Hyundai Motorsport has registered a double podium finish in Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), following a competitive performance by all three its crews.
The “Gods of Speed” created a thrilling and entertaining event that went down to the wire with tantalisingly close battles and spectacular stages, in which the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid thrived.
At the end of the 18 stages, Craig Breen and James Fulton claimed their first podium finish with a second place, finishing ahead of their team-mates Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe.
The Belgians completed a sensational rally in third place, fighting back with determination from a tough opening day on which they were one of the first crews on the road. The result marks Neuville’s 50th WRC podium with Hyundai Motorsport in the team’s tenth championship season.
Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm, who had been podium contenders earlier in the weekend, finished the event in seventh place. They made up ground after losing seven minutes stuck in a snowbank on Saturday afternoon, and ended the rally with a Power Stage victory.
Sunday’s itinerary covered a repeat of the 26,48 km Västervik stage before returning to the 10,08 km Umeå Sprint that was first run in the dark on Saturday evening.
Neuville picked up another stage win in SS17, the second pass of the Västervik stage, leading a Hyundai 1-2 with Breen right behind. Heading into the Power Stage, the team set itself three objectives: to put Lappi in a position to fight for maximum points in the Umeå Sprint, to secure a double podium finish, and to support Neuville’s driver’s championship campaign by moving him up the standings.
To do that, the team decided to switch the positions of Neuville and Breen for the Power Stage. Tight margins on the classification meant that nothing was guaranteed in the final stage with Breen also needing to stay ahead of 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. 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)
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
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
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.”
Hyundai Motorsport team principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “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.”
