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Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 4 – Tour de Corse

Posted: March 28, 2019 4:36 AM

Hyundai Motorsport returns to tarmac for the fourth round of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), taking place on the tight and twisty roads of Tour de Corse next week.

The iconic rally on the picturesque island of Corsica sees WRC crews tackle some of the most technically demanding, narrow and winding stages of the season, underscoring the event’s status the so-called “Rally of 10,000 Corners”.

Hyundai Motorsport will field a trio of tarmac specialists for Tour de Corse, in a bid to regain ground in its manufacturers’ championship campaign after a lacklustre result in Mexico.

All three crews have previously taken victories on Corsica with seven wins between them. Belgians Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul took the honours for Hyundai Motorsport in 2017, in addition to an Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) win in 2011.

Joining them as part of the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team line-up in the 2019 edition will be Dani Sordo/Carlos del Barrio and Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena. The Spanish crew took an IRC triumph in 2012 while Loeb scored four consecutive wins from 2005 to 2008.

Following a difficult Rally México, Hyundai Motorsport will be looking to bounce back quickly at Tour de Corse. A heavily revised route has resulted in 80% of the routes being new for this year: the rally tours from Porto-Vecchio in the southeast of the island on an anti-clockwise trajectory through Bastia, where the Service Park is located, to culminate at Calvi in the northeast.

All three crews have tested the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC on tarmac in preparation for the event, well aware that the high level of competition between manufacturers will create an intense battle for the front-running positions.

Team Director Andrea Adamo said:
“We remain in an upbeat and positive frame of mind heading to Corsica. The start of the season may not have delivered the results we are here to fight for, but there have been positives that give us cause for optimism. Our Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC is now ready to take on an entirely different challenge on the roads of Corsica. As a team, tarmac performance was an area on which we focused considerably last season, with improvements throughout the season. We have three specialist crews behind the wheel, so we hope we can put up a representative fight in this event.”

Crew Notes: Neuville/Gilsoul (#11 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Fourth place in Mexico saw the Belgian drop to third in the drivers’ championship Twice victorious in Corsica, including Hyundai Motorsport’s win in 2017

Neuville said: “Corsica is a very nice event and I have great memories from previous years. I have won there twice, once in IRC and then again with Hyundai Motorsport in WRC two years ago. It’s a challenging event, with lots of corners, but a rally that I enjoy and relish. The recce is very long and demanding, but once you are in the car and can find a good flow it is a rewarding rally, one from which you can find a good sensation. As our first event of the season on tarmac, and following the less-than-straightforward weekend in Mexico, I hope we can get things back on track.”

Crew Notes: Sordo/Del Barrio (#6 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Strong performance in Mexico despite retirement on opening day
Won in Corsica in 2012, and claimed podium for Hyundai Motorsport in 2017

Sordo said: “The first tarmac rally of the season, Corsica is a rally where I really feel comfortable and competitive. The stages are really nice, set against a postcard backdrop, but incredibly demanding too. Long stages and loops can make tyre selection and management quite tricky. The stages themselves put pressure on the car and crew with tight, twisty corners that require maximum attention and focus. Carlos and I won Tour de Corse in IRC back in 2012, while I also finished on the podium a few years ago with Hyundai Motorsport. I hope our past success and experience, together with the performance of our i20 Coupe WRC, can help us fight for a good result this year.”

Crew Notes: Loeb/Elena (#19 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Four-time Tour de Corse winners return to Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
Third WRC event of 2019, but first tarmac rally for the team

Loeb said: “Corsica is a beautiful event, with stunning landscape close to the sea, and magnificent island setting. It’s a wonderful place for rallying and as the French round of the championship it is a very special atmosphere for me. An extremely technical rally, there are many different types of road with some bumpy places and some fast sections. In fact, it seems to get faster each year. It is tricky to find the right rhythm throughout each stage, and the weather can also play an influential factor – sometimes raining in the mountains but drier close to the coast. Not an easy one, but fun!”

Tour de Corse takes in 14 competitive special stages over three full days of action. Following a shakedown and ceremonial start at Porto-Vecchio on Thursday, the region kick-starts the competition on Friday morning with an initial loop of Bavella (17.60km), Valinco (25.94km) and Alta-Rocco (17.37km). Crews will not have the luxury of a lunchtime service on Friday, moving onto a repeat loop in the afternoon. Saturday’s stages in the Bastia region make up more than half of the total rally distance with the loop consisting of Cap Corse (25.62km), Désert des Agriates (14.45km) and monster Castagniccia (47.18km) stages. The final morning moves northwest for an early challenge through Eaux de Zilia (31.85km) and the single Power Stage run at Calvi (19.34km).

