Hyundai drivers are now competing for the first time on asphalt with the updated i20 N Rally1 car. In the shakedown, team stars Neuville and Ott Tänak shared the third-fastest time but were nearly three seconds off the pace set by Kalle Rovanperä.
Neuville revealed that the car didn’t feel particularly good during the shakedown runs.
“It was worse than I expected. I expected actually very good, and it wasn’t the case. I don’t know why,” Neuville said, shaking his head.
“I was surprised to be honest, and I wasn’t very happy,” the reigning world champion added.
Neuville, however, is not entirely worried about the situation.
“We improved it throughout the shakedown. But I’m more optimistic for the rally, where the grip is a bit higher and it’s a bit kind of a different profile than what we had in shakedown,” the Belgian star said.
This is the first time the Canary Islands are hosting a points-scoring round in the WRC. Among the favourites for the event, Neuville is pleased that, for the first time in a few years, the WRC features a tarmac rally run on clean, circuit-like asphalt roads.
“This rally is interesting, nice, smooth, and clean. That’s what you expect from a tarmac rally,” Neuville smiled.
The Canary Islands Rally kicks off on Friday with six special stages.
