Qatar- Hyundai Motorsport celebrates sixth WRC win

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Hyundai Motorsport has registered its third victory of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), with Thierry Neuville and Hayden Paddon securing the team's first 1-2 finish in WRC since the Rallye Deutschland 2014. Dani Sordo completed the rally in fourth place overall, making it the most successful combined result for Hyundai Motorsport in the team's history.
Neuville's win represents the sixth overall WRC victory for Hyundai Motorsport since 2014, as well as the seventh double podium for the team. Highlighting the strength of the team's performance in Poland, 12 wins out of the 22 contested stages represents the greatest number of stage wins in a single event for Hyundai Motorsport.
Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul have now taken five WRC victories for Hyundai Motorsport. Victory in Poland is their third win of 2017 and their sixth consecutive podium. Consequently, Neuville has reduced the gap to Sebastien Ogier in the Drivers' Championship to 11 points.
The result strengthens Hyundai's hold on second place in the Manufacturers' Championship, and closes the gap to first to just 22 points.
'It was a closely fought battle, as it seems to have been for the past few events, Thierry Neuville said.
'It was certainly a relief to retake the lead after Ott's retirement, as it allowed us some breathing space in the final stages. We could take it easy and relax not too much but enough to finish the rally calmly and to secure this great result.
Hyundai Motorsport set out a clear intention for a strong team result ahead of the Rally Poland. A 1-2-4 finish not only achieves that objective, but also in the process has set a new benchmark for the team in terms of its best-ever combined result.
'This is a really important result for us as a team, especially in terms of our championship objectives, said Team Principal Michel Nandan. 'More than that, though, it shows what we can achieve as a team when we are all on top of our game.
The fast and furious stages continue with the high-speed Rally Finland next up on the 2017 WRC calendar. The ninth round of the season takes place from 27-30 July and is a rally where Hyundai Motorsport has yet to claim a podium finish.
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