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Cyril Abiteboul feels a worse-than-expected points return from Safari Rally Kenya only served to again expose weaknesses the Hyundai Motorsport team principal thought had been eradicated.
The i20 N Rally1 driven by Dani Sordo was the only one of the three factory-supported cars to make it to the end of the Naivasha-based gravel classic without needing to rejoin under Super Rally rules.
In comparison, Thierry Neuville was an early retirement on Friday with suspension trouble. He did not return on Saturday, and although he won the end-of-rally Power Stage on Sunday to collect five bonus points, he was subsequently disqualified for a breach of reconnaissance regulations.
Team-mate Esapekka Lappi was also consigned to the sidelines on Saturday with a prop-shaft failure, a long-standing problem it has emerged and one the engineers continue to grapple with.
Hyundai now trails reigning manufacturers’ champions Toyota Gazoo Racing by 42 points at the halfway stage, which resumes in a month’s time at Rally Estonia from July 20-23.
After witnessing Toyota clinch the top four positions in Kenya, Abiteboul did not hold back in detailing avoidable shortcomings over the course of the weekend, further acknowledging the blow dealt to Neuville’s title charge and the derailment of Lappi’s bid for a fourth consecutive podium finish.
“We are extremely disappointed and the whole team is downhearted,” said Abiteboul.
“This is an event the world of rally loves, but it is one where we have never been strong, and again, we weren’t this weekend.
“Unfortunately, it has unearthed a number of weaknesses for us that we thought had been addressed, particularly the issues Esapekka had with his prop shaft.
“We are very sorry for him as he had been working very hard and his great pace had put him in a position to fight for the podium.
“Suspension-related issues stopped Thierry on his way to recovering from a low-key start, which is a disappointment for all of us for his drivers’ title battle.”
Whilst fifth place was not the result Abiteboul expected to be celebrating prior to the start of the event, it was a positive he felt still warranted praise.
“Dani delivered what was expected of him and helped to mitigate the cost in the championship fight,” remarked Abiteboul.
“Overall, it was a poor weekend for us, but one that needs to be a useful platform to address our technical issues before the next rally.”
