 and a podium in 2023. Our clear target is to fight for victory. Toyota will be very strong, but Paraguay showed that our car can be fast. The set-up will be slightly different, but the base and the choices we made between the two events are good, so I’m quite convinced the speed will be okay.

Esapekka Lappi said:

I’m very excited to drive in Chile again. I really like the roads, and it will be great to get back in a Rally1 car. I have enjoyed the stages there in the past, so I’m looking forward to returning. The weather has been challenging on several occasions, so that could be a factor again this year. The roads are also tricky because, on Friday, you normally drive between gravel banks with no room to run wide. You need to be precise and fully committed because even a small mistake can cost a lot. In terms of pace, the target is to be somewhere between Estonia and Finland, as well as having lots of fun. We want to keep improving throughout the weekend and support the team with a good result. Enjoyment is important because, without it, the results don’t come.