RALLY ESTONIA 2026: HYUNDAI CLOSES IN ON PODIUM AHEAD OF FINAL DAY
- RalliTurk TV
- Jul 19, 2020
- 4 min read
FOURMAUX HOLDS THIRD AS NEUVILLE CLOSES THE GAP BEFORE RALLY ESTONIA FINALE
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team remains firmly in contention for a podium finish after a demanding second day of Rally Estonia 2026, with Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria holding third place ahead of Sunday's final stages.
Saturday's schedule featured the longest leg of the rally, with nine special stages covering more than 150 competitive kilometres. Crews completed two passes of Peipsiaare, Mustvee, Kambja and Otepaa before finishing the day with the Tartu superspecial.
Fourmaux started the day challenging the leaders but lost time on the opening stage before striking an anti-cut device on SS10, causing minor front-end damage to his Hyundai i20 N Rally1. A slow puncture on the final stage before service added to his difficulties, although the French crew managed to retain third position.
Team-mate Thierry Neuville enjoyed a stronger day after overnight setup changes improved the balance of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1. The Belgian reduced the gap to Fourmaux throughout the afternoon and capped his performance with the fastest time on SS15, finishing the day just 1.9 seconds behind his team-mate in fourth overall.
Esapekka Lappi and Enni Malkonen continued their consistent run despite a high-speed moment through a grass verge on SS12. The Finnish crew avoided further problems and ended Saturday in eighth overall.
With only two stages remaining, Hyundai enters the final day with two crews locked in the battle for the final podium position.
KEY POINTS
● Adrien Fourmaux remains third overall after Saturday at Rally Estonia.
● Hyundai holds third and fourth positions heading into the final day.
● Saturday included nine special stages covering more than 150 competitive kilometres.
● Fourmaux damaged the front of his Hyundai after hitting an anti-cut device on SS10.
● A slow puncture also cost Fourmaux time before midday service.
● Thierry Neuville improved after overnight setup changes.
● Neuville won SS15 to close within 1.9 seconds of Fourmaux.
● Esapekka Lappi completed the day in eighth overall.
● Lappi recovered from a high-speed moment on SS12 without further issues.
● Sunday's final two stages will decide the battle for the podium.
Crew Notes: Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (#16 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Anti-cut collision and grassy moment curtailed French duo’s pursuit of second place
Consistent afternoon means Fourmaux/Coria retain podium hopes
Fourmaux said: "Overall, I have enjoyed today a lot, the cars are really fantastic in these kinds of rallies. It’s been a solid day, it’s just a shame that we lost some time to Thierry throughout the day; it was small amounts, but still a little bit each stage. I feel ready for tomorrow, let’s see what the weather will be like, it is still a long day and maybe there will be some rain. It’s really great to have this fight with Thierry because it is good experience with the same cars. The stage tomorrow is very fast followed by some very narrow sections and then some tarmac, so we are going to have to be good for both passes."
Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Improved handling allowed Neuville/Wydaeghe to close on podium place
Stage win on penultimate test of the day the highlight for the Belgian crew
Neuville said: "It was a very enjoyable afternoon after struggling a bit this morning. We made some changes on the car, which gave me a lot more confidence overall. We were struggling in first-pass conditions but in the second-pass conditions with the ruts, we had good speed and I was enjoying it. Adrien was pushing hard obviously, so we had to push hard as well, without taking too many risks and also looking after the tyres. It wasn’t that easy and simple, we were running five soft tyres today but, in the end, I am happy with my choice."
Crew Notes: Esapekka Lappi/Enni Mälkönen (#4 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Learning curve continues for Finnish partnership on second day
Focus now turns to maximising Super Sunday opportunities
Lappi said: "We didn’t have any problems today, but we also didn’t really improve, which is a shame. The team has done a lot of work to try to improve the pace but for some reason, even with big changes, the car just didn’t react. But we won’t give up, we still have some changes planned for tomorrow so we will see how it goes. [On SS12] we slid wide on a really fast left-hander which was tightening and went completely off the road, but at least we know that this exit could be used!"
Hyundai Motorsport WRC Sporting Director Andrew Wheatley said: "Another good day for us in Estonia across all three crews, but especially a really tight battle between Adrien and Thierry for the final spot on the podium. It is sure to be one of the main features on the final day of the rally tomorrow. Overall, we can be pleased, we’ve had excellent reliability over the course of the day and great teamwork to repair Adrien’s car after he clipped the anti-cut this morning. We’re sitting in a good position this evening and we can hope to consolidate another podium finish tomorrow."
Sunday at a Glance
Small chance of rain ahead of the longest stage of the rally (Kääriku), which will be run twice
Super Sunday and Power Stage points still up for grabs
Classification after Day Two
1 S. Pajari M. Salminen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 2:08:34.0
2 O. Solberg E. Edmondson Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +25.0
3 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +52.1
4 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +54.0
5 S. Ogier V. Landais Ford Puma Rally1 +1:32.8
6 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +2:02.9
7 M. Sesks R. Francis Ford Puma Rally1 +2:16.3
8 E. Lappi E. Mälkönen Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +2:42.0
9 J. Armstrong S. Byrne Ford Puma Rally1 +3:03.2
10 R. Virves J. Viilo Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 +7:07.2
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