Hyundai Motorsport has taken its second ever victory in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) on a thrilling final day in Argentina, round four of the 2016 season last weekend.
Hayden Paddon and John Kennard, who have been among the quickest, produced a sensational Power Stage performance to eclipse hard-pushing Sébastien Ogier and claim outright victory by 14.3 seconds.
The result not only marks Hayden Paddon’s debut WRC win, but also the maiden victory for Hyundai Motorsport’s New Generation i20 WRC in only its fourth outing. It also continues the team’s most competitive start to a WRC season in its short history adding a third podium and cementing Hyundai Motorsport’s second place in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Hayden Paddon commented: “I can’t believe it! I really didn’t think we were going to be able to hang on. It all came down to the Power Stage and we pushed really hard. It was particularly special to pull out that performance on El Condor. We drove the wheels off the car. It’s a lot to take in at the moment. A huge amount of work has gone into the New Generation i20 WRC. I knew from the first test that we could win with it. I just didn’t quite expect it to be so soon.”
This victory continues Hyundai Motorsport’s impressive start to the 2016 WRC season after podiums in Monte-Carlo and Sweden, and fourth in Mexico. It is the team’s first win since Rallye Deutschland in 2014 and this afternoon’s Power Stage performance underlines the potential that the New Generation i20 WRC has on a level playing field against its rivals.
The fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally de Portugal, takes place 19-22 May as Hyundai Motorsport aims to continue the winning momentum with the New Generation i20 WRC.
