Full throttle, and there’s no other option.
It could easily be a line from Ari Vatanen’s autobiography, but in this context those words belong to Hyundai sporting director Andrew Wheatley.
With the manufacturers’ championship slipping away and the drivers’ contest seemingly out of reach too, Hyundai’s only remaining goal in 2026 is win rallies.
Wheatley sees no reason why that can’t happen this week in Paraguay, or two weeks later in Chile.
“I don’t think there’s any reason why we shouldn’t be in a position to be fighting for the top step of the podium in both Chile and Paraguay,” Wheatley told DirtFish.
“When we review where we are at the moment in terms of performance, on the rough gravel, I think we know we have a car that’s capable of being both competitive and reliable, which is very important.
Hyundai sees no reason why it can't win all of the remaining rallies this year
“On the smooth gravel, there was a question as to whether we could be close enough to the ultimate pace, and I think we’re probably within the window now. As we go to the next two rounds we have a mix of rough and smooth, so we think we can be OK.”
Sardinia is also a rougher event, as is Rally Saudi Arabia although its running is still subject to confirmation.
Pressed if he believes Hyundai can therefore win all of the remaining rounds, Wheatley stated: “Yeah no question, that’s it. Full throttle and there is no other option to be honest. So we have to try and make sure we do everything we can to be as prepared as possible.”
Wheatley admitted that the championship fight was over “probably since after Greece” in late June.
“But that’s always been a target for this year is to try and be as annoying as possible,” he added, “and try and get in the fight, the inter-team fight in Toyota, which to be in that fight is is difficult.”
Statistically, Toyota retains the edge heading into South America too.
Hyundai, is the only current competitor not to have won Rally Chile with Toyota taking three wins (2019, 2024 and 2025) and M-Sport Ford one (2023).
Toyota also won last year’s Rally del Paraguay, although Adrien Fourmaux was on course to be second before his rally unravelled in the rain on the final two stages.
“Last year we had a really strong rally in Paraguay,” recalled Fourmaux. “We were leading on Friday and fighting at the front for most of the weekend, so it’s an event where we know we can be competitive.
“We learned a lot there last year, and after our recent performances on fast gravel I’m looking forward to going back. The target is clear: we want to fight at the front again and this time make sure we come away with the result.”
Thierry Neuville is similarly bullish, looking forward to what he described as “more typical gravel stages, with a more dynamic and technical profile, which I generally prefer”.
Neuville added: “For me, I’m only chasing victories and the best possible results, so the target in Paraguay is as high as it can be.”
