A weekend of mixed fortunes for Hyundai Motorsport has ended with a podium finish for Neuville and Wydaeghe

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team’s Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe have claimed an unexpected third place at Rally del Paraguay following a dramatic Power Stage.

Sunday’s four stages – two loops of Bella Vista (SS16/18, 21.25km) and Mision Jesuitica Trinidad (SS17/19, 18.50km) – closed a rollercoaster Rally del Paraguay, with rain adding further unpredictable conditions for crews to get to get a handle on.

After struggling to get to grips with their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car on Friday and Saturday, Neuville and Wydaeghe emphatically bounced back on Sunday. A strong start to the morning saw them claim a third-place finish on the opening stage, then a stage win on the first run of Mision Jesuitica Trinidad. Following the repeat of Bella Vista, the Belgians had gained fourth place overall heading into the event’s final test.

An incredible performance on the Power Stage set the benchmark for those behind, yet Rally del Paraguay held one final twist. Rain began to fall in earnest, resulting in not just a second stage win for Neuville, but also an unexpected fourth podium finish of the season. The Belgian crew topped the Super Sunday classification to score 25 points from the entire event – the second largest points haul of the weekend, only outscored by the winner.

Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja came out of the blocks on top form on Sunday morning, with a second-place finish on the opening stage, SS16 Bella Vista 1, propelling them back into the provisional podium positions. Another solid run across the following stage kept them there, before disaster struck on the penultimate stage, when a puncture dropped the Estonians down to fifth. The crew demonstrated promising pace across the Power Stage, before a front right damper issue slowed them down across the final kilometres. The crew ends an unlucky weekend in fourth, but find redemption in five additional Sunday points.

Neuville and Wydaeghe’s surprise success was sadly at the expense of Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria, whose formidable performance over the weekend ended in retirement. They began Sunday just 10.3 seconds off the rally lead, and were once again balancing risk and reward with a cautious approach. However, the heavens opened during the Power Stage, and the Frenchmen struggled on their run. They lost vital ground, dropping them out of podium contention. The team chose to retire Fourmaux and Coria from the event to offer more flexibility in car set-up for Rally Chile.

As a demanding weekend comes to an end, all three Hyundai Motorsport crews are determined to show a commanding performance in Rally Chile as the championship ventures to the second half of its South American double header.

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

• Belgians clinch podium finish on dramatic Power Stage
• Super Sunday and Power Stage victors claimed two stage wins (SS17/SS19)

Neuville said: “This weekend is the perfect example of fighting until the end to get rewarded. Overall, we expected to have a bit more pace, but we just didn’t have it here in Paraguay. The profile of the rally wasn’t too hard to manage, but the grip levels were constantly changing. We took the second-highest amount of points this weekend, so we can be happy with that. We’re looking forward to Chile, and hopefully the pace is there for us.”

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

• Estonians puncture woes dropped them from third to fifth
• Crew clinch five additional Sunday points and finish in fourth

Tänak said: “We really struggled with our performance this weekend. We were not close to where we wanted to be and it was a tricky weekend inside the car with the punctures we experienced. We were really struggling to make the setup work, even with tweaks and changes we were making. It’s hard to miss out on second in the way we did. Nothing has changed much this weekend in terms of the championship, it’s still quite close, so hopefully Chile will suit us better and we can bounce back.”

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

• Frenchmen displayed promising pace across entire weekend
• Frustrating Power Stage put crew out of podium contention

Fourmaux said: “We’re really disappointed with the end result after such a good weekend for us. We were in second position for nearly the whole rally – and even leading on Friday – managing our way through punctures and other issues, but today just didn’t go our way. With the heavy rain in the Power Stage, it was impossible for us to do any better. I’m happy with our performance in Paraguay, but we just didn’t get the result we deserved.”

Hyundai Motorsport Technical Director François-Xavier Demaison said: “There is no denying that this has been a difficult rally for us, with a lot of ups and downs. The results do not reflect the performance of our car this weekend, but our crews have clearly struggled with setup and other mechanical issues, as well as punctures. Because of this, we decided to retire Adrien’s car to have more freedom in our setup options for Rally Chile. While there are still positives to take away – we have taken solid points, and the drivers’ championship is still open, everyone is determined to have a better weekend in Chile.”

Next rally

• The FIA WRC ventures across South America for Rally Chile, the 11th round of the season, which will take place September 11-14.