Second Podium for New Generation i20 WRC as Hayden Paddon Seals Second in Sweden
•Hyundai Motorsport has scored its second podium of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season after Hayden Paddon secured second place in Sweden
•Dani Sordo finished the rally in sixth place and Thierry Neuville brought his Rally Sweden to a trouble-free conclusion to help the team increase its Manufacturers’ points total to 49
Feb. 15, 2016 - Hyundai Motorsport celebrated another podium result as Hayden Paddon clinched second place in Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
The result marks the first occasion that Hyundai Motorsport has taken back-to-back podium finishes in the WRC and also represents the second podium for the New Generation i20 WRC which only made its rally debut at Rallye Monte-Carlo last month.
Further underlining the performance of the new car, Dani Sordo added a second top-six result to his 2016 rally, finishing in sixth place. Thierry Neuville also ensured all three New Generation i20 WRC cars completed the rally.
For Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard, second place equals their previous best result - achieved in Sardinia (Italy Rally) last season in 2015 - and scores 18 important manufacturer points for the team, who are now just five points off leaders Volkswagen Motorsport.
Hayden Paddon said: “A podium is a fantastic result for me and everyone in the team. We were hoping to have had a less stressful finish to the rally but unfortunately, we had some water licking from the radiator after hitting a wooden post in the stage, which required some quick repairs. Thankfully, we were able to find a temporary fix and get back to service with our second place intact! Late drama aside, we have had a good weekend and I have felt very comfortable in the New Generation i20 WRC. We made the most of our road position when we had to, and refused to get drawn into a fight for the lead. In the future, we will fight more for the win but there’s a bit more work needed on my driving and on the car set-up. We’re not far away and, for now, we’ll happily take second place.”
Hyundai Motorsport has now amassed ten individual podiums since it entered WRC in 2014 with the New Generation i20 WRC continuing to show improved performance and its ability to fight near the front of a competitive field. Hyundai Motorsport team will resume in just a few weeks’ time as Mexico plays host to the third round of the 2016 Championship.
Overall Final Classification
S. Ogier / J. Ingrassia (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) 1:59:47.4
H. Paddon / J. Kennard (Hyundai New Generation i20 WRC) +29.8
M. Østberg / O. Floene (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +55.6
A. Mikkelsen / A. Jaeger (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) +1:10.8
O. Tanak / R. Molder (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +1:50.7
D. Sordo / M. Martí (Hyundai New Generation i20 WRC) +2:24.0
H. Solberg / I. Minor (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +2:40.0
C. Breen / S. Martin (Citroën DS3 WRC) +2:44.6
E. Evans / C. Parry (Ford Fiesta R5) +5:17.0
T. Suninen / M. Markkula (Škoda Fabia R5) +5:31.6
...
14. T. Neuville / N. Gilsoul (Hyundai New Generation i20 WRC) +7:10.7
2016 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
Volkswagen Motorsport 54 points /
Hyundai Motorsport 49
/ Volkswagen Motorsport II 30 / M-Sport World Rally Team 27 / DMACK World Rally Team 18 / Hyundai Motorsport N 14
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About Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Established on 19 December 2012, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH is responsible for Hyundai’s global motorsport activities and primarily for its World Rally Championship programme. Based in Alzenau on the outskirts of Frankfurt in Germany, the company embarked on its debut season in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2014 with a bespoke team of skilled staff and a brand new car, the Hyundai i20 WRC. The team made a strong impression in its first year claiming podium results in Mexico and Poland, as well as a memorable 1-2 in Germany. In its second season, the team was involved in a closely fought battle for second place in the Manufacturers’ Championship, adding more podiums and stage wins to its tally. For its third season in WRC, Hyundai Motorsport has developed a brand new car, the New Generation i20 WRC, which made its rally debut with a podium finish in Rallye Monte-Carlo in January 2016.
Further information about Hyundai Motorsport is available at:
http://motorsport.hyundai.com
About Hyundai Motor Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond. The company, which leads the Hyundai Motor Group, an innovative business structure capable of circulating resources from molten iron to finished cars, offers top-quality best-sellers such as Elantra, Sonata and Genesis. Hyundai Motor has eight manufacturing bases and seven design & technical centers worldwide and in 2015, sold 4.96 million vehicles globally. With more than 100,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with localized models and strives to strengthen its leadership in clean technology, starting with the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, ix35 Fuel Cell.
More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at:
http://worldwide.hyundai.com or
http://www.hyundaiglobalnews.com 
