Nobody, Hyundai Motorsport first of all, could have expected such a difficult start as the one that saw the team based in Alzenau, Germany as the protagonist. The delays due to the clearance of the Rally1 project before, the arrival of the final version of the car in November and the accident involving Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe during development tests represented significant obstacles for the team. but thinking of such a disastrous start would have been difficult.
Retired Ott Tanak, retired Oliver Solberg, only sixth Thierry Neuville, who was good to reach the finish line despite a series of catastrophic film problems and add the 3 points of the Power Stage in which he managed to get an excellent third place.
But to try to analyze Hyundai’s terrible weekend it is good and correct to go in order. During the Shakedown Neuville had shown good things over the course of his three laps in the test, although in the last he managed to improve his time by just 2 tenths. Tanak and Solberg, on the other hand, already seemed to be in trouble. But the Shakedown often says little or nothing about the performance of cars and drivers.
The verdict, however, came a few hours later, with the first two special stages held on Thursday night. A Toyota duel against M-Sport, Ogier against Loeb, and all the Hyundai drivers light years away from the best. During the tests, things improved slightly, with Neuville and Tanak jumping up, but it was an ephemeral improvement, certainly not of such a level as to be able to play the victory in the special tests.
Do not deceive the stage victory obtained by Neuville and Wydaeghe in PS15, the Briançonnet / Entrevaux 1 of 14.26 kilometers. It was in fact the third to last test of the race, with all the riders intent on saving the tires in view of the Power Stage.
i20 N Rally1, how many problems
The first aspect that is good to tackle linked to the Monte-Carlo weekend are the reliability problems that slowed down the three crews from Alzenau. Oliver Solberg noted smoke from the engine that entered the cockpit at each test. This caused the Swede and Elliott Edmondson to tear and sting in the eyes, as well as a nuisance to attention during the special stages which proved decisive on Saturday morning, when Oliver went astray.
Thanks to the help of the public in the area of the accident, Solberg was able to return to the race and continue, even if penalized by a delay that could not be bridged by the leaders. Then, after the first special stage on Sunday morning, Solberg, together with the team, decided to retire due to a malaise due to smoke that for more than 2 days entered the cockpit of his i20.
![](https://cdn-8.motorsport.com/images/mgl/Yv8p9we0/s8/oliver-solberg-elliott-edmonds-1.jpg)
Ott Tanak instead experienced different problems. In the first two tests he complained of an engine problem, then a hydraulic problem, only to find himself the next day without the help of the electric motor (therefore the extra power given by the hybrid) for a special. The management of the hybrid was also crucial for a spin that saw the Estonian protagonist on Friday.
That’s not all, because then Tanak was forced to retire on Saturday, at the end of the morning lap, for having punctured 2 tires (he had 5 in all, only one spare) and for hitting a rock during the first one. passage in the Sisteron test, the only one that presented the conditions of a classic Monte-Carlo Rally. Ott, starting the test with half of this covered in snow and ice equipped with Soft slick tires, lost control of his i20 before a left-hand corner and ended up crashing, ruining his car. It is not clear whether the damage was to the engine or to one of its components, but at the end of the test the windshield of the i20 number 8 was full of liquid – probably oil – and Tanak was forced to retire.
![](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6zQ7VQjY/s8/ott-tanak-hyundai-motorsport-1.jpg)
Thierry Neuville, on the other hand, went through one of the toughest weekends since racing for Hyundai Motorsport. He had problems with the set-up due to the preparation tests for the event on slippery and not dry asphalt as it was last weekend. Many understeer and balance problems, a bad rear differential calibration, which caused the wheels to skid on the disconnected parts of the stages.
But that’s not all, because the Belgian also had to deal with a malfunction of the hybrid system (in the PS7 like Loeb), then on Saturday he raced with a broken shock absorber for 4 of the 5 tests carried out. This Monte-Carlo was particular due to the lack of Service on Fridays and Saturdays, so Neuville had to try to fix the fault with his own strength (even jumping on the hood of his i20 to get the element of the right front suspension).
The sixth place finish behind Sébastien Loeb, Sébastien Ogier, Craig Breen, Kalle Rovanpera and even Gus Greensmith well represents all the difficulties of the driver who was almost always the fastest of the three lined up by Hyundai during the race weekend in the Principality. On the other hand, Neuville has made several statements that have clearly indicated the difficulties of Hyundai: “I have never been so scared while driving”. “I have no feeling”, “We have to work on the geometry”, “The frame doesn’t seem to work”. Up to the eloquent: “I gave everything”, complete with a sudden change at the end of the race.
![](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0JBndrR0/s8/thierry-neuville-hyundai-world-1.jpg)
“With the shock I don’t know what happened. It came out of the hood and driving was very difficult. The rally was frustrating, disappointing. It was a very difficult weekend and the Power Stage, for me, was very disappointing.” , continued the native of Sankt Vith.
“I really pushed hard, but there was nothing in the performance. Martijn and I really did everything we could, but there was no performance.”
Hyundai, a month to analyze and fix
It is a paradox, but Hyundai Motorsport does not have to dismiss the Rallye Monte-Carlo quickly. The race will have to be analyzed in every aspect because in this moment the team must improve in every aspect. It will not be easy after the farewell of a charismatic figure like that of Andrea Adamo, capable of showing the way. But now the Piedmontese manager, in Alzenau, is gone.
This will have to lead all departments to review the work done over the past fall and winter. The i20 is not only lacking in reliability, but also a slow car. Or rather, slower than its rivals. the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 was already the best despite not having won the race. Only a puncture arrived in the penultimate stage took away a success that would have been deserved.
![](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/2y3MWOe6/s8/thierry-neuville-martijn-wydae-1.jpg)
M-Sport presented itself in the same way as in 2017, winning the first race of the new era of the WRC with a champion of the caliber of Loeb, but pay attention to the performances of Craig Breen and Gus Greensmith, respectively third and fifth. Hyundai, on the other hand, has to cling to what it has, and that’s no small feat.
He can count on a world champion like Ott Tanak. On Thierry Neuville, who certainly are not worth less than drivers like Kalle Rovanpera – good but still immature – Breen himself, but also Elfyn Evans and all the other owners who have Rally1 available. The pilots are there. The question mark remains, however, the car.
The Rally of Sweden, the next round of the WRC 2022, is one month away, because it will be held from 24 to 27 February. This month the team will have to look to transform the i20. The first step, however, could be related to the preparation of the event. The Rally of Sweden will be held entirely on snow, so, at least from a meteorological point of view, there should be no surprises. For this the preparation must be adequate. At that point we will be able to see better what Hyundai’s real problems have been: an inadequate i20 N, or a hasty preparation for the many events that have shaken the team from October onwards?
#WRC #Hyundai #disappointing #early #fail #i20