Review: Round 13 - Rally Italia Sardegna

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team has concluded the 2026 FIA WRC season with Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria finishing in fourth place, while Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe claimed the final Power Stage victory of the year.

The team returned to Rally Italia Sardegna hoping to add to its event record of seven victories and 17 podiums. A near-perfect start on Friday saw Neuville/Wydaeghe and Fourmaux/Coria locked in a thrilling battle for first place, with five stage wins between them underscoring the pace of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 on Sardinian gravel.
 
Sadly, a gruelling Saturday on Sardinia's unforgiving roads put paid to the team's winning ambitions. While punctures affected several leading crews throughout the event, Fourmaux and Coria suffered two on Saturday alone, dropping them out of podium contention. Neuville and Wydaeghe retired following an accident on SS11, and Dani Sordo and Patricia Sáiz also retired for the second time after SS8 as a precautionary measure following a crash in shakedown.
 
Sunday’s final four stages saw Neuville and Fourmaux once again demonstrate the pace of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, with Neuville scoring his fifth stage win of the event on SS15. On the final Power Stage of the year, the Belgian was unstoppable, claiming a sixth stage win and five bonus points. Fourmaux finished third in the Super Sunday standings and fourth overall.
 
The event marked a bittersweet conclusion to the season for Hyundai Motorsport, who sought to end the Rally1 era on a high. While the team challenged for victory at numerous events throughout the year, its sole win was at Rally de Portugal with Neuville and Wydaeghe. Its crews scored eight podiums; four for Fourmaux in Kenya, Estonia, Paraguay and Chile, two for Neuville in Portugal and Greece, and two for Hayden Paddon in Croatia and Chile.
 
Since the introduction of Rally1 regulations in 2022, Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team has recorded 15 wins, 69 podiums and 386 stage wins. Among those achievements were the drivers’ and co-drivers’ championship titles in 2024, two podium lock-outs at Acropolis Rally in 2022 and 2024, and the joint-closest rally finish of 0.2 seconds at Rally Italia Sardegna 2024. 

Crew Notes: Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (#16 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)  

• Crew led event for four stages on Friday; scored three stage wins and 11 top-three times
• Finished fourth overall and third in Super Sunday standings

Fourmaux said: “Congratulations to Elfyn on his championship win, and commiserations to Oliver – his time will come. For me, I didn’t quite get the first win I wanted, but I will always remember Saudi Arabia last year. This has been a tough season but I scored some nice podiums. It’s been a fantastic two years driving the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 and fighting at the top; we had the pace, particularly on gravel, and we ended the year not far off the Toyotas despite the issues we’ve had this season. I’d like to say a huge thank you for the team; I’m very proud of our performance.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 

• Belgians snatched first place on Friday’s final test but retired on Saturday afternoon
• Scored six stage wins, including victory on the Power Stage

Neuville said: “I’m super disappointed for the weekend, but happy to end the season with a final Power Stage victory. It’s been a challenging year, so I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team – they did amazing. We’ve been together for 13 seasons, been through a lot of highs and lows, and these past two years have been tough, yet the team has remained committed and motivated. I’m pleased we were able to bring home one victory for them this year – and it was very nearly two. Finally, congratulations to Elfyn, he has been close so many times deserves the title. Oliver also did so well this weekend, and it nearly paid off, so well done to him as well.”
 
Hyundai Motorsport WRC Sporting Director Andrew Wheatley said:

Today was potentially one of the most exciting finishes to a WRC season, but sadly not the one we hoped for. Firstly, a huge congratulations to Elfyn and Scott on their phenomenal performance over the course of this year to become world champions; it is thoroughly deserved. From our side, today was a clear demonstration that the team has made a significant step forward in both the reliability and the performance of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 over the past 12 months. We hoped for more from this weekend, and both Adrien and Thierry had the speed to challenge for the win, but we didn’t achieve the target we set ourselves. However, the dedication of the whole team this year has been outstanding. Everyone put their heads down and focused on delivering incredible reliability across 13 very difficult and challenging events. That commitment, determination and professionalism have been evident throughout the season, and everyone involved can be incredibly proud.