Andreas Mikkelsen is sacrificing “peak performance” at this week’s Central European Rally by going with a different setup than team-mates Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak – something he said he wouldn’t do if he were a full-time driver.
Last year’s WRC2 champion Mikkelsen was hired by Hyundai this season predominantly for asphalt events, sharing the third i20 N Rally1 with Esapekka Lappi and Dani Sordo.
But the Norwegian struggled for confidence on the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally and fared little better in Croatia – although he was a fighting second on the gravel of Poland before a puncture dumped him down the leaderboard.
Returning to WRC action for the first time since Poland in June, Mikkelsen has opted to go in a different setup direction to his two team-mates in a bid to inspire more confidence.
“Yeah, I went quite a different direction than the other guys,” Mikkelsen told DirtFish,
“In Monte Carlo and Croatia, I copied them because they know the car very well. But I think for a part-timer like myself, who is not in the car all the time, I need something which is much more stable on the rear.
“So, maybe I will have a little bit more understeer this weekend, but at least I can trust the rear always. So, it’s a little bit different way of doing it.
“Maybe I compromise a little bit the pure performance, really peak performance of the car, but I think it will give me a lot more confidence on this type of roads, that when I know I go on the throttle, that the car will stick.
“Hopefully, it will work well for me this weekend,” Mikkelsen added. “But I don’t think I would set up the car like this if I was in the car every weekend or very often, you know.
“So I need something which is a bit more forgiving, which will give me confidence on these type of stages, I think.”
Mikkelsen rejoins the Hyundai lineup at a critical point of the season, with the brand leading Toyota by just 17 points in the manufacturers’ championship.
While Neuville homes in on the drivers’ title – a fight he’s having with stablemate Tänak – Mikkelsen’s job will be to be Hyundai’s banker.
“I doubt it’s very realistic to fight for a win or very, very top,” he said, “because, yeah, it’s like a tennis player. If he’s entering Wimbledon and he hasn’t played tennis for five months and he has one practice, it’s really impossible for him to win the event.
“So, it’s a little bit the same thing I’m feeling this weekend. I will do my very best. And it’s a lot of pressure this weekend with the manufacturers, a lot of things on the line.
“For sure, I would love to have more time in the car, but I have to be realistic. But I will definitely try.”
Mikkelsen’s future with the team is also uncertain. While he is expected to compete in Japan, Adrien Fourmaux is linked to the third Hyundai seat full-time in 2025.
Asked if he had to perform here to safeguard his future, Mikkelsen said: “It’s hard to say. I have no idea for the future. No clue. There’s no information. So, I don’t know.”
