Hyundai Motorsport is the only marque in the premier class yet to win in the hybrid era of the WRC. M-Sport won the Monte Carlo Rally at the hands of Sébastien Loeb, while Toyota debuted its record in Sweden thanks to Kalle Rovanperä. In this scenario, the World Rally Championship is already setting its sights on Croatia, the third date on the calendar and the first on pure asphalt. A perfect event for Hyundai to continue its progression.
The South Korean manufacturer started its ‘Rally1’ project lateso the development work on its hybrid vehicle was carried out in a very short period of time. The team suffered this circumstance in Montecarlowith a Hyundai i20 N Rally1 that had various problems of youth and reliability. Things were much better in Swedenwith the first podium for Thierry Neuville and the first points for Ott Tänak and Oliver Solberg, even if the former had to retire due to a problem in the hybrid system outside the team.
In this aspect, Hyundai assumes that its discreet start to the season has not been the responsibility of its drivers and maintains its line-up for the third round of the championship. With Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak as permanent members of the brand’s squad, Oliver Solberg will once again drive the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1 on Croatian tarmac stages. The Norwegian driver had to retire in Monte Carlo and finished sixth in Sweden, a position that does not do justice to his pace after suffering some mechanical problems.
For Oliver Solberg it will be his seventh rally in the premier class of the WRC after contesting a total of four events in 2021 with the Hyundai i20 WRC Coupe. Fixed for the time being in the Hyundai Motorsport lineup, as Dani Sordo is expected to start with the alternating dynamics in the third car in Portugal, the young Norwegian driver continues burning stages in his training. With an increasingly solid rhythm, his first WRC podium looks closer.
Rally Croatia will be a challenge for Petter Solberg’s son, as the Fredrikstad-born driver did not contest this event in 2021, in the country’s debut in the WRC. This fact and his natural predilection for other types of surfaces that are not asphalt mean that Solberg has a major challenge ahead of him, but also a unique opportunity to continue adding experience on black tar. A bet to be taken into account by Hyundai if you take into account that Dani Sordo is a renowned specialist on this surface.
Photos: Red Bull Content Pool