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Hyundai Faces Challenges as Rally Islas Canarias Unfolds
Ott Tanak expressed that Hyundai was ‘clearly unprepared’ for the challenges of the Rally Islas Canarias, following a disheartening defeat to their World Rally Championship (WRC) rivals, Toyota.
The team acknowledged it underestimated the complexities of this season’s first pure asphalt rally, which culminated in a dominant 1-2-3-4 finish for Toyota. Despite entering the event with a sense of confidence—particularly after Thierry Neuville’s strong performance at Rally Sierra Morena—Hyundai struggled to optimize the setup and handling of its three cars in the Canary Islands. The team could not fully utilize Hankook’s hard compound tyres effectively.
Critical issues during the event were tied to the differentials chosen before the rally, which could not be altered as they are sealed components. This situation revealed fundamental challenges with Hyundai’s upgraded i20 N Rally1 car. As the rally progressed, Saturday and Sunday’s stages turned into a de facto test session, aimed at gathering insights for future competitions.
Adrien Fourmaux, who opted for a different differential configuration compared to his teammates, emerged as the top-performing Hyundai driver, finishing fifth yet lagging 2m31.0s behind the victorious Kalle Rovanpera.
The team still holds a homologation joker that it can utilize if significant changes to the i20 N Rally1 are deemed necessary. However, Tanak suggested that the underlying causes of their performance issues are complex and not easily resolved.
“Clearly we were not well prepared for this rally,” Tanak remarked post-race, finishing in sixth place, a sizable 3m11.4s off the lead. “It was a performance-driven event, and it was clear that the other manufacturer had the upper hand in preparation.”
He noted that “big lessons” would be taken from the event, yet the pathway to bridging the gap to Toyota’s pace is not straightforward.
Despite the frustration of being unable to contend with Toyota, Fourmaux remains optimistic about Hyundai’s ability to resolve its difficulties. He believes the challenges faced at this rally were unique and should not hinder their performance during future asphalt events, such as the upcoming Central European Rally in October.
“I’m truly frustrated by our inability to fight back, but we did discover some valuable insights regarding the car’s performance that we can apply going forward,” Fourmaux stated. “I’m pleased to have been the fastest of the three Hyundai drivers, as that internal competition was the only battle we had over the weekend. There are positives, especially since we won the ‘Hyundai Cup.’”
He expressed confidence in Hyundai’s capacity to adapt quickly when faced with setbacks, emphasizing that the Canary Islands event is just one race in the season. “As long as there aren’t too many more smooth, dry tarmac events, we should be on track for better results in the future.”
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