Dani Sordo will accompany Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak on Rally Japan, the last round of the WRC in 2022. With Oliver Solberg out of the equation, the Cantabrian driver will try to help the brand in its fight for the constructors’ title.
Dani Sordo to complete Hyundai Motorsport’s driver line-up at Rally Japan behind the wheel of the team’s third ‘Rally1’, in what will be his fifth appearance in the 2022 WRC season. With Oliver Solberg out of the equation After the termination of his contract with the brand, the Cantabrian driver will have the opportunity to help the team both in the RACC Rally and in the Japanese event.
It seemed that Sordo’s program with Hyundai was going to be limited to four appointments once he has already contested the rounds in Portugal, Italy and Greece and is part of the entry list for the RACC Rally, his home event. However, the scenario within Hyundai Motorsport has changed and Dani will also be on the asphalt stages of the Rally Japanwith Oliver Solberg relegated to doing recce only.
Dani Sordo has contested three rallies to date and has finished third in all three events
This will give the Spanish driver the opportunity to help Hyundai Motorsport in the difficult task of getting the constructors’ title, especially since Toyota Gazoo Racing has a huge lead. All in all, Sordo will look for the best possible result both in the RACC Rally and in Japan, if the battle is still alive in this last appointment, to try to lift Hyundai to the top of the standings.
Till the date, Dani Sordo has performed at a high level every time he has gotten on the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, something really worthwhile due to the lack of competitive rhythm. In fact, the Spaniard has combined his program in the WRC with his first dabbles in off-road races such as Baja Aragón, perhaps opening a new path for his future once he leaves the World Rally Championship .
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Guarantee of results
To talk about Dani Sordo this season is to talk about the third step of the podium. The Spaniard has contested three rallies to date and has finished third in all three. The Spanish rider started the season with a third place in the always complex Rally de Portugalachieving another third place in the Rally of Italy-Sardinia, a test in which he has achieved victory on a couple of occasions.
Sordo’s last podium finish was at the recent Acropolis Rally, perhaps the most special because of how it was produced. In the end, Dani closed Hyundai’s hat-trick in an almost magical event for the brand in which Thierry Neuville scored the victory ahead of Ott Tänak and Sordo himself, achieving a historic hat-trick for the South Korean firm between the three of them.
The builders title
Hyundai Motorsport needs the experience and talent of Dani Sordo to speed up their options to achieve the title of constructors. The Spaniard, Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak have the difficult mission of beating the Toyota drivers in both Spain and Japan and scoring enough points to beat the Japanese brand. An almost impossible mission, since Toyota Gazoo Racing has a lead of 81 points.
Taking into account that the maximum score that a constructor can add in a rally is 52 pointsFollowing a one-two finish both at the end of the test and on the Power Stage, Hyundai’s options are very limited. In the Acropolis Rally, the most favorable event for the South Korean brand, Hyundai managed to reduce its disadvantage by 25 points, an insufficient amount given the circumstances.
Photos: Red Bull Content Pool