While Sébastien Ogier served an upset to win his seventh World Rally Championship at the season-ending Rally Monza, over in the manufacturers’ stakes, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT held off Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT to secure its second consecutive title.
Notably, the Germany-based Korean team managed the feat without the aid of lead driver Thierry Neuville, himself looking to break the duck and win the drivers’ championship after four straight runner-up finishes. The Belgian was in contention but clattered a chicane bollard in SS4 – damaging his right front suspension in the process – and then drowned the engine of his i20 Coupe WRC in a water crossing.
With Neuville out, Hyundai’s hopes fell onto last year’s champion Ott Tänak and Dani Sordo. Tänak needed Toyota drivers Ogier and Elfyn Evans to retire (Evans crashed out in SS11) and win both the rally and the Power Stage in order to retain his title. But he finished second in both, with Ogier winning the rally outright.
Even so, with Sordo coming home third in the rally and fifth in the Power Stage, Hyundai bagged a total of 33 points and, crucially, five bonus points. The decent haul allowed the team to beat Toyota by just those five points, with 241 points versus 236.
-
- 2020 FIA World Rally Championship Round 07 Rally Monza 03-07 December 2020 Action, Day 3, Ott Tanak, Martin Jarveoja, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC Photographer: Fabien Dufour Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
-
- 2020 FIA World Rally Championship Round 07, Rally Monza 03-06 December 2020 Dani Sordo, Carlos Del Barrio, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC Photographer: Helena El Mokni Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
-
- 2020 FIA World Rally Championship Round 07, ACI Monza Rally 3 – 6 December 2020 Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Hyundai is not that superior in WRC scene. Toyota has the top 2 drivers.
Reason Hyundai clinched the championship is because in.the top 25.driver listings Hyunsai has 8 drivers. Toyota only has 5.
Its like brazil playing world cup football against france. Brazil has 5 players, France has 8.
Or Williams racing team field 4 F1 cars while McLaren has 2.
If you count Toyota top 5 drivers points versus Hyundai top 5 drivers, Toyota easily above.
Toyota has the top drivers, but lose?
You’re a very funny guy… :D
When all the big players had already left….
good job hyundai
As usual: If there’s another team competing with Toyota, Toyota always lose… :D
What base model homologation is this?i30?