Neuville, Gilsoul and Hyundai lead WRC standings

April 29, 2019 0 Comments

Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul scored their second consecutive victory in the FIA World Rally Championship at Rally Argentina, to extend their lead in the Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ championship – while Hyundai has strengthened its position at the top of the Manufacturers’ points table.

The Belgian driver took the win by 48.4 seconds with a calm and collected performance on the final morning of the rally. Norwegian duo Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger-Amland took their best result to date as a Hyundai Motorsport crew with a strong run to second place, their first podium finish since Rally Sweden 2018.

Securing maximum manufacturer points for the 1-2 finish, Hyundai now has a 37 point lead over its nearest challengers Toyota in the Manufacturers’ standings, while Neuville has extended his lead in the Drivers’ classification to ten points ahead of Sébastien Ogier – helped by three extra points on the El Condor Power Stage.

The fine result in Argentina represents Hyundai’s third-ever one-two WRC finish, its 12th victory and 11th double podium. The team has now achieved 49 individual podiums since 2014.

“This is a really great feeling,” said Neuville. “The car has been absolutely perfect all weekend and I have felt comfortable, quick and in control throughout the event. We have taken some strong stage wins and shown the performance of our i20 Coupe WRC in some very challenging conditions. It has been an amazing team result, not only at the rally, but also everyone working tirelessly in Germany. I am so thankful to everyone for their hard work, dedication and professionalism. We have scored some important points for the championship and I am really proud of what we have achieved this weekend.”

Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul wear Stilo WRC DES Zero 8860 helmets.