By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
The Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
    Auto ShowsShow More
    Maserati enthrals at FuoriConcorso with GT2 Stradale and MCXtrema
    May 14, 2025
    Leapmotor presents its range at Automobile Barcelona, Spain
    May 14, 2025
    Alfa Romeo sporting glory dominates “Fuori Concorso”
    May 13, 2025
    Market Art Fair Stockholm and BMW Sweden present Gregor Hildebrandt as artist for BMW Art Commission 2025
    May 13, 2025
    Driving Trade Forward: AfCFTA, AGOA,BRICS and the Tariffs – All On The Menu At Automechanika CEO Breakfast
    May 9, 2025
  • Bikes
    BikesShow More
    Desmo450 MX: Production of the first Ducati Motocross bike begins
    May 28, 2025
    25YM Honda NC750X
    May 13, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RS
    May 2, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RT
    April 30, 2025
    Honda NC750X Named Winner in 2025 Red Dot Design Award
    April 10, 2025
  • News
    NewsShow More
    Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Nissan production, sales, and exports for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Honda Production, Sales and Export Results for April, 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Škoda Auto marks 55 years since production of the Skopak began in Pakistan
    May 29, 2025
  • Concepts
    ConceptsShow More
    FIAT unveils the manifesto Grande Panda 4×4
    May 20, 2025
    Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept makes its global debut at Roland-Garros 2025
    May 16, 2025
    Hyundai Motor and Plus Unveil Concept for Autonomous Hydrogen Freight Ecosystem at ACT Expo 202
    May 2, 2025
    Hyundai Motor Unveils the new IONIQ 6 and IONIQ 6 N Line
    April 5, 2025
    Kia and LG Electronics Partner to Showcase New PBV Concepts for Work and Play
    April 4, 2025
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    Kosmas “Dudie” Mamaloukos – The Formidable Racing Talent
    May 15, 2025
    Hi-Range Safari City
    Hi-Range Safari City – The Premier outfitter for 4×4 customization
    May 15, 2025
    BEHIND THE SCENES: ARCHIE RUTHERFORD ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING THE W2RC TO SOUTH AFRICA
    May 9, 2025
    Europe and China’s automotive future in a shifting global order
    May 5, 2025
    Sourcing Guide Right-Hand Drive American SUVs and Pickup Trucks in Africa
    April 29, 2025
  • EVs
    EVsShow More
    SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
    May 29, 2025
    Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
    May 29, 2025
    All-New Nissan MICRA EV debuts ahead of European launch
    May 28, 2025
    BMW Group and Solid Power are testing all-solid-state battery cells in a BMW i7
    May 20, 2025
    Toyota Debuts Stylish, Powerful 2026 C-HR Battery Electric Vehicle
    May 18, 2025
  • Motosport
    MotosportShow More
    43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Lærke Rønn, Alexia Danielsson, Rasmus Vendelbo, Porsche Sprint Challenge Scandinavia, 2025, Porsche AG
    The schoolgirl who’s just won her debut GT race
    May 28, 2025
    Porsche with new qualifying record and ongoing points streak ahead of China
    May 28, 2025
    Nissan Formula E Team looking to reinforce championship lead in Shanghai
    May 28, 2025
    Opel Mokka GSE Rally: A New Star in Electric Rallying
    May 28, 2025
  • Trucks & Buses
    Trucks & BusesShow More
    MAN development team for autonomous driving is ‘Engineering Team of the Year’
    May 29, 2025
    Scania to start deliveries of new electric buses to northern Sweden
    May 29, 2025
    From left to right: Jens Böther, Regional Council; Nikolas Wenzel, Managing Director of MOIN; Claudia Kalisch, Mayor of Lüneburg; Alex Meier, Depot Manager; Nils Richert, Daimler Buses
    Daimler Buses builds a completely new electric bus depot for a customer for the first time
    May 28, 2025
    600 km range and superfast charging – meet Volvo’s new electric truck
    May 20, 2025
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 on a long-haul route of over 1,500 kilometers
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 
    May 18, 2025
  • Reviews
    ReviewsShow More
    GR Supra pushes performance limits with A90 Final Edition and Lightweight EVO
    May 28, 2025
    The new BMW M2 CS
    May 28, 2025
    Defender upgraded: The unstoppable 4×4 is now even more distinctive 
    May 28, 2025
    From vision to Veyron: the evolution of a Bugatti icon
    May 17, 2025
    The new Mercedes-Maybach SL Monogram Series
    May 13, 2025
  • Tech
    TechShow More
    VNC Automotive Partners with P3 to Enhance the SPARQ OS Platform
    May 29, 2025
    Artificial intelligence: Audi boosts production efficiency
    May 28, 2025
    Greater efficiency and productivity with artificial intelligence – generative AI in BMW Group Purchasing
    May 19, 2025
    Aston Martin debuts Apple CarPlay Ultra for iPhone users
    May 16, 2025
    Mercedes-Benz customers in Germany can now purchase and pay for e-Vignettes directly from their vehicle
    May 15, 2025
Hot News
SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
Latest News

JETOUR EMERGES AS A DOMINANT FORCE AND INDUSTRY LEADER IN QATAR AND ANGOLA

Latest News

ROLLS-ROYCE MARKS 110TH ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY AT THE 1913 SPANISH GRAND PRIX

Reviews

Xperi Connected Car

Latest News

Lamborghini is a “Top Employer Italia” for the eleventh consecutive year

Font ResizerAa
The Auto MagazineThe Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Search
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Follow US
Crafted by Intellegere Media. © 2024 The Auto Magazine. All rights reserved.
Motosport

Hyundai heads to a happy hunting ground in Rally Italia Sardegna

2023 FIA World Rally Championship Round 6, Rally Italia Sardegna 01 - 04 June 2023 Thierry Neuville Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Itumeleng Garebatshabe
Last updated: May 28, 2024 10:35
By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
452 Views
7 Min Read
Share
7 Min Read
SHARE

Hyundai Motorsport is looking to continue its positive momentum at Rally Italia Sardegna from 31 May to 2 June, the sixth round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season, after claiming a first double-podium of the season at Rally de Portugal.

Similarly to round five, Rally Italia Sardegna comprises fast gravel stages that frequently alternate between wide and narrow roads. The picturesque backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea does not quite reflect the nature of the rally: deep ruts and extreme heat push both driver and machine to the limit, with the rough surface creating extremely abrasive conditions. These factors emphasise the importance of tyre choice, with crews looking for reliability and longevity as well as speed.

- Advertisement -
Ad image

The crews representing Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team will remain unchanged from Portugal: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe, Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja and Dani Sordo/Cándido Carrera. All three pairs performed well on the Iberian roads, using their experience to extract strong pace from the trio of Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid cars, while avoiding any major incident. This resulted in both of the team’s full season crews – Neuville/Wydaeghe and Tänak/Järveoja – standing on the podium, with Sordo/Carrera finishing closely behind in fifth.

A similar, if not better result will be the target at Rally Italia Sardegna, an event at which Hyundai Motorsport has excelled during its decade in the WRC. Since 2014, the team has scored six victories, 14 podium finishes and 88 stage wins on the Italian island. 

A brand-new format will be trialled at this year’s event. Competitive running will be spread across 48 hours, starting with Shakedown on Friday morning and finishing with the podium ceremony on Sunday afternoon. The condensed time frame also means a shorter overall competitive distance, with the 16 stages totalling just 266,12km. The shorter itinerary means the trio of crews must push their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid cars to the limit and make the most of every kilometre.

Hyundai Motorsport president and team principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “Portugal proved to be another positive step forward for the team. From the double podium to claiming the lead of the manufacturers’ championship, and even to Ott feeling more at one with the car, there was a lot of good to take away from the event. We go to Sardinia knowing that we have three crews that can push hard on gravel, so we are hoping for a strong result.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe

Neuville said: “Rally Italia Sardegna is a very technical event, so we need to have a faultless drive across the weekend. We need really accurate pace notes and a good setup; the difference in stages between the first and second pass can be huge, so we need to be able to adapt the car to those changes as well. The heat, tyre wear and length of the days are some of the biggest challenges we face throughout the event. This, paired with the little amount of sleep we get due to long road sections, makes it a unique challenge. There’s no pre-event test and shakedown is not representative at all of the remainder of the rally, so that will be the biggest obstacle for us.”

Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja

Tänak said: “I would say we had a good and solid weekend in Portugal, so we want to build on that and it’s a bit easier now that we have more pace. Sardinia has some big challenges; it can be very slippery and hard to get the necessary amount of grip. That, paired with the very hot temperatures, makes everything much more of a challenge. Running the same tyres over the first and second loop makes it harder to put a strong package together, so we need a lot of traction from the setup, especially when we start early on the road. It’s an event where rallying is a lot more interesting, and I always prefer that.” 

Crew Notes: Dani Sordo/Cándido Carrera

Sordo said: “Sardinia is a very similar surface to Portugal, but a bit more slippery in places. Portugal gave me good preparation for the event; I completed some good gravel kilometres at the last round. This year’s event is a lot more condensed, so we need a really fast start to get us the best possible road position for Saturday onwards. It’s an event where road position is really important, so we will see what we can do to optimise that. We need a lot of precision in the car because some passes are really narrow, meaning even more grip is needed to get the car through each pass safely.”

Weekend at a glance

The Rally Italia Sardegna begins on Friday morning 31 May with Shakedown, followed by the Osilo – Tergu (25,65km) special stage in the afternoon. Friday’s four competitive stages will cover a total of 77,82 km.

Saturday is the longest day of the event, when the crews have to cover 149 km in the space of 12 hours. Sunday concludes the weekend with four stages, including the 7,1 km-long Sassari – Argentiera 2 Power Stage.

TAGGED:2024 FIA World Rally ChampionshipHyundai MotorsportHyundai Shell Mobis World Rally TeamRally Italia Sardegna

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Stay Updated! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn VKontakte Telegram Email Copy Link Print
Share
ByItumeleng Garebatshabe
Editor
Follow:
Itumeleng is the Managing Editor of The Auto Magazine. He is a tech and car enthusiast

Follow US

FacebookLike
XFollow
InstagramFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TiktokFollow
TelegramFollow
Google NewsFollow
LinkedInFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

You Might Also Like

Motosport

Strong finish softens Hyundai’s pain at Safari Rally Kenya

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
April 3, 2024
Motosport

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing launches 2024 WRC challenge at iconic opener

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
January 19, 2024
Motosport

Rally Italia Sardegna delivers another win for Hyundai

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
June 3, 2024
Motosport

Double podium to start the season for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
January 29, 2024
Motosport

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing embarks on intense Italian island event

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
May 24, 2024
Motosport

Hyundai Motorsport sets sights on innovative technical solutions through new partnership with Akrapovič

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
January 17, 2024

The Auto Magazine

  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
  • Bikes
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Auto Shows
  • Latest News
  • Motosport

Made by Intellegere Media. All rights reserved. 2023

Don't not sell my personal information
Join Us!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner