Hyundai Motorsport Safari Rally Kenya preview 20.06.2022: • Hyundai Motorsport is aiming to extend its positive run of form in the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) as the team prepares to tackle the demanding Safari Rally Kenya

•    Hyundai Motorsport is aiming to extend its positive run of form in the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) as the team prepares to tackle the demanding Safari Rally Kenya


•    After securing its first victory of the season with the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car in Sardinia, hopes are set on a second consecutive win with three crews ready for the fight


•    Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson return to the line-up alongside Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe and Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja.
 


 Hyundai Motorsport travels to the sixth round of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Safari Rally Kenya, with renewed confidence and a positive mindset following a dominant victory in Sardinia.
 


The Alzenau-based team will be aiming to build on its first win with the new Hyundai i20 N Rally1 in one of the season’s most gruelling gravel events next weekend (June 22-26). The trio of crews competing on the rough and rugged safari terrain will revert to the line-up that contested the first three rallies of the season: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe, Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja and Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson.
 


The Belgian duo of Neuville and Wydaeghe led much of the 2021 edition of Safari Rally Kenya before being forced to retire on the final day of running. Tänak and Järveoja also performed well at the event, claiming third place overall, and will be looking for a second consecutive win after their impressive performance in Sardinia.
 


Although next weekend will be Solberg and Edmondson’s first outing at Kenya in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, the young Swede did rack up some competitive WRC kilometres on the stages last year. All three crews will be hoping to learn from their previous experience of the Safari Rally to deliver another strong team result, which will be another crucial step in the championship fight.
 


The iconic Safari Rally Kenya made its long-awaited return to the calendar in 2021, 19 years after the last WRC event in Africa. Set amongst stunning scenery, the rugged roads of Naivasha are punishing, with multiple crews running into issues on the rocky terrain last season. Consequently, the focus for this year’s competitors in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 will be to not only show solid pace across the four days, but to stay out of trouble.
 


The itinerary for Safari Rally Kenya consists of 19 stages across four days, totalling 363.44km in distance.  Of all rallies with confirmed itineraries, it the longest event on the 2022 WRC calendar.
 



Deputy Team Principal Julien Moncet said: “The victory and double podium in Sardinia was an excellent result for us and one that I felt the whole team deserved for their hard work and dedication so far this year. It also further demonstrated the pace and potential of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 on gravel.


Of course, Safari Rally Kenya is a very different type of gravel event; it is one of the most treacherous rallies on the calendar. The stages are relentless and simply finishing the event is an achievement.




 However, we head there with confidence in our car, our crews, and our entire team. The target is to maintain the standards we have set in the last few rounds and once again fight for the win.”
 


photos Hyundai