Dani Sordo will most likely return in the third Hyundai i20 Rally1 at Rally Greece – The Spaniard hinted at this
Hyundai is likely to field a third car again at the World Rally Championship (WRC) round in Greece. Dani Sordo is expected to take a seat in the i20 Rally1 and contest the Acropolis Rally. The Spaniard recently competed in Portugal and Italy, where he recorded two strong third places.
Sordo announced earlier in the year that he intends to contest up to four rallies in the 2022 WRC season. He will share the car with Oliver Solberg, son of 2003 WRC champion Petter Solberg. The youngster contests significantly more rallies for the Koreans than the experienced Spaniard.
However, Sordo has already proven his value for the brand: As soon as the 39-year-old gets into the car, solid results are almost guaranteed. Two podiums in two starts show the pace the Spaniard has in Hyundai’s hybrid car. With Tänak’s win in Sardinia, the manufacturer has moved into second place in the overall standings, 39 points behind Toyota.
“This was a very motivating result for the whole team and I am happy to have scored another podium,” said Sordo. “I’m here to score points and help the team get back to the top of the championship. Ott’s win and my third place helped close the gap, which was the goal this race weekend.”
“I will return after my holiday in the summer,” Sordo clarifies. He quips, “After two rallies, I already need a little break to recover. I am almost 40 years old. My next rally will be Greece, so I’ll have to wait until then.” Until then, Solberg will take over the third Hyundai again. He youngster will most likely compete in Kenya, Finland and Belgium.
At Toyota, too, the shake-up in the car for part-time drivers continues. While Sebastien Ogier will start at the Safari Rally, Esapekka Lappi could return to the wheel in Estonia. It is not yet clear which other rallies the eight-time WRC champion from France will contest. Ogier last drove in the LMP2 classification at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In Kenya, the fans can once again expect a clash of the giants: In addition to Ogier, nine-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb will also return to the field with M-Sport. The latter will contest a part-time programme for the Ford team, which also relies on Craig Breen, Adrien Fourmaux and Gus Greensmith. In addition, Jourdan Serderidis will field a private car.
