Hyundai is asserting itself on the World Rally Championship in 2024, and its Sunday performances have played a big role in putting the Korean manufacturer on top of both drivers’ and manufacturers’ standings.
Where once championships were decided by wins and podiums, now the picture is more complex. Nowhere is that image starker than in the manufacturers’ title race.
Hyundai has scored 111 points across the six Super Sundays and six powerstages of the season so far, some 17 more than Toyota. Its lead in the manufacturers’ race stands at 13 points. Put simply, it is Sunday where Hyundai has carved out its championship advantage.
The math behind Thierry Neuville’s 18-point lead in the drivers’ standings is similarly revealing.
On the face of it, victory in Monte Carlo might seem like the difference between the Hyundai driver and Toyota’s Elfyn Evans. Dig a little deeper however and it soon becomes clear that Sundays are doing much of the heavy lifting in Neuville’s title bid.
Sardinia was fourth time in six events that Neuville scored at least 11 points on Sunday
Totaling points scored across Fridays and Saturdays, Neuville and Evans are level on 67 apiece. The Hyundai driver has scored the maximum 18 on two occasions (Monte Carlo and Croatia), but lost out when he crashed out of Rally Italy Sardinia on the Saturday. Evans may not have a Saturday maximum this year (second in Croatia is his best so far), but consistency has ensured he has kept pace with Neuville.
Sundays paint a very different picture. Neuville’s Super Sunday total (not including powerstages) is 32 compared to 26 for Evans. The Belgian has beaten his rival on four out of six Sundays so far, and has two top scores compared to just one for the Toyota driver.
Factor in powerstages and the impact is greater still. Neuville has topped the final stage time sheets four times in 2024, scoring a total of 23 bonus points compared to just 11 for Evans.
The drivers’ contest is not just a battle between Neuville and Evans. Tänak has dragged himself back into the fight and, while it hasn’t been an easy start for the Hyundai returnee, victory in Sardinia means he and Evans are now tied on 104 points.
Even more than Neuville, it is Sundays where Tänak is shining. His Saturday total for the year is just 51 points, but he has outscored both his rivals with 34 Super Sunday points, while his powerstage total sits at 19. For a man who is not yet comfortable with his machinery, he is proving very capable of finding speed when it matters most, and clearly recognizes the importance in Sunday’s additional scoring opportunity.
Tänak bounced back from Safari first-day retirement to bag 11 points on Sunday
Despite Hyundai’s impressive record, Neuville doesn’t believe the change in his team’s approach to rallies is significant.
“I don’t know, but I’m not sure it’s a Hyundai thing,” he told DirtFish, “because if you look back in the past, it was always Ott [Tänak] and me getting the Wolf powerstage trophy.
“So that hasn’t really changed. And if it’s about putting a foot through the floor, basically, we are always there, so that’s a good sign.”
Even where Toyota is winning rallies, it is not maximizing its weekend points haul. Sébastien Ogier has two victories this season, but is yet to take a Super Sunday win, while Kalle Rovanperä scored no Super Sunday points on his way to Safari victory and only two powerstage points.
Safari winner Rovanperä was only eighth fastest through Sunday stages
With no championship on the line for either driver, it appears they are content to sacrifice bonus points in favor of overall victory. As the championship reaches a crucial phase, this is something Toyota may need to address, especially with Hyundai using the final day to such good effect.
Hyundai’s scoring has perhaps been assisted by Evans’ ongoing setup issues with the Yaris. Team principal Cyril Abiteboul knows that is an advantage his team may not continue to enjoy. Speaking after Neuville retired from Sardinia on the Saturday, he said: “We have tomorrow [Sunday], to recover from that and to mitigate the loss against, Evans, who is also struggling.
“And that in itself, it’s helping us. But I’m very sure that Evans, at some point, will stop struggling and therefore we need to be ready and not give away too much.”
Whether the difference is driven by Hyundai’s smart-thinking or Toyota’s ongoing difficulties, there’s no doubt Hyundai is making the most of the additional points on offer. Come Rally Japan in November, those Sunday showings could prove crucial.
