Hyundai Motorsport crews successfully overcame the gravel special stages in Argentina. The team leader Thierry Neuville moved ahead only on the final section of the route, securing the maximum number of points for the team. This success became the second in a row in the season and the fifth in the history of Hyundai Motorsport's participation in the world championship.
A year earlier, the Argentine round also brought victory to the Korean brand — then the crew of Hayden Paddon and John Kennard triumphed. For Paddon, that triumph was the first in the ranks of Hyundai Motorsport, which positively affected both his personal standings and the team's positions. Returning to South America after a successful performance in France gave reason to count on repeating the result.
The starting days of the race were difficult for all three Hyundai Motorsport crews, and the drivers did not immediately manage to secure leading positions. At the end of the first day, Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville finished third and fourth respectively, losing 0.9 and 1.6 seconds to the leading Sebastien Ogier from M-Sport World Rally Team. Hayden Paddon closed out the top seven.
The second day started unsuccessfully for Sordo and Paddon: the former broke a steering arm, and the latter rolled over after a risky maneuver. Neuville, the winner of the previous round in Corsica, also could not show the best time due to a broken front shock absorber. Nevertheless, by the end of the day, the drivers managed to win several special stages and confidently secure positions in the top 10.
The decisive day was marked by a fierce battle between Neuville and M-Sport driver Elfyn Evans. On the last special stage, Neuville's Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC overtook the opponent's car, and the team captain crossed the finish line first with a total time of 3:38:10.6. Thus, Neuville and his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul became the first crew to achieve two consecutive victories. Paddon and Kennard finished sixth, while the duo of Sordo and Marti finished eighth.
"The Argentine round has always been considered one of the most difficult on the calendar, and we understood that the fight would not be easy, because our cars had not yet been tested on the local gravel tracks. The failures of the first days became a valuable lesson for us. We gained invaluable experience that can be applied to refine the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC for future gravel races. We are glad that we became the first team to win two rounds in a row, and we hope for further progress," noted Hyundai Motorsport team principal Michel Nandan.
In the personal standings after five rounds, Neuville is in third position, Sordo in fifth, Paddon in eighth. In the manufacturers' standings, Hyundai Motorsport holds second place, trailing the leading M-Sport World Rally Team by 22 points.
The sixth round of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship will take place in Portugal from May 18 to 21.
