Hyundai Scores Solid Top Five In Rally Japan Tarmac Finale
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Hyundai Motorsport left Rally Japan with a respectable haul – a fifth, a sixth and a seventh – as the final tarmac round of the season closed. It was not a dominant weekend, but then the weather, tyres and a stubborn lack of front-end bite had other ideas.
High temperatures over the weekend turned hard tyres into a handful and left crews hunting for grip. Only the damp roads on Friday morning let the i20 N Rally1 show a hint of what it can do on tarmac. For the rest of the event, the team spent more time managing slip than chasing glory.
Recovery, Then Caution
One crew who started the rally on the back foot recovered well after an early spin and setup headaches on the morning loop. Overnight changes improved balance and confidence, and a rival retirement nudged the crew into the top five. Saturday afternoon was largely uneventful in a good way – save for an extra spin in the penultimate stage – and Sunday was driven with a sensible eye on bankable points rather than headline-grabbing risks.
Another crew made the most of soft tyres early on and looked competitive until rising temperatures forced a switch to the hard compound. An intermittent handbrake sensor and a tweak to rear spring rates did no favours, and damage limitation became the order of the day. The pair finished sixth after a trouble-free final run.
The third crew treated the weekend as a learning mission – a first tarmac visit to this event and only their third outing this year. A mixed tyre call on Friday left them chasing, but setup gains delivered a stronger Saturday with a best stage of sixth on SS13. Prudence on the final morning delivered a clean seventh and useful miles on unfamiliar roads.
The team sporting director struck a pragmatic tone afterward. Three cars at the finish with no mechanical mayhem is a positive, he said, adding that with the tarmac chapter of Rally1 behind them the focus now turns to gravel – where the team aims to fight for regular podiums as the season resumes.
Looking Ahead
The championship moves back to gravel for the second half of the season, starting with the Acropolis Rally Greece on 25-28 June. Toyota took the top spots in Japan, while Hyundai left with solid points and plenty to work on before the dust flies.
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.
