The World Rally Champion, Hyundai
Motorsport, will aim to start its seventh season as competitor on the front
foot with a strong result at Rallye Monte-Carlo this weekend.
As
reigning manufacturers' champion and with the current drivers' champion, Ott
Tanak, as part of its versatile crew line-up, the team is confident that it has
the strongest possible package to secure both titles in the 2020 World Rally
Championship.
Rallye
Monte-Carlo sets a demanding challenge for crews in the opening round of the
season. As the stages begin to vary in altitude, changeable weather conditions
and a mix of snow, ice and tarmac are brought into play; tyre choice and
concentration levels are critical to success.
All
three Hyundai Motorsport crews are well versed in the complexities and
tribulations of Rallye Monte-Carlo. Last year Thierry Neuville and Nicolas
Gilsoul scored the team's best result in Monte-Carlo to date, finishing just
2,2 seconds from the winner.
Newcomers
to the team, Ott Tanak and Martin Jarveoja, have achieved three consecutive
podium finishes in Monte-Carlo, while seven-time Monte winners Sebastien Loeb
and Daniel Elena were in contention for third with the Hyundai i20 Coupé WRC in
2019. As preparation all three crews tested in the Sisteron region in December,
followed by an additional day's testing in mid-January.
Team
principal Andrea Adamo said: "We are ready to face the new season head-on.
We have made no secret of our ambitions to go further than last year and to win
both the manufacturers' and drivers' championships in 2020.
“There
is always room for improvement, and our focus will be on maximising the
reliability and performance of the car to fight at the front at every event.
Everyone has been working hard in the off-season, and the fruits of our labours
will only be seen once the Hyundai i20 Coupé WRC takes to the stage in
Monte-Carlo."
Crew notes – Thierry
Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul:
"Rally
Monte-Carlo kicks off the season and we are straight into the dark stages. It's
a very tough event, and tyre choice is crucial. It's a difficult event in which
to compete; there's a lot of hesitation and you need good pace notes, as well
as accurate information from your weather crew,” said Neuville.
“With
different altitudes in the stages, high concentration is key. Conditions are
constantly changing and the most dangerous thing for us is black ice. We have
been competing in Gap for a few years now and we know which sections are in the
shade all day and will be slippery, but there will always be some surprises waiting
for us in Monte."
Crew notes – Ott
Tanak/Martin Jarveoja:
"The
start of a new year begins with probably the most demanding event of the
season. To make it even more challenging, we have a new team and a new car to
learn while tackling the tricky conditions. It will never be an easy job, but
it is important to get a good start and to score some points,” said Tanak.
“With
the event held at the end of January, the conditions are normally inconsistent,
and a lot depends on the altitude. In the lower conditions you can have dry
tarmac, then the higher you go it starts to freeze. With the extreme
conditions, its normal to find some unpredictability in this rally."
Crew notes – Sebastien
Loeb/Daniel Elena:
"You
never know what to expect at Rallye Monte-Carlo. It could be fully dry, wet or
feature a lot of snow, which changes the driving conditions. It can even change
between the stages and the road sections, which means tyre choice is even more
important,” said nine-times world rally champion Loeb.
“You
need to find the right rhythm to be fast without taking major risks. This rally
you need to approach with your head; it's not just flat out, it's a question of
reflection. My previous experience feels like a long time ago, so the rallies
feel newer to me than other drivers. We only had one day in the car before
Monte-Carlo last year, so hopefully with our current knowledge of the car we
will be able to get an even better result than last year."
Rallye Monte-Carlo at a glance:
The
Rallye Monte-Carlo begins on Thursday with an opening ceremony in Monaco before
crews tackle two night-time stages, Malijai-Puimichel (17,47 km) and
Bayons-Breziers (25,49 km).
Friday's
itinerary is the longest of the weekend, with two loops of three stages
totalling over 120 km: Curbans-Venterol (20,02 km), Saint-Clement-Freissinieres
(20,68 km) and Avancon Notre-Dame-du-Laus (20,59 km).
Saturday's
action moves to the north- and south-east of the Service Park with two stages,
St Leger-les-Melezes-La Batie-Neuve (16,87 km) and La Breole-Selonnet (20,73
km) run twice each.
After an evening service in Gap, crews
move back to Monaco for the final four stages on Sunday: Two runs of La
Bollene-Vesubie-Peira Cava (18.41km) and La Cabanette-Col de Braus (13.36km),
the latter acting as the event's Power Stage.
