Top step the target at Rally Estonia
We head to Rally Estonia, round seven of the 2022 WRC season, determined to put the disappointment of Safari Rally Kenya in the rear-view mirror and produce a strong performance.
“All season long the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 has shown lots of speed on the gravel, and we expect next weekend to be no different,” said Julien, our Deputy Team Principal. “The goal as always is to battle for victory and score as many points for the championship as possible.”
Moving fast
The 2022 edition of Rally Estonia will be demanding as ever, boasting high-speed gravel roads and a variety of difficult jumps to negotiate. The surface is also known to become rutted, particularly on the second pass, providing an additional challenge. However, all three crews behind the wheel of our hybrid-powered i20 N Rally1 are familiar with the conditions, and will therefore be hoping to use this previous knowledge to their advantage.
“The first season there was a bit difficult, but once you get to know the roads you start to like it more,” commented Thierry. “This is because the speeds are very high, so it helps to know the conditions and the terrain.”
Home heroes
Local favourites Ott and Martin led our emphatic 1-2 finish at Rally Estonia in 2020. Another double podium in 2021, which included a third place for Thierry and Martijn, continued our impressive form at the Baltic event.
“It’s great to have a rally at home because we get to have the amazing fans and those close to us around us,” said Ott. “But there is no extra pressure, we just want to score as many points as possible. We will try our best and do everything we can to finish in the top positions.”
Oliver and Elliott will take charge of our third i20 N Rally1. While it will be the young duo’s first time competing at Rally Estonia in WRC, Oliver has won twice at the event in other categories.
“Rally Estonia is the event I have been looking forward to most all year,” said Oliver. “I have driven in Estonia so much it feels almost like my second country, so I feel very comfortable on the roads. Hopefully I will be able to fight for the podium.”
Push for points
In WRC2, Teemu and Fabrizio will both be looking to achieve a positive result at Rally Estonia in our i20 N Rally2, after both drivers encountered issues last time out in Sardinia.
Alongside his co-driver Mikko, the Finn will be hoping to turn the promising pace he has shown throughout the season so far into a strong result. For Fabrizio, the focus will be on getting up to speed in his new partnership with co-driver Marcelo.
“Rally Estonia has been always a great challenge with a mixture of technical, narrow roads and super-fast wide roads,” said Teemu. “We had a good pre-event test and I am starting to feel happier with the car.”
“Rally Estonia is a very interesting event,” added Fabrizio. “I am confident that we will put everything into practice which will allow us to continue learning and scoring points for the team.”
