Sordo wants “more performance” from i20 N

The Spaniard will sit out the next two rallies in Estonia and Finland, replaced by Teemu Suninen in the third Hyundai. Sordo