2026 croatia rally 01
Hyundai’s Rollercoaster Weekend Yields Surprise Podium
Rallying is a cruel business and Croatia served notice in spectacular fashion, like a puppy stealing your slippers and then peeing on the rug just for sport.
Hyundai Shell Mobis scrambled to salvage a weekend that read like a Greek tragedy with tyres. Hayden Paddon and John Kennard found themselves on the podium in third after a dramatic final stage ripped victory from Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe when suspension damage ended their charge.
Friday looked promising for the blue cars. Neuville grabbed several stage wins and set a fierce pace, while Paddon kept his head down and banked consistent times. Adrien Fourmaux was less lucky, suffering a puncture early on that left him fighting back through the remainder of the day.
Saturday turned into a lottery of gravel, with loose stones littering the tarmac and turning every corner into a potential catastrophe. Punctures and grip swings punished the overzealous and the unlucky alike, but Neuville navigated the chaos to take the rally lead. Fourmaux was not so fortunate after a collision with a concrete pole ended his Saturday in a cloud of damaged metal.
Super Sunday offered a tease of redemption. Fourmaux returned after overnight repairs and hauled himself to a solid Super Sunday result and a couple of useful points, only to be undone by a late puncture on the Power Stage. Then, with victory in sight, Neuville ran wide onto gravel, damaging the front right and losing the lead, handing Paddon and Kennard an unexpected podium finish that doubled as a little miracle.
The Bitter And The Sweet
There is both pride and frustration in Hyundai Motorsport right now. The team proved the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Evo has pace on tarmac and survived stages that humbled many rivals, yet the final twist underscored rallying realities. One minute you are towing the field, the next minute you are explaining to a bewildered crew why the car no longer points in the right direction.
Paddon celebrated a first WRC podium in years and Kennard reclaimed a long absent rostrum, but the mood was tempered by what might have been. The team will regroup fast, because the championship waits for no one and the next tarmac test at Rally Islas Canarias is already looming on the calendar.
What It Means For The Championship
The result nudges Hyundai further into the fight for manufacturers points, keeping them second in the table behind a relentless rival. There will be a lot of talking, a bit of head scratching and more mechanical work, but that is how rallying should be. It bites, it bruises and then, occasionally, it rewards you with a podium that tastes surprisingly sweet.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
