Top stars Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak will compete in all the season’s WRC rounds, but the third car will see Esapekka Lappi, Andreas Mikkelsen, and Dani Sordo take turns. Lappi already clinched a victory for Hyundai in Sweden in February, and Norwegian driver Mikkelsen, who will be driving in the Croatia Rally, is aiming for nothing less.
“Obviously, our road position at the start of the weekend will be a disadvantage, especially if there is rain, due to the amount of mud that gets pulled up,” Mikkelsen considers.
“We are ultimately targeting a podium, but if conditions get tricky then a top-five finish is where we want to end up.”
In the season opener at Monte Carlo, Mikkelsen was behind the wheel, but his pace was far from that of the leaders. He eventually finished sixth, over five and a half minutes behind the winner.
Still, a solid race provided a significant boost of confidence for Mikkelsen.
“I am feeling very positive after a solid start to the season in Monte-Carlo. It’s great to be returning to the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid for a WRC round, especially after contesting Rally Regione Piemonte,” Mikkelsen notes.
“Croatia is a unique challenge, but we have many years of rallying experience that we can use to make good judgements on stage. With the grip and weather changing all the time, good pace notes are an essential to doing well there.”
The Croatia Rally will feature a total of 20 special stages, covering approximately 280 kilometers.
