Hyundai Motorsport WRC Report: Round 2 Rally Sweden.

To do that, the team made a tactical decision to switch the positions of Neuville and Breen for the Power Stage, a strategy that was discussed with the crews involved. Tight margins on the classification meant that nothing was guaranteed in the final stage with Breen also needing to defend from fourth-placed Kalle Rovanperä, and Neuville requiring a clean stage to retain second.

Ultimately, the pendulum swung back into the favour of Breen who reclaimed his original position. Meanwhile, Lappi confirmed his pace with the Power Stage win, ensuring all three crews took fastest times in Rally Sweden, a total of ten between them, including three 1-2s.

Crew Notes: Craig Breen/James Fulton (#42 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)

• Intrepid performance from the Irish crew to secure their first podium of 2023
• Debut WRC podium for Fulton and fifth in total with Hyundai Motorsport for Breen

Breen said: “To be back battling at the front of the WRC has been absolutely brilliant. I’ve said many times this weekend that I’ve missed that feeling but to come back after a difficult period with a podium is unreal. It’s James’s first podium, as well, which is fantastic for him. We can be very proud of what we’ve achieved here in Sweden. Massive thanks to the team for putting their faith in us, and to James for a faultless job. I am over the moon to be back with this amazing team and car.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)

• Second podium of the season for the Belgian crew after a stunning comeback drive
• Five stage wins helped them move from seventh up to third with a stellar performance

Neuville said: “After a difficult Friday, in which we were one of the first on the road, I was not expecting this great result. Our preparations for the event were limited as I was sick for the pre-event test, so to come back to third place is incredible. It has been a strong rally for our team, with all three crews showing great performances and speed. With Craig/James taking second place and Esapekka/Janne grabbing five Power Stage points, there are excellent positives we can draw from the weekend.”

Crew Notes: Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (#4 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)

• Power Stage victory capped an encouraging weekend for the Finns
• Podium contenders until issues in SS13 lost them seven minutes

Lappi said: “There are many positives to take away from this weekend. We had good preparation for the rally and although the result wasn’t what we wanted; the pace was there. Second place would have been possible for us this weekend, so we need to be pleased with that, especially after what happened yesterday. We targeted the fastest time in the Power Stage. I didn’t think we had done enough, but in the end, we made it and gained some extra points. We need to build on this for Mexico, even if it will be an entirely different type of rally.”

“This is a great way for us to finish Rally Sweden, which has been eventful to say the least. We had a tricky start on Thursday, but then built great momentum from Friday onwards. We have scored 10 stage wins out of 18 that shows our team, car and crews have been very competitive. The turning point, unfortunately, was Saturday’s stage 13, where we lost the chance of a podium with EP through an incident that also slowed down Craig. We shifted EP’s strategy from that point to focus on the Power Stage, and it was brilliant to see that plan unfolding today with him taking maximum points. At the same time, we had an opportunity to try and move Thierry up the standings. We supported that strategy by electing to take a penalty for Craig. It didn’t work out as planned; the Gods of Speed decided otherwise and we completely respect that. We’re all still smiling, including Thierry who made a fantastic comeback. He was on the back foot from the start for lots of reasons, so to be back on the podium is a great story for him. Craig has just been mega all weekend, in terms of his speed and performance, but also his attitude in understanding the team situation. Overall, a tremendous team result.” -Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul