With an unchanged itinerary from 2024, covering 306.76km of competitive distance, the team is aiming to get on the front foot quickly and challenge for the top three positions

Hyundai Motorsport is ready to tackle Rally Chile, the second half of a South American double header and the 11th round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season, after a weekend of mixed emotions in Paraguay.

2025 marks the fourth running of Rally Chile, as well as the penultimate gravel round of the season. It offers a completely different challenge to Paraguay; the Chilean stages are smooth and fast, yet very technical, demanding precision and a perfect rhythm from crews.

Hyundai Motorsport has scored three podiums in Chile: Sébastien Loeb scored his first podium with the team in 2019, finishing third; Thierry Neuville finished second in 2023, while Ott Tänak – who won the event in 2019 and 2023 – was third last year. This experience is crucial in Chile, as the team focus on a strong result to drive down the gap in the championship standings.

A valiant effort at Rally del Paraguay saw all three Hyundai Motorsport crews run in the podium positions at least once over the weekend. Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe secured a third-place finish on a rollercoaster final day, while Tänak and Martin Järveoja were fourth; Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria retired. As the team has not returned to its base prior to Rally Chile, the three Hyundai i20 N Rally1 cars were prepared in Paraguay, with the team’s engineers and mechanics putting in a strong effort amidst limited time and facilities.

This year’s Rally Chile itinerary is identical to the 2024 edition, featuring 16 stages covering 306.76km of competitive action over four days. With the competition for the drivers’ standings currently incredibly tight, heading into familiar roads with the confidence to push will be crucial towards a strong result.

Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “After a turbulent weekend in Paraguay, we head to Rally Chile with more confidence, looking to capitalise on the positives we have seen at other gravel events this year. This is a rally where have more experience, we got some podiums in the past and with the steps forward we’ve taken so far this season with the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, we want to leave with nothing less than a top-three finish. A solid points haul is crucial to us at this moment in the season, and that will be our main aim in Chile.”

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

• Estonians looking for a strong result at Rally Chile
• Crew has finished on the podium on all three previous visits

Tänak said: “Chile is all about rallying. The roads are exceptionally cool there – they’re flowing and smooth at the same time. You have to be as efficient as possible, and that’s something that comes through your driving style and car setup. Your car balance needs to be adaptable but easy to manage, and your tyre choice is massively dependent on the weather, road conditions and road position. There’s a lot to learn on each loop, and the weather can be a lottery for each car. Our performance was compromised by punctures and some small issues in Paraguay, but we will make sure that’s back on form in Chile.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#1 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)

• Crew aiming for back-to-back podiums
• Neuville/Wydaeghe claimed second-place finish at Rally Chile 2023

Neuville said: “We’ve had some good results at Rally Chile in the past and we are looking forward to heading back there. Our experience is invaluable, and we’ll be starting the rally in a good road position, so we are hoping to get some decent runs in from the start. We went into Paraguay with a car setup based on Chile, so the car should also feel more comfortable there, particularly with our familiarity with the surface. It’s a very demanding event on our tyres, so we need to make the right calls to get us to the end of the loops.”

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

• Crew looking to continue momentum from positive performance in Paraguay despite retirement
• 2025 marks second entry into South American event

Fourmaux said: “Last year might have been my first entry at Rally Chile, but it quickly became an event I enjoy. The challenges with the road profile and the tyres are exciting, particularly with the differences seen across the weekend. The weather can be tricky; the elevation changes mean we face a lot of fog, and it doesn’t ever stay in the same place. Pacenotes are key for us; we need landmarks to make sure that we stay on track if the weather isn’t on our side. While the result in Paraguay didn’t go our way, our weekend was positive – we had the pace. If we have that kind of performance again in Chile, we’ll be happy.”

Weekend at a Glance

• Cars take to the stages on Friday, with two loops of Pulpería (SS1/4, 19.72km), Rere (SS2/5, 13.34km) and San Rosendo (SS3/6, 23.32km)
• Saturday’s six stages cover 139.20km of competitive action: Pelún (SS7/10, 15.65km), Lota (SS8/11, 25.64km) and María las Cruces (SS9/12, 28.31km)
• Sunday concludes with two loops of Laraquete (SS13/15, 18.62km) and BioBio (SS14/16, 8.78km).