Last season, the Spanish veteran Dani Sordo, who competed in selected rallies for Hyundai’s WRC team, is competing this year in Portugal with the Rally2 car from the Korean manufacturer. Sordo announced a couple of weeks ago that he is taking part in all eight events of the Portugul Rally Champioship this season.
Sordo inherited Hyundai’s Rally2 car from another WRC veteran, Kris Meeke, who competed successfully in Portugal last year. Meeke won the rally series, but the Northern Irishman could not be officially declared the national champion because he is not a Portuguese citizen. Meeke is also taking part in the Portugal Rally Championship this year, although this season he is running a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car.
Sordo has been able to race in the premier class of the World Rally Championship since 2006. Until the 2014 season, he represented Hyundai. The Spaniard has expressed his desire to still race the pinnacle of his career, for example, Rally Portugal, but Hyundai has changed its driver strategy for this year.
Last season, there was a driver change in Hyundai’s third Rally1 car, but this year the team has three regular drivers. However, team boss Cyril Abiteboul has previously hinted that Hyundai might also field a fourth Rally1 car in some rallies. The team principal also emphasises on Dirtfish’s website that Sordo’s participation in the Portuguese rally series does not necessarily rule out the possibility of testing his skills at the World Championship level. Rally Portugal is, however, part of the national rally series.
““No, that doesn’t mean that but equally I’m not saying anything else. Step by step, step by step,” Abiteboul told Dirtfish.
“The first thing that we wanted to announce with Dani is that he’s doing this program. By doing this program he’s still part of the Hyundai family. And let’s see, when you are part of the family, there is always, you know, opportunities for more. But we’ll talk about those opportunities in due course.”
In his previous World Rally Championship rally, Sordo competed in Greece last September. The veteran finished second in the rally that ended in a Hyundai one-two-three victory. Sordo has won three World Rally Championship rallies in his career and has been on the podium an impressive 58 times. His podium percentage of starts is an impressive 30.2.
Portugal Rally Championship series kicks off on 7–8 March amidst the scenery of the legendary rally venue Fafe. The season thus comprises eight events. The final rally is scheduled for mid-October.
