Sordo joins Hyundai WRC lineup for Italy
Dani Sordo, Hyundai Motorsport Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport Dani Sordo, will make his second outing of the 2020 WRC season for Hyundai at next month's Rally Italia. The Spanish veteran will drive Hyundai's third i20 Coupe WRC alongside regulars Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak at the Sardinia-based event from 8-11 October.
Sordo recorded just his second career WRC victory, and the first for Hyundai in Italy last year, helped by a misdirection in the Toyota of now teammate Tanak. The 37-year-old will make his first high-level start since Rally Mexico in March, the last event to take place before the global coronavirus pandemic. In that case, Sordo was forced to retire due to engine problems. So far this year, Hyundai has rotated its third seat between Sordo, nine-time champion Sebastien Loeb and Craig Breen, who completed a 1-2 result for the team behind Tanak at Rally Estonia earlier this month.
Loeb will make his first outing since the Monte Carlo season opener at Rally Turkey, which takes place this weekend. Hyundai has yet to reveal which driver it will turn to to drive its third car for the season finale in Belgium. With four rounds short and three to go this season, Hyundai is just five points behind rival Toyota in the manufacturers standings, while Tanak (pictured below) is the brand's best-placed driver, 13 points behind. from Toyota man Sebastien Ogier on top of the table.
Craig Breen will join Hyundai for the first World Rally Championship visit to Belgium in November, marking his third outing this season. Breen and his co-driver Paul Nagle will join Hyundai team regulars Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak for the season-ending Ypres Rally. It will be his third appearance in the 2020 WRC, following previous outings in Sweden and Estonia, although a planned foray into Rally Finland fell through after the event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Irish driver finished seventh in Sweden, before registering a second place behind his teammate Tanak in Estonia, equaling his career best result. The 30-year-old already has experience on the Ypres tarmac, having won the non-championship event last year behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo R5. In preparation, it will also take part in the Aarova Oudenaarde Rally and the Rally Belgium South in October.
Hyundai has rotated its third seat between Breen, Dani Sordo and rally legend Sebastien Loeb this year, with each driver having received two starts so far. Loeb's outing in Turkey, in which he finished third after leading for a while, is expected to be the last for Hyundai. He is ready to join Prodrive for an assault on the Dakar 2021.
Sordo's second WRC appearance of the year is scheduled at this month's Rally Italia, which will mark the penultimate round of the 2020 season interrupted by the coronavirus.
"Craig and Paul demonstrated in Estonia what they can achieve when they have the right tools to get the job done," said Hyundai team boss Andrea Adamo.
The Ypres Rally, which features a stage at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, will host the final round of the 2020 season from November 19-22.
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