How Hyundai plans to approach the WRC’s rally of 'survival'

In motorsport, events don’t get much tougher than the World Rally Championship’s Safari Rally Kenya, just ask Hyundai Motorsport.

The Korean manufacturer is yet to crack the African classic, and has left no stone uncovered as its prepares to conquer what is regarded as one of the WRC crown jewel events, at its fifth attempt.

The brutal four-day blast through Kenya’s rugged and unforgiving gravel roads requires a blend of speed, patience, reliability and luck. Hyundai’s chief rivals Toyota have successfully unlocked this formula having won each of the last four editions since the rally rejoined the WRC calendar in 2021 after a 19-year hiatus.

This year the challenge is expected to increase with the event expanding to feature 21 stages, compiling 383 competitive kilometres.

Hyundai Motorsport

“Kenya is a test of reliability and stability, as well as of survival. It is a rally of attrition, so even though we may face setbacks during the weekend, there is always the chance of a great result so it is important to never give up,” said Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

The Safari Rally has proved to be a bogey round for Hyundai having scored a solitary podium, courtesy of Ott Tanak’s run to third in 2021. Kenya’s car-breaking roads have on many occasions highlighted reliability weaknesses in Hyundai the i20 N Rally1. Each year the team has addressed the problems that Kenya unearths, and this year there is hope it can succeed where in the past it has failed.

To bolster its bid, Hyundai has elected not to run the 2025 upgrade package it debuted in Sweden, and instead will field its 2024 specification car for drivers Thierry Neuville, Tanak and Adrien Fourmaux. Part of the reason for the decision to park its 2025 upgrades is the fact that the 2024 package is far more proven in tough conditions.

Hyundai does however find itself in a tough position. The team, yet to taste victory this year, is desperate to close the 48-point gap to Toyota in the manufacturers’ championship, on a rally Toyota has dominated. But Hyundai is fully aware that pushing too hard in Kenya often results in disappointment.

“It is strange because the two roughest rallies are probably Kenya and Greece, and in Greece we perform really well, but in Kenya not at all, so probably our car is designed for Greece, but not Kenya,” Abiteboul told DAZN News.

“Our approach will be very balanced but having said that we need to keep an eye on the championship, as we can see the excellent start by Toyota means if we want to stay within their reach, we need to do a good job and try to outscore them, and that will be the target.

“It is very much finding the right balance between bringing the car to the end, but at the same time keeping some Toyota cars behind. We will see if we can do that at an acceptable risk level.”

Adding an extra edge to this year rally will be the debut of Hankook’s gravel tyres that have yet to tackle this type of terrain in competition.

“The grip [from the tyre] is good but we are yet to experience it on tough, warm and rough conditions,” added Abiteboul.

“It looks like degradation could be a bit more of a factor to watch for but the grip is good and progressive. There is a bit more concern when grip levels are lower like when it is wet. For sure, if there is rain coming quickly then maybe there will be lots of humidity in the ground, and if that is the case then the tyre condition and grip may be a challenge.

“I think when the grip conditions are poor this is where the on/off behaviour of the tyre is more tricky to anticipate, but as always it is the same for everyone. We simply need to adapt the car and drivers to the parameters.”

DAZN

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