The opening stage of the final day of the 2014 Vodafone Rally de Portugal saw rally leader Sebastien Ogier lessen his pace while other drivers continued to push. Hyundai’s Dani Sordo, however, failed to make the start.
Further demonstrating his amazing skill of preserving tyres, Volkswagen Motorsport’s Sebastien Ogier finished the stage with the fifth fastest time, somewhat of a departure from yesterday’s pace. He went on to say the power stage wasn’t a priority, finishing the rally is. A push is still expected though, despite what’s been said.
Team mate Jari-Matti Latvala took the stage win in his Polo R WRC while Mads Ostberg completed 3.8 seconds slower. Third fastest went to Andreas Mikkelsen who just wanted to build up a better rhythm in the car.
Before the stage began, Hyundai’s Dani Sordo was forced to retire, plagued once again by a broken driveshaft, though this time the damage is thought to be more serious.
In WRC2, Nasser Al-Attiyah further increased his lead over Jari Ketomaa, who finished the stage after having lost a further 4.4 seconds to the class leader.
Hyundai Motorsport has been building up its new operation from scratch since the start of the year, establishing the team at a dedicated facility in Alzenau, Germany and recruiting specialists at every level of its organisation.
Test drivers are an integral part of the team’s development programme, requiring the necessary skills and experience to develop a competitive and reliable rally car in a short space of time.
Six months ahead of the debut at Rallye Monte-Carlo in January 2014, Hyundai Motorsport is in the process of carrying out an intensive test programme to evaluate and develop the i20 WRC on all terrains and conditions.
Hänninen won the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2010 followed by the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship and the FIA European Rally Championship titles in 2011 and 2012 respectively. He will be a valuable asset for the team to prepare the assault to the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship.
Hyundai Motorsport will soon be in a position to announce a second test driver for the remainder of the 2013 test phase. 2014 drivers will be announced at the end of the year.
Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Michel Nandan commented: “We’re very pleased to welcome Juho on board for our 2013 test programme. I’m sure his experience and background will contribute to the project and I’m happy with the job he’s done so far.
We have decided to work with different drivers with unique skills and capabilities this year, which will provide us with valuable feedback for 2014.
Hänninen said: “I’m delighted to be part of the Hyundai Motorsport testing programme for this year. It’s a fantastic opportunity to work closely to a manufacturer and to give my contribution to this great challenge.
The first run with the i20 WRC was quite positive for me; I’m very impressed with the work the team has done so far in such an incredibly short space of time. I feel comfortable with everyone in the team and I look forward to carry on working with them in the next six months.”