Tänak was able to carry out his tests in dry conditions under the sunshine. The Estonian driver tested on the Viana do Castelo special stage, a location known from past editions of Rally Portugal.
Last weekend, Hyundai’s French driver Adrien Fourmaux contested a test rally in Northern Portugal, but on that occasion, the weather was rainy and the roads were very muddy in places. Tänak, on the other hand, drove on reasonably dry gravel.
Light rain is forecast for this weekend in the Porto area, the central location for the WRC rally. Rally Portugal, the fifth round of the season, will be held next week.
Hyundai’s start to the season has been painful, culminating in the round in the Canary Islands a couple of weeks ago. Arch-rival Toyota secured a 1-2-3-4 finish, while Hyundai struggled with car handling throughout the weekend.
The Canary round was held on asphalt, whereas next week Portugal kicks off a run of seven gravel rallies.
This week’s Hyundai tests are undoubtedly critical, as the team cannot afford another major flop like the one in the Canaries. The Korean manufacturer urgently needs a morale boost for the summer rallies, especially since Toyota has claimed maximum team points in three of the first four rounds of the season.
Tänak has won in Portugal once before – in 2019 while driving for Toyota. Last season, the Estonian finished second in the classic rally.
Watch a few video highlights of Tänak’s tests below. As the videos show, Portugal truly is a rally-loving nation. Large crowds gathered by the roadside to cheer on Tänak during his tests.
