Hyundai Motor has won the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC) in Italy, extending its winning streak to the third consecutive year, the carmaker said Monday.
The carmaker celebrated its stunning finish in the Rally Italia Sardegna, the sixth round of the FIA WRC, where Ott Tanak of Hyundai Motor snatched victory in the final stage of the event by just two-tenths of a second, it said. He drove Hyundai Motor’s i20 N Rally1 Hybrid vehicle.
The Estonian rally driver had been gaining on rally leader Sebastien Ogier throughout the day as their intense battle continued, yet it appeared the gap was insurmountable heading into the Power Stage. But this unpredictable rally held a final surprise: A puncture for Ogier saw the advantage swing back to Tanak when it mattered most.
“It is obviously a very emotional finish here,” Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said. “It looked like the win would once again escape from our grasp after Ott wisely decided to play it safe the other day. However, the latest result showed that you can also combine a smart approach to a rally with strong skills and the right momentum at the perfect time, resulting in a great win.”
The latest achievement enabled the carmaker to attain its seventh win in the event since 2004.
“It’s been a tough weekend, but it is great to finish with such a strong result,” Tanak said. “Let’s see what the next rallies will bring; we are moving into the second half of the season and we are definitely in the game.”
The WRC is an internationally renowned rallying series organized by the FIA. The event was inaugurated in 1973 and is the second-oldest world championship of the FIA after Formula One.
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