Autosportfoto

Sordo excited by Loeb arrival

Spain's Dani Sordo believes Hyundai Motorsport will benefit from the arrival of former team-mate Sébastien Loeb next season.

Hyundai confirmed today that Sordo and Loeb, who were team-mates together at Citroën from 2007-2010, will join Thierry Neuville and Andreas Mikkelsen on the team’s driver roster for 2019. They will share a third i20 World Rally Car.

A one-year contract to run eight events next year will mark Sordo's sixth consecutive season with Hyundai. His first outing will be at Rally Guanajuato Mexico (7 - 10 March). 

Sordo said he was looking forward to continuing his relationship with the Korean manufacturer and linking up with Loeb, the championship's most successful driver. 

"We have an exciting crew line-up with Sébastien coming on board. He brings an immeasurable amount of experience which will be a huge benefit to the entire team as we move forward," Sordo said.

Alongside co-driver Carlos Del Barrio, Sordo scored five top-five finishes from seven starts in 2018, including two podiums. He is yet to win a rally for Hyundai, but is optimistic that his continuation with the squad will give him a platform for improvement in 2019.  
 
“Hyundai Motorsport has really become a special team to me, so I am pleased to remain part of the WRC line-up. We have built some good memories over the years, and, alongside Carlos, I felt that 2018 was one of my most competitive seasons," he said. 

"We know that when things work in our favour we can really be strong contenders. It is important for us to learn from the difficult moments and come back stronger – that’s the aim for 2019."

Zdroj: wrc.com