[bumpkin]

A rather good first day for the Hyundai boys today.

First team regular Dani Sordo was unable to start this event having broken a couple of ribs in a non-motorsport incident last week, so Kiwi and lead second team driver Hayden Paddon was promoted to the second main team car.

Dane Kevin Abbring is driving the only second team car on this event.

With only the short two minute blast around the final stage of the day left VW have found their early dominance of the event under attack with both Seb Ogier and Jarri Matti Latvalla sliding off the road in stage 8 and losing vital time whilst fighting for first and second place.

This has resulted in the third VW of Andreas Mikkelson taking the lead only 19 seconds ahead of our man Thierry Neuville in the lead i20 WRC in second place

Padddon is lying in 6th place with newcomer to the team Abbring currently sitting in 11th, pretty good day of learning for the young Danish driver.

[cruiserfied]

Good first day indeed.

[Dazzler]

  I'm a big fan of Thierry Neuville

[cruiserfied]

I'm a big fan of Thierry Neuville

Me too, I think they made a good choice putting him in the full time seat.

[bumpkin]

Rally Sweden - Day One - Hyundai Motorsport - YouTube


Rally Sweden - Day One - Hyundai Motorsport - YouTube

[bumpkin]

Another superb day for the Hyundai team today.

Only 3 stages of the event left tomorrow, but with the top 6 all exchanging times all day we finish stage 18 with Thierry Neuville taking another stage win and putting the lead i20 WRC into a slender 1.5 second lead from the VW Polo of Andreas Mikkelson.  Mikkelsons lead was reduced to 7.5 seconds when he had a time consuming spin earlier in the day, this seems to have eroded his confidence a little and Neiville has taken time from him steadily over the remaining stages.

Seb Ogier has driven his Polo into 3rd only 9.6 seconds behind Neuville, but despite his string of good times they have only just been quicker than his team mate and Neuville on some stages with both being able to fight back and take time back from the reigning champ seemingly at ease.

Hyundai's second car, piloted by Hayden Paddon remains in a solid 6th place, despite losing sixth gear for a portion of the day and the third car with debutant Kevin Abbring has again had a solid day and remains in 11th.

Can Hyundai take their second ever WRC win?  Find out tomorrow!

[bumpkin]

Rally Sweden - Day Two - Hyundai Motorsport 2015 - YouTube

Rally Sweden - Day Two - Hyundai Motorsport 2015 - YouTube

[Dazzler]

  Good little videos those .. 

[cruiserfied]

Is there an excited dance emoticon? Cause that's what I need right now.

[Dazzler]

Is there an excited dance emoticon? Cause that's what I need right now.

[cruiserfied]

That'll work

[bumpkin]

Only one stage left, the VW's have been dominant on the first two stages, Mikkelson now leads from Ogier with Neuville dropping to third.  Only 4.5 seconds separate the three of them.

[Surferdude]

Neuville 2nd overall.  Padden, 5th. Abbring 9th.
great final stage.
Bring on the new model.

[bumpkin]

Think your post was before some of the guys in front of Abbring but behind him in start order had gone through, he remained in 11th.

A great weekend for the team though all three team cars finishing the event, the Polo's and DS3's still have the better speed but the drivers seem more on the edge of making mistakes due to the speed and trying to outgun each other.

I think the Fiesta's also have the speed but their driver line up is also error prone, the pressure of being in these teams and trying to make a name for yourself appearing to be handled less well than the current Hyundai situation, however the more success that comes the higher the expectation will be.

Bring in the gravel!

[Surferdude]

Interesting The live feed we had on Fox gave the supposed results for the rally with the third Hyundai in 9th at the end of the event.
Anyway, still a great first up performance for the young guy.

[bumpkin]

Rally Sweden - Day Three - Hyundai Motorsport 2015 - YouTube