The team is looking to show improved performance at a gravel event

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team is aiming for a strong team result at Rally de Portugal, the fifth round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season, after a challenging weekend in Gran Canaria.

Rally de Portugal marks the first of seven consecutive gravel events in the heart of the WRC calendar. A fan and driver favourite, this rally has been a mainstay of the topflight schedule for decades. The rough gravel terrain combined with huge jumps and rally-ending obstacles pose substantial risks for the cars as they navigate their way through the stages.

Both Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak know what it takes to claim the Rally de Portugal crown, clinching their respective wins in 2018 and 2019.  In Neuville’s case, it was a dominant performance that secured Hyundai Motorsport’s first-ever victory at the rally by over 40 seconds. Team-mate Adrien Fourmaux is yet to bring home a top three finish at the event, but a strong fourth place in 2024 puts him in good stead for this year’s edition.

The team will lean on its gravel expertise to target a solid result, following a midfield finish at Rally Islas Canarias. The proven experience on the surface has already yielded a double podium in 2025, with Tänak and Neuville finishing on the rostrum at Safari Rally Kenya. High temperatures and a different profile await in Portugal, along with the debut of a new Hankook tyre, adding another challenge to an already demanding round.

Rally de Portugal is set to cover 344.50km of Portuguese passes across a four-day itinerary. Action begins on Thursday afternoon with SS1 Figueira da Foz (SS1, 2.94km) – the shortest stage of the weekend. Other famous fixtures returning for 2025 include the likes of Lousã (SS3/6, 12.28km) and Fafe (SS21/24, 11.18km).

Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said:

“We are looking to turn the page on a disappointing last round as we go to compete at Rally de Portugal. It’s the second gravel round of the season, and although it is a completely different kind of profile to Kenya, we have demonstrated that we have the pace to perform well on this surface. The team has a lot of experience in Portugal and I know that everyone will push hard to claim a solid result at the end of the weekend. We need to continue apply pressure across the championships and close the gap to Toyota. Securing another strong finish is key, but we’re aiming for a full team result that puts us back in the championship fight.”

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

• Neuville finished on the top step of the 2018 edition of Rally de Portugal
• Belgians targeting a strong fight back against Toyota challengers

Neuville said: “Rally de Portugal is like any other gravel rally, you need to optimise your road position and try to manage the temperatures, especially on the first days in the Amarante area. The main challenge is the road conditions, they can be abrasive and tyre wear can be an issue if you push too hard. On Sunday, the stages are smoother so you can really push across the final day. We need a strong result as a team, we need to be stronger than the Toyotas and we need to outscore Elfyn – he has a big lead in the championship and we haven’t been able to fight back as much as we would have hoped, so he will be our main target to beat in Portugal along with Kalle.”

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

• Estonians on a mission to reclaim top-step glory
• Crew looking to utilise its gravel expertise against the rest of the field

Tänak said: “Rally de Portugal is a huge event in so many ways. There are roads that I enjoy a lot, and the history of the rally paired with the atmosphere we have there every year is all you can ask for from an event. Every time we go to a rally, we always target to be on top in the fight, but you are only as good as your last result, which in our case wasn’t the strongest. We need to keep our head down and work our way back on top. This is the fifth rally this year where we have new tyres, and we need to get maximum out of it. There’s no doubt the rally will be hard; Portugal always has very long days and rough conditions on the second loop.”

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

• Duo set to push for an improvement on their fourth-place finish in 2024
• French crew aiming to help the team’s fight back in the championship standings

Fourmaux said: “Rally de Portugal is a big challenge, the heat is demanding so managing tyres is a big task. There are some places where it’s full attack, but at the same time we have to be careful with the tyres – it’s a factor we need to determine during our testing. There are places on the rally where we need to be cautious, but you can still establish big gaps so it can be a sprint at times. We didn’t get the best results at the end of the last round, so as a team we need to stop the domination of Toyota and get a really good result with all three cars. I want to be back on the podium to help with the charge, this is crucial for the rest of the season.”

Weekend at a Glance

• Rallying action begins on Thursday evening with Figueira da Foz (SS1, 2.94km), the shortest stage of the weekend
• Friday features ten stages: two loops of Mortágua (SS2/9, 14.59km), Lousã (SS3/6, 12.28km), Góis (SS4/7, 14.30km) and Arganil (SS5/8, 14.41km) are concluded with one run of Águeda / Sever (SS10, 15.08km) and Sever / Albergaria (SS11, 20.24km).
• Saturday’s seven-stage itinerary consists of Vieira do Minho (SS12/15, 17.69km), Cabeceiras de Basto (SS13/16, 19.91km), Amarante (SS14/17, 22.10km) and Lousada (SS18, 3.52km)
• The rally concludes on Sunday, with two loops each of Paredes (SS19/22, 16.09km), Felgueiras (SS20/23, 8.81km) and Fafe (SS21/24, 11.18km).