Toyota locked out the top four positions in the event won by Kalle Rovanperä, while all Hyundai drivers were left trailing far behind.
It was a particularly difficult rally for reigning world champion Thierry Neuville, who ultimately finished only seventh.
Struggling with his car setup throughout the weekend, Neuville suffered a puncture on Sunday, which dropped him further down the order and only added to the frustration.
“It hasn’t been a good weekend for us,” Neuville summed up.
Neuville had contested the Sierra Morena Rally as a warm-up before heading to the Canaries. However, it didn’t prove very helpful, as Hyundai’s setup was completely off for the conditions.
“We struggled a lot, and even though we were working hard to fix the situation, everything we tried didn’t seem to work,” Neuville lamented.
Fortunately for Hyundai, the WRC now enters a stretch of gravel rallies, giving the team time to address the asphalt-related issues before the autumn events. Still, Neuville made a clear and firm demand of his team.
“We still need to put our finger on what has caused these issues for us and come back stronger,” he said.
Neuville did take pride in the team’s fighting spirit, noting that they never gave up despite the challenges.
“Nevertheless, the team kept fighting despite all our struggles; we weren’t lucky with the puncture today, otherwise we might have got a reasonable result. We expected much more from this weekend, and we didn’t get it.”
