The recent World Rally Championship season brought unique internal dynamics inside the Hyundai service park after the team had to swiftly adjust following the departure of Ott Tanak. Management ultimately decided to split driving duties in the third i20 N Rally1 car among three experienced names: Esapekka Lappi, Dani Sordo, and Hayden Paddon.
Speaking on Krunching Gears – The Rally Podcast, Hyundai sporting director Andrew Wheatley opened up about the tactical decisions made throughout the campaign. A particularly intriguing moment occurred on the snowy stages in Sweden, where Lappi showed extraordinary pace that forced the pit wall to intervene.
"EP was quicker than the other two drivers in Sweden. We had to pay him to slow down, which is a good position," Wheatley recalled with a laugh regarding the team orders that allowed Adrien Fourmaux to secure fifth place.
On the other hand, Paddon delivered performances that far exceeded initial expectations from the squad. The seasoned campaigner secured two remarkable podium finishes, taking third place on the asphalt roads in Croatia and mounting a strong victory challenge in Paraguay before finishing as runner-up behind Toyota standout Sami Pajari.
Meanwhile, Lappi's overall season was summarized by management as a mixed fifty-fifty campaign. Following a strong fourth-place finish at Safari Rally Kenya, the Finnish driver struggled for pace in Estonia and suffered an early retirement following a crash in Finland, rounding off a dramatic year for the third car.
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