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may 03, 2017 - Hyundai

WRC - Two in a row for Hyundai Motorsport

In one of the most electrifying #wrc finales in memory, #hyundai Motorsport has claimed a stunning victory in #rally #argentina.

In one of the most electrifying #wrc finales in memory, #hyundai Motorsport has claimed a stunning victory in #rally #argentina, the fifth round of the 2017 FIA World #rally Championship (WRC), with #thierryneuville and Nicolas Gilsoul.

The result marks the team’s second win in a row after Tour de Corse, and its fifth #wrc victory in total. Not only is it the first time that #hyundai Motorsport has secured back-to-back successes, the Belgian crew also become the first repeat winners of the 2017 season.

It was a less positive final day for the two other #hyundai Shell Mobis World #rally Team crews. Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard took sixth place overall, despite experiencing power steering issues for most of the final stage.

Meanwhile, the troubles continued for Dani Sordo and Marc Martí as they picked up a front-right puncture in the Power Stage. They were able to bring their car home to take eighth overall.

Epic showdown

After a torrid start to the #rally on Friday, the #5 crew of Neuville and Gilsoul began an epic fight-back on Saturday to reduce the gap to #rally leader Elfyn Evans. From one minute down at the start of the second day, they started Sunday’s three stages with just an 11.5-second deficit. With an incredible stage win in SS17 (Mina Clavero – Giulio Cesare), the duo reduced the gap to just 0.6-seconds.

The stage was set for the ultimate showdown with two crews vying head-to-head for victory in the El Condor Power Stage. A quick and clean run by Neuville was enough, as he triumphed by a mere 0.7-seconds. The result enters the history books as the third closest ever finish in #wrc after #rally Jordan in 2011 (0.2s) and #rally NZ in 2007 (0.3s).

Taking Power stage spoils as well, Neuville picked up the maximum 30 points on offer in #argentina to advance to third in the increasingly close-fought Drivers’ standings.

#wrc thriumph in Argentinia">DownloadShareCrew Notes: Neuville/Gilsoul (#5 #hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

Neuville and Gilsoul took a total of five stage wins over the #rally #argentina weekend as they put in an impressive comeback. Today’s win represents their fourth #wrc win as a #hyundai Motorsport crew and the first time they have won twice in a single season. Victory in the final El Condor stage also continued Neuville’s unbroken run of Power Stage points this year, which now totals 19.

I cannot believe it. I have never had such a nerve-wracking final few minutes of a #rally in my career. It’s an amazing result and I have to say thanks first of all to the team for everything they’ve done. Congratulations also to Elfyn, who put up an incredible fight this weekend. I gave it absolutely everything I had in today’s final stages. After the difficult start to the #rally, I would have been happy to take second but it’s a special feeling to win again. It has been an exciting but crazy #rally from the start, so to come away with the victory is fantastic. We wanted to build up our momentum after Corsica and this was the perfect way to do just that. To have the Power Stage win is just the icing on the cake and gives us a very important boost in the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championship. We could not have asked for more.

Crew Notes: Paddon/Kennard (#4 #hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

Paddon and Kennard had little in the way of good fortune this weekend, in an event that they impressively won twelve months ago. Today’s Power Stage may have been reminiscent of their experiences from 2016, but their own result was a stark contrast. Two stage wins on Friday were a highlight of a tough weekend.

You could not have written a script more opposite to what we had here last season. We’ve gone from a career high to a result that is much lower on the scale. I just can’t believe our luck. Our issue on Friday was long behind us as we started to show some improved performance. There was not much we could do about our position but we wanted to build a rhythm. I didn’t have the feeling with the car in this morning’s stages, and that culminated with a power steering problem in the Power Stage. We struggled to the finish but sixth place is not where we want to be.

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