Moncet praises Hyundai’s Monte efforts

Although the Alzenau-based squad endured a difficult season opener in the French Alps, Moncet said the team had worked day and night to get its trio of i20 N Rally1 cars to the start.

“It hasn’t been an easy rally,” said Moncet, “but I want to say that I am proud of the team and the achievement to get to Monte Carlo. When I say we worked day and night, really I mean day and night.”

With only one of the three Hyundais finishing, Moncet admitted there was work to do ahead of next month’s Rally Sweden (24 - 27 February). 

Thierry Neuville was a distant sixth overall on a rally he won two years ago, whilst Ott Tänak was forced out with engine damage after he went off the road. Oliver Solberg also retired when the team was unable to trace the source of fumes coming into the 20-year-old’s car.

The upside was a single Sunday stage win for Neuville.

“I think we are there for the performance,” explained Moncet, “but we have to work for the reliability – without this the performance is useless. We start to work to this straight away. It will come. I’m sure the base [car] is good.

“We knew this event would be difficult – this is what I said to the team before we came here. The important thing is that we stayed together and we do the best we can. 

“Sweden will bring another challenge for us. It’s a new surface and it brings some more questions, but we’ll do everything we can to make sure we are ready. That work has started already,” he added.