Unchanged line-up for the next round in one of the most iconic rallies

Hyundai Motorsport is ready to fly through the forests of Finland next week, as the country plays host to the ninth round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season.

The team is looking to bounce back from a difficult outing at Rally Latvia, where the fast gravel roads offered a great deal of obstacles for Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team. Hyundai Motorsport departed the event still top of both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ championship standings, but now looks to regain momentum as the FIA WRC travels to Finland. With five rounds remaining, it is vital to have strong and consistent performances across every day of action to maximise the full potential of the 2024 scoring system.

As one of the fastest rallies on the calendar, it will take accuracy and perfect pace notes for a podium finish at Rally Finland. With its mix of wide and fast gravel roads, combined with technical sections as well as flat-out speeds, its guaranteed to be an exhilarating event. Mistakes can be costly, as the high-speed nature of this event leaves little opportunity to claw back those vital seconds.

Rally Finland has notoriously been one of the most difficult for Hyundai Motorsport in the past, however learnings from two consecutive fast gravel rallies in Poland and Latvia, coupled with good results in recent years, means the team is entering the event with a solid foundation on which to fight for a strong haul of championship points. The team claimed its first podium in 2021, when Tänak and the late Craig Breen secured second and third. The Estonian proved his dominance again in 2022, claiming victory. In 2023 Neuville also made his way onto the podium, just missing out on first place by 39 milliseconds.

The Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team line-up remains unchanged from Rally Latvia. Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe and Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja will once again be joined by Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, with the Finnish duo relishing the opportunity to compete in front of the passionate home crowd.

Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said ahead of the Rally:

“Our aim in Finland is to finish this hat-trick of tricky gravel rallies in as strong a position as possible. We still hold the lead in all three championships but our priority has to be to widen the gap again. Recently, we have performed well in Finland and all three drivers know what it takes to be fast at this demanding rally. We will focus on making the right decisions from the very first day of Finland, as this is what cost us dearly in Latvia. We have plenty of learnings to implement next weekend, and we look forward to taking the fight to Toyota on their home turf. It won’t be easy, as they are bringing an army of five Rally1 cars, so the competition for points will be even tighter than at any other round so far this season.”

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

• Belgian duos’ target remains to defend both championship leads
• Neuville finished second overall in 2023 Rally Finland

Neuville said: “Rally Finland is a challenging but enjoyable rally. One of the most important things is a car you can trust in; you need grip and traction for the slower, narrow sections, but also good lateral grip and stability in the fast sections. Precision will also be key when going into the fast corners to ensure you position the car before you take off on the jumps. Of course, being on the podium here previously provides a confidence boost, however the cars and roads develop year-to-year so the rally remains as challenging as ever. The target is still to defend our lead in both championships but also to enjoy this fast rally and really be in the game.”

Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)

• Estonian crew has climbed to second in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ championship
• Tänak is a three-time previous winner in Finland

Tänak said: “Rally Finland is one of my favourite events on the calendar. However, I know what a challenging and demanding event this can be and so I have a great respect for the unique characteristics of the rally’s profile. In order to be successful here you need two things: experience of the rally and confidence. I believe we have both of those elements going into this event and my aim is to try and take the maximum we can to consolidate the progress we made in Latvia.”

Crew Notes: Esapekka Lappi/ Louis Louka (#4 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)

• Finns are motivated for strong performance at their home rally
• 2017 edition marked crew’s first-ever WRC win

Lappi said: “It’s always exciting to be competing at a home event; the crowd brings excitement and at the same time pressure, both of which will motivate me to bring my best performance to this rally. The driving that we have done in Latvia will really support our setup here in Finland; the events are very similar, so everything we learnt will be brought into this event to help us take maximum points from our competitors. I was hoping for a podium in Latvia but unfortunately we were far away from this target. Rally Finland provides an opportunity for redemption.”

Weekend at a Glance

• Rally Finland’s ceremonial start takes place in Jvyväskylä on Wednesday followed by Shakedown on Thursday and super special stage Harju
• On Friday the crews will tackle nine stages, with service splitting the 116.33km of competitive distance
• Saturday marks the longest day of the weekend, with six stages accounting for almost 50% of the rally’s total distance
• Extra bonus points are on offer to the seven fastest Sunday drivers, with four final stages set to be contested, including the Laajavuori Power Stage additionally rewarding the top five drivers.