Thierry Neuville wants to "make everyone proud again” at WRC Rally Islas Canarias

“We don't know yet what we will be able to achieve in terms of results, but if everyone gives their absolute best and we bring the car home, we can be satisfied. Of course we want to deliver a strong result for the team after last weekend, and we will push hard to make everyone proud again.”

The Canary Islands' smooth asphalt roads have proven a challenge for Hyundai to master. Last year, the Korean squad found itself on the end of a heavy defeat from Toyota, which scored a 1-2-3-4, headed by Kalle Rovanpera.

However, Hyundai showed signs of progress on asphalt in Croatia, and while expectations are realistic for the Canary Islands, the team is adopting a “no stone unturned” approach.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

“There is no question that Croatia was a disappointment, in part because it was not an event that we had targeted as being competitive, so to have two cars fighting for the podium was great,” said Hyundai sporting director Andrew Wheatley.

“But Croatia is now in the history books – we are eyes forward to the next event, Rally Islas Canarias. Everyone in the team knows that to beat our competitors we have to take every possible advantage and so we need to reset, re-focus and make sure we come back ready to give the best possible performance again.

“Canary Islands is an event where we need to focus on making zero mistakes – we can put ourselves in the best chance to fight for the podium on Sunday afternoon if we optimise everything.

“We will leave no stone unturned to make sure we cover every base during our preparation. That way, we can take advantage of any small issues or challenges that may arise for our competitors. We saw in Croatia that we have the speed to fight with Taka and Sami, and we are confident that the recent revisions from testing will help us to continue chasing the top step of the podium.”

Read Also:

The WRC champion helping Takamoto Katsuta emerge as a genuine title contender

How Hyundai snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as Takamoto Katsuta made history

Hyundai will welcome three-time WRC rally winner Dani Sordo back to the team, as the Spaniard takes over the third factory i20 N Rally car next week.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.