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Adamo lays it on the line

Hyundai Motorsport boss Andrea Adamo described last weekend’s Rally Guanajuato Mexico as ‘damage limitation’ after a disastrous opening leg wrecked its victory chances.

Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo held first and third initially, before the Norwegian retired with suspension damage after hitting a rock. Sordo exited later in the day when an electrical fault stopped his i20.

Only Thierry Neuville remained, but the unwell Belgian languished in sixth after a puncture in the day’s opening El Chocolate speed test. Neuville eventually finished fourth with Sordo recovering to a points-paying ninth.

“These are not the results we come to WRC events to achieve, but we cannot be frustrated or disappointed. The situation is what it is. We must take the lessons home and work as hard as we always do to make improvements.

“At the top level of international rallying, we simply cannot afford any faults that compromise the end results. Our Rally Mexico was affected from the opening day, and it has been damage limitation ever since,” said the straight-talking Italian.

Adamo, who took the Hyundai helm at the start of the season, watched his team slip to third in the manufacturers’ standings, a point behind Citroën and nine adrift of Toyota Gazoo Racing. The squad is still searching for its first win of 2019.

“Fourth is not a good position. We are not coming here to be fourth and some behind. I could not say that I am happy. There is a nice way of saying sometimes that we never lose, but we win and we take experience. Here, we take a lot of experience!” he added.

Zdroj: wrc.com