MEDIA INFORMATION
For immediate release
Thursday, May 9th, 2024
SORDO FASTEST ON SHAKEDOWN IN PORTUGAL
MATOSINHOS (PORTUGAL): Hyundai’s Dani Sordo and Candido Carrera claimed a major confidence boost on their return to the FIA World Rally Championship and the early bragging rights with the fastest time of 2min 51.2sec on the second pass through the 4.61km Shakedown stage at Baltar on Thursday morning.
The Spaniards made three passes through the stage to finish the final test session half a second in front of team-mates Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja with WRC series leader Thierry Neuville slotting into third with co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe to make it a Hyundai 1-2-3.
A returning Sordo said: “This rally is always special. It’s great to be back after such a long time. This year it is good because there are a lot of hard drivers. All good.”
Tänak added: “I would say the road position is not too bad. We need to push hard.”
After the first pass and a session-opening run of 2min 55.2sec, Neuville said: The grip is not great. This is not our strongest surface. It’s a bit humid.”
Seventh-placed Elfyn Evans added: “It’s still going to be difficult up front. Ott (Tänak) starts with a bit of an advantage. We need to have a good clean Friday and go from there.”
Sébastien Ogier, the eight-time World Champion, was fourth in the first of the Toyotas. He said: “Two years ago I had a good start position here and it was a disaster. I want to try to correct that this weekend. I have a good connection with this one. I won five times and the plan is to correct what I did wrong two years ago.”
“Pushing like hell, this is the plan,” said sixth-placed Takamoto Katsuta.
A flying Rovanperä ran quickest on the first pass with a 2min 52.7sec flier with no hybrid. The Finn said: “It feels nice. The shakedown is not the best stage for us. The car is not 100% yet. It’s nice to see all the fans.”
Grégoire Munster rounded off the Rally1 runners. The Ford driver said: “Just really looking forward to this weekend. It is a rally that is very known in the calendar and it’s a great experience for us to be in these cars.”
Rovanperä left it late in the session to carry out his second and third passes but the Finn was not able to improve on his opening time.
One of Ogier’s passes through the shakedown enabled a lucky winner from a Race for Good lottery competition to sit alongside the Frenchman in the Toyota at race speed. Founded by new FC Porto President and rally enthusiast André Villas-Boas, Race for Good is a charity that uses the power of sport to raise awareness and funding for social and humanitarian causes. Ogier is an ambassador for the charity.
Briton’s Gus Greensmith (2min 57.7sec) was the fastest of the early runners in the highly-competitive WRC2 category. Pepé Lopez switched to driving a Ford Fiesta on this event for the rest of the season and will need to sort some minor technical issues on the new car before the opening stage this evening.
The ceremonial start ceremony will take place in the city of Coimbra this evening from 17.00hrs and that precedes the opening super special stage of 2.94km at Figueira da Foz, starting at 19.05hrs.a
2024 Vodafone Rally of Portugal – Shakedown result (Rally1 crews only @11.00hrs):
- Dani Sordo (ESP)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid 2min 51.2sec
- Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid 2min 51.7sec
- Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid 2min 52.1sec
- Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Vincent Landais (FRA) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid 2min 52.2sec
- Adrien Fourmaux (FRA)/Alexandre Coria (FRA) Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid 2min 52.3sec
- Takamoto Katsuta (JPN)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid 2min 52.4sec
- Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid 2min 52.7sec
- Kalle Rovanperä (FIN)/Jonne Halttunen (FIN) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid 2min 52.7sec
- Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid 2min 56.2sec
Ends