The Toyota Yaris WRC takes on the twisting turns of Corsica

Posted: March 28, 2019 4:35 AM

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team takes the lead of the drivers', co-drivers' and manufacturers' standings to the French island of Corsica for the first pure asphalt round of the season, the classic Tour de Corse. Championship leader Ott Tänak will look to continue his recent run of podium finishes on an event where he finished second last year, with team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke also out to replicate strong performances on previous visits to Corsica.

The Tour de Corse is also known by its nickname of ‘The Rally of 10,000 Corners' thanks to its narrow and twisting stages. Stages are on average longer than on any other round, which coupled with abrasive asphalt makes tyre wear a major consideration. With the mountain roads often lined by rock faces on one side and steep drops on the other, there is little room for error.

The route has been changed significantly for 2019, with new stages making up 75 per cent of the competitive distance. There is a new start location in Porto-Vecchio in the south of the island, where two loops of three stages will be held on Friday with no service until the end of the day at Bastia airport. Saturday features three stages each run twice around the north east of the island, before heading west for the final two stages ahead of the finish in Calvi.

Quotes:

Tommi Mäkinen (Team Principal)
“We will go to Corsica feeling optimistic about our chances, particularly after our strong performance there last year when we were fastest on half of the stages. It is a very challenging rally, as I found out many times when I was driving, but our drivers have all shown they can be fast there. With so many corners and really long stages, you need to have full confidence in the car, otherwise you can lose a lot of time. That is why it is very important to get the setup right. This year, that will be especially true on Friday because there isn't a proper service in the middle of the day to make big changes. But I know that our team has been preparing as well as possible and hopefully we can have another strong weekend.”

Martin Järveoja and Ott Tänak
Ott Tänak (Driver car 8)
“I am looking forward to Corsica. Being first on the road there as championship leader should be a good thing, as this is the best place to be on asphalt where the road is cleanest. In the past, Corsica was probably the rally on which I struggled the most, but we had good pace last year on our first time there in the Toyota Yaris WRC. We know that we have a really strong package now on asphalt, so I believe that we can have a good performance. I'm sure that some of our rivals will be very fast too, but the aim is to continue our positive start to the season and keep scoring as many points as possible.”

Miikka Anttila and Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala (Driver car 10)
“Corsica is a rally I always look forward to. The asphalt is abrasive so provides good grip, and the road is usually pretty clean. The island itself is very beautiful too. I like the changes to the route this year. A couple of the stages were used when I won the rally in 2015, so I have good memories of those. I had a good test earlier this week: We did 200 kilometres and tried a lot of things, not only for this rally but also development for the future. On Rallye Monte Carlo I struggled with understeer, so we worked on that and improved the turning, as well as the braking, and I'm feeling more confident with the car. Now I've got a couple of days of relaxing at home, and feeling ready for the recce to start on Monday”

Seb Marshall and Kris Meeke

Kris Meeke (Driver car 5)
“I've had good times in Corsica in recent years: My speed's always been there. It's always a huge challenge, and especially so this year with about 75 per cent of the route being completely new. For that reason, I think making good pace-notes on the recce is going to be an equally important part of the challenge. I had a good feeling with the Yaris WRC in asphalt trim in Monte Carlo, but it was a very different rally to Corsica – except perhaps for the Power Stage where we went pretty well! I enjoyed my pre-event test last Sunday, even though it was a lot to learn in just one day on just one road. But I think we're quite clear on our direction for the setup, and I'm looking forward to the rally.”

C3 WRC SETS SAIL FOR CORSICA

Posted: March 28, 2019 4:33 AM

The first rally to be contested on clean tarmac this season, round four of the 2019 WRC is also Citroën Total World Rally Team’s home event. Hopes are therefore high for the French outfit’s crews, Sébastien Ogier – Julien Ingrassia and Esapekka Lappi – Janne Ferm, especially as the major changes made to the route may well suit them.

Having won last year’s rally after leading from start to finish, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia spearhead the challenge of the Citroën Total World Rally Team on the Mediterranean island this season with the firm intention of claiming a third win in four races, following victories in Monte-Carlo and Mexico. The French crew, who also won the 2016 Tour de Corse on a route that had already undergone substantial changes, have shown in the past their ability to take good pace notes on the two runs allowed in recce, before then really going for it on the increasingly wide roads used on the island rally. Sunday’s leg in Monte-Carlo, contested on dry tarmac, equally confirmed that they were full of confidence when driving the C3 WRC on this surface.

Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm also stood out at the 2017 Tour de Corse, finishing as top performers with four stage wins (one tied), including the Power Stage, as the battle among the championship contenders for bonus points raged around them. They were even in contention for third place before a puncture put paid to their challenge on the penultimate stage. So the young Finnish driver comes into this round with genuine hopes of a strong result on a surface where he feels particularly at home, having competed in karting races between the ages of six and sixteen.

Long-time leader in 2017 and winner of three stages during last year’s rally, the C3 WRC has always been very competitive at this round, where its celebrated predecessors (Xsara Kit-Car, Xsara WRC and C4 WRC) have won the event a total of six times in the past. The new Citroën crews each had two days of testing in the car on the Corsican roads last week to review and fine-tune the set-up options.

REACTIONS FROM…

Pierre Budar, Citroën Racing Team Principal
“Obviously, the French round of the WRC is a special event for us and in front of our home crowd, we’re determined to finish on the podium for the fourth time in as many races. Nevertheless, we know just how unforgiving these roads can be, especially as this year’s itinerary focuses on endurance. And at this time of year, the weather can also be fairly unpredictable. In any case, Sébastien and Esapekka have both shown undeniable speed on these types of road, as has the C3 WRC, and preparations in Corsica last week mean that we come into the rally in good shape.”

Sébastien Ogier, Citroën Total WRT driver
“The route has been changed quite a lot again this year, but that has already happened before here, which has meant that I have often had to get to grips with new stages and that tends to suit me. It adds a bit of stress and adrenaline to the race, and it can lead to there being bigger gaps than usual. When the stages are new for everyone, obviously the difference comes from who does a very good job during recce and then has sufficient confidence in their pace notes to push right from the word go. We also know about the qualities of the C3 WRC on tarmac. Our pre-event testing was really productive and the feeling was good in the car. Clearly, I'm also very keen to do well at our home round of the WRC and keep our good run of form going.”

Number of appearances at the event: 5
Number of wins: 2 (2016 and 2018)

Esapekka Lappi, Citroën Total WRT driver
“I have always really enjoyed this rally and I can't wait to get started. I love driving on clean tarmac like here or in Catalonia. The challenge will be to take good pace notes from the word go. I think pace notes are even more important on asphalt than on gravel in order to get the line right and to know what speed you can carry through corners. With the revised itinerary, we’ll all be in the same boat as regards familiarity with the stages. Although it won't be easy, it’s an opportunity for us, since we generally have a bit less knowledge of the roads on the other rallies. In any case, our tests went well and I feel confident. I hope I can be at least as competitive as last year.”

Number of appearances at the event: 3
Best result: 6th (2018)

KEY FIGURES

TOUR DE CORSE SCHEDULE
(GMT+1 until 30/03, GMT+2 from 31/03)

With the opening leg taking the crews from Porto-Vecchio to Propriano, then heading north on day two towards Castagniccia, Cap Corse and the Désert des Agriates, before finishing next to Calvi, this year’s edition of the classic island rally remains faithful to the recently-restored tradition of touring the whole of Corsica.

In addition to the various regions covered, the 2019 Tour de Corse has plenty of other ingredients to make it a serious test. The total competitive distance is now close to 350km (compared with 333.48km in 2018), Friday's leg only has a tyre-fitting zone at the midway point, Saturday features some 174.50km with two runs on the 47.18km-long and especially demanding Castagniccia stage, all rounded off with a longer Power Stage (19.34km) than usual, set against the magnificent backdrop of the Fango valley.

The other major difficulty stems from the fact that more than 62% of the itinerary has been revamped. Of the fourteen stages, only three – Valinco (SS2/SS5, 25.94km), last contested in 2015 , Cap Corse (SS7/SS10, 25.62km) and Désert des Agriates (SS8/SS11,14.45km), both contested last year – are familiar to the current crop of world championship crews. This makes it all the more important for them to get to grips with and take good paces notes on the 133.34 new kilometres in just two passes during recce at a limited maximum speed (80kph). Recce looks set to be every more crucial than usual and will call for unremitting concentration throughout.

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team - RETURN OF THE TARMAC

Posted: March 27, 2019 12:37 PM

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen will make a return to Tarmac when the FIA World Rally Championship ventures to next week’s Corsica Linea - Tour de Corse.

Having already proven the pace of their EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC on snow and gravel, the duo will be looking to do the same on asphalt – challenging for the top results at the legendary Rally of 10,000 Corners.

Both top-specification Fiestas will be fitted with the latest aerodynamic updates and the team conducted a comprehensive two-day test on the island earlier this week – targeting various set-up configurations for optimum performance.

The event also marks the debut outing for the team’s all-new Ford F-Max trucks. The F-Max is this year’s International Truck of the Year and is a truly international Ford product – starting life in the Dunton design studio before being built and distributed by Ford Otosan in Turkey.

The two F-Max trucks will accompany the team throughout the remainder of the European season – keeping M-Sport Ford on track whilst being proudly displayed in the service parks of Europe.

Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:
“Having already proven our pace on snow and gravel, I’m confident that we can do the same on asphalt. The Fiesta has always had a good chassis for sealed-surface rallying, and the team have been working extremely hard to fine-tune the set-up and ensure we’re as ready as we can be.

“The vast majority of the route is new this year which provides something of a level playing field, and there’ll also be a real element of endurance on Friday when we complete the whole day without service. The crews are going to have to be especially focused and a clever drive could well bring home the points.

“Elfyn loves this event and he’s done well here in the past. It’s where he first led a round of the championship and I see no reason why he can’t repeat the podium he secured last time out in Mexico. The competition will be fierce, but we’ve got as good a chance as anyone!

“Teemu started his career on asphalt but this is the only event he’s not yet tackled with a world rally car. I think we’ll see some good speed from him again this weekend, but he won’t have a fantastic road position and his goal is to finish all of the stages for maximum experience.”

TOUR DE CORSE
10,000 CORNERS
Known as the Rally of 10,000 Corners, the Tour de Corse is one of the most iconic events on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. Not only is the island event the first pure asphalt rally of the year, but it’s also a tough test of endurance, focus and skill with narrow roads than wind their way through the mountains.

This year’s route has been heavily revised once again with more than two-thirds of the stage distance differing from last year. The event gets underway in the southern town of Porto-Vecchio and the onus will be on endurance with no service before the return to the Bastia-based service park that evening.

Saturday’s action accounts for more than half the rally’s competitive distance, and the final day incorporates two tests in the Balagne region before a ceremonial finish in the north-western town of Calvi.

The asphalt may not be as abrasive as it once was, but there remains plenty to catch out the unwary. Pacenotes must be made and delivered with pin-point accuracy as the narrow roads leave little room for error. And this rally can just as easily be won and lost on the pre-event reconnaissance as it can on the stages themselves!

ELFYN EVANS
SCOTT MARTIN
Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin will be looking to follow their Rally Mexico podium with a similar result at next week’s Tour de Corse. The Welshman has historically gone well at the Corsican fixture. It’s where he first led a round of the FIA World Rally Championship and he’ll be aiming to secure another strong result at the event next week.

Previous starts: 4
Best result: 2nd (2015)

Elfyn Evans said:
“I’m looking forward to the first proper Tarmac event of the season, and this year’s Tour de Corse will be a real challenge with about two-thirds of the route made up of completely new stages. The recce is going to be really important and there’s going to be a lot of work needed on the pacenotes.

“This is a demanding rally but the stages themselves are really nice to drive. It was great to get a podium last time out in Mexico, and that really propelled us up the championship standings. It gives us a top-five starting position next week, and we need to capitalise on that and aim for another strong result.

“We spent two days testing together with Teemu and the car feels really good. Everything went to plan and I feel as though we should have some good pace. We’re all looking for another podium and will work as hard as we can to achieve it.”

TEEMU SUNINEN
MARKO SALMINEN
Teemu Suninen may have started his career on asphalt, but the Tour de Corse remains the only event that he has not yet contested with the power and performance of a world rally car. The young Finn has contested the event on three previous occasions as part of the WRC 2 category, and he and co-driver Marko Salminen will have their eyes on a clean and tidy drive next week.

Previous starts: 3
Best result: 8th (2017)

Teemu Suninen said:
“I’m really looking forward to the first pure asphalt event of the year. I started my career on this surface – but driving a go-kart is quite different to mastering a world rally car!

“In preparation, Elfyn and I split a couple of days testing and the car felt really good. On a rally like the Tour de Corse it’s really important to find a good balance with the car and I think we managed that.

“I didn’t compete here last year and the route is said to be quite different this year. From what I understand, the stages are slightly faster and a bit closer to the type we see in Catalunya.

“It will be interesting to see, but for us the most important thing is to finish the rally with a clean bill of health. If we can do that it will make the next part of the season mentally so much easier.”

JUNIOR WRC STARS LOOK TO CONQUER COMPLEX CORSICA

Posted: March 27, 2019 12:29 PM

The mountainous Mediterranean island of Corsica, France, hosts round two of the 2019 FIA Junior WRC Championship from March 28 - 31.

The all-asphalt Tour de Corse presents another challenge for the WRC’s next generation of superstars, one that contrasts greatly to the season-opening snow and ice of Rally Sweden.

The Junior WRC Rally Sweden podium was made up entirely of championship rookies with Roland Poom and Jan Solans in second and third respectively. On home territory, Tom Kristensson opened his Junior WRC Championship with a calculated and measured victory. The result was only hint of the drama and excitement surrounding the start of the 2019 Junior WRC Championship.

Drivers who felt comfortable on snow and ice had a significant advantage in Rally Sweden, but Corsica promises the opposite, with those more accustomed to tarmac at a significant advantage.

Testing crews to the limit

Known as ‘The rally of 10,000 corners’, the Tour de Corse presents each Junior WRC crew an intense physical and mental challenge that can see crews tested to and beyond their limits. It is the perfect rally for crews to push and develop themselves in their bid for WRC stardom.

Due to the high number of twists and turns, a meticulously-prepared set of pace-notes are key to emerging victorious on Tour de Corse. The soft and forgiving snow banks of Sweden have been swapped for merciless rock faces, deep ditches and treacherous drops. Even the slightest mistake on this island rally could spell disaster for a crew’s rally and even their championship hopes.

Corsican complications

Other complex elements for crews to deal with are tyres and weather. Crews could only use one type of Pirelli tyre in Sweden, the Sottozero Ice, whereas in Corsica they will have three types of rubber available; Hard (P Zero RK5), Soft (P Zero RKW 7) and Rain (Cinturato RW).

Crews receive a base setup from M-Sport which they will be free to finetune to find the sweet spot in the suspension settings.

Surviving day one is a further complexity crews will need to bear in mind, with no service until the conclusion of the first full day of rallying. Any mistakes that lead to damage, particularly early on, could prove costly, with only basic tools and one mechanic during the mid-day tyre fitting zone.

FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager, Maciej Woda, said:

“The Tour de Corse is a very unique rally and every aspect of it is a challenge for the crews and the team. The relationship between the driver and co-driver is really put to the test here and it can be very rewarding for the crews that are well-prepared. It is the only tarmac rally for Junior WRC in 2019, with very different conditions to Rally Sweden, meaning the crews will have a different learning curve with the all-new EcoBoost-powered Fiesta R2 car. From a competition perspective I am very excited for this rally, as there are a lot of talented drivers with a very strong chance of winning this rally.”

What the drivers said:

Entry List

Posted: March 6, 2019 10:33 AM

France - Tour de Corse (J) - 28-31 Mar 19 - ENTRY LIST

Hyundai Motorsport reveals driver line-up for Tour de Corse

Posted: February 19, 2019 1:21 PM

Hyundai Motorsport has announced that Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo and Sébastien Loeb will pilot the three Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC cars at Tour de Corse, round four of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

In a change to its original plans for the season, the team will call on its tarmac specialist crews in a bid to strengthen its chances in the tight, twisty and technical rally.

Hyundai Motorsport, currently second in the manufacturers’ championship after the first two rallies of the season, has reaffirmed its target of fighting for the title in 2019. The decision to adjust driver line-up is intended to help the team fight consistently at each round with multiple opportunities to score podium results.

The crew line-up for Rally México, the next round on the calendar, will remain unchanged with Neuville, Mikkelsen and Sordo representing the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team at the gravel event.

Rally Guide / Event Wesbite

Posted: January 27, 2019 2:08 PM

Tour de Corse (France)

France - Tour de Corse (J) - 28-31 Mar 19