WRC
Hyundai expected more from final asphalt round of 2026 WRC
Hyundai Motorsport left FORUM8 Rally Japan having fallen short of expectations that it could challenge for a top-four result on the final asphalt round of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship season.
The Korean marque arrived in Japan knowing it was unlikely to fight Toyota Gazoo Racing for victory, given the difficulties it has faced extracting pace from the i20 N Rally1 on sealed surfaces. However, work carried out in recent months to improve its package had left sporting director Andrew Wheatley hopeful the team could fight for fourth, with even an outside chance of a podium.
That target looked realistic when Thierry Neuville even surprised himself with his pace on Friday, thriving in damp conditions to sit fourth. But as Japan’s twisty asphalt stages dried, Hyundai was forced back onto the hard tyre and its familiar lack of grip and chronic understeer returned.
Neuville slipped down the order, his patience clearly tested as he wrestled the car through the stages. On Sunday, he declared the i20 N “undrivable” on his way to finishing sixth, as Toyota locked out the top four places, headed by Elfyn Evans.
“I was on the limit of the front of the car all of the time. I’m disappointed that I could not find any improvement in terms of set-up. We don’t even need to compare ourselves to Toyota, there is no comparison,” said Neuville.
“I don't need to worry any more about it. Somehow I should be disappointed that this is the last Tarmac rally with the Rally1 car, but somehow I'm not, which says it all. I'm happy to look forward to gravel now.”
Adrien Fourmaux ultimately ended the rally as Hyundai’s top finisher in fifth, 2min 34.8sec from the lead, while Hayden Paddon, in the third entry, finished seventh, 1min 31.2sec behind Neuville.
Wheatley understood Neuville’s frustration and admitted the team had expected more from the event.
“We saw a little bit of frustration from Thierry on Sunday, but that is because he wants to be successful and he is used to being in front, and he needs to be in front for his motivation. The best motivation we have is to think forward,” said Wheatley.
"We expected a little bit more. We thought we could fight for fourth, maybe third, and okay, fifth is not so far away, but we wanted a little bit more from this rally to be honest with the work that we have done in recent months.
"We got three cars to the finish with no problems and no technical issues. The drivers will have learned a lot and they did everything that they could.
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“In the wet we were surprisingly good actually. It was not so good for Adrien but good for Thierry. To be honest, we feel there was a little bit more of an opportunity here.”
Fourmaux was frustrated to finish fifth, but relieved the asphalt season is over and that Hyundai can now shift its focus to gravel rallies, where it has already proven its speed with Neuville winning Vodafone Rally de Portugal last month.
“I want to be fighting with the Toyotas. In the rain we were losing a lot of time but in the dry I wasn’t able to do any good times against them, so it is quite frustrating and it is a relief that the Tarmac rallies are finished and we can be focused on gravel,” said Fourmaux.
For Paddon, Japan marked the last of his scheduled appearances for the year, with the New Zealander having scored Hyundai’s best result of the asphalt season courtesy of third place in Croatia.
“It was challenging. I did a lot of work and preparation and even when we got onto the stage there was a lot to take in. I think we did the best we could,” said Paddon.
“There were plenty of positives to take away and seventh doesn't really reflect it, but the reality is I think the best the Hyundais could do was sixth, seventh and eighth.”
