Luca Pedersoli paused briefly, searching for the right way to describe the telephone call when Andrea Adamo asked if he would be interested to drive a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC at Sunday’s Rally di Alba.
The defending Italy WRC series – a standalone championship for ex-world championship cars – champion was torn. Driving the Hyundai would be an incredible moment. But it would mean sacrificing points in his title defense. What to say to the team principal of Hyundai Motorsport?
“Mr Adamo, he was like a volcano of ideas,” Pedersoli told DirtFish. “But I was only half and half to do this. He told me: ‘Don’t worry, we will make sure we win the rally and you don’t lose the points.’”
Craig Breen, Jari Huttunen, Dani Sordo and co. did the job and Pedersoli can start the next Italy WRC round – Rally San Martino di Castrozza in September – with his aspirations of a title defense still intact.
“Doing this rally was incredible in this car,” Pedersoli, who usually drives a Citroën DS3 WRC added.
“I was happy with my speed after I only did 30 kilometers in testing before the start. The hardest thing is to believe in the aero and not to be afraid to push the car and take the grip. In the end I wasn’t afraid of the car.”
But Pedersoli was a little afraid of Adamo.
“Andrea told me before the start, he said: ‘You do what you want, but please don’t make a mess of the car.’ I’m happy to bring the car to the end like this.”
Will he be back in the car again?
“Let’s see,” he said.
Cue another volcano of ideas.
