At no point this year have Hyundai been able to properly match Toyota’s pace – at least not on a consistent basis.
And although Hyundai’s only victory so far this season came on gravel – with Ott Tänak’s win at Rally Acropolis – the team have struggled badly on loose-surface events. Even in gravel rallies that had previously suited them exceptionally well.
Rally Chile in mid-September was a good example of this. The event had in the past been a strong one for Hyundai, but this time they could not respond to Toyota’s pace, and the team had to watch Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans secure a one-two finish.
There is only one gravel rally left in the championship this season, at the end of the year in Saudi Arabia. After Chile, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville was asked whether the gravel problems now being seen might also carry over into next season.
“I have no clue, honestly. I didn’t think too much about it either,” Neuville replied.
“I just focused on my own ways. Try to find something from that,” Neuville continued.
Hyundai’s problems have been somewhat peculiar. At times, the team have had very strong pace, but this has not really shown on the results board as they would have hoped. Whether through punctures or technical issues – the speed has just always vanished somewhere.
“We had enormous speed in Estonia. We had great speed in Finland. We came here to two rallies, and usually we are fast—or at least faster. And now we are not,” Neuville lamented.
Neuville was then pressed for an answer on where the speed had disappeared. His response was blunt.
“Don’t ask me why. I don’t know,” he shot back.
