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Hyundai Fights Back To Podium Finish In Rally de Portugal
Hyundai Fights Back To Podium Finish In Rally de Portugal
Hyundai Motorsport scored a third-place podium finish in Rally de Portugal, the fourth round of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), after a fighting performance from the entire team and its three crews .
In their debut WRC event in the new Hyundai i20 N Rallyl car, Dani Sordo and Candido Carrera secured third place and their first podium of the season with a flying run through the rallyending Power Stage. The result marks the sixteenth top-three result for Sordo in his Hyundai Motorsport career, and the team's sixth Portuguese podium since 2017.
Sunday's schedule covered two passes of the iconic Fafe stage, with its spectacular jump bringing the rally to a thrilling conclusion. Crews negotiated just 48 ,87 km of competitive action across five stages. While Sordo aimed to overturn the 5. 7 -second deficit for third place, the team's two other crews were also giving their maximum to finish on a positive note. Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe had gradually closed the gap to their Spanish team-mates throughout the morning, despite picking up front aero damage early on. The Belgian crew ultimately finished in fifth position, pushing right to the end of the Power Stage.
Ott Tiinak and Martin Jiirveoja continued their own recovery drive, having dropped to tenth after a double puncture on Friday. They took two stage wins (SS18 Montim and SS19 Fafe), with Neuville and Wydaeghe right behind for a team 1-2. The Estonians moved up to sixth place after another strong run through the repeat of Felgueiras, a position they secured with a typically strong finish.
All three crews picked up extra points in the Power Stage with Sordo second fastest, Neuville third and Tiinak fourth. Hyundai Motorsport continues to hold second place in the manufacturer s' championship with 116 points after 4 rounds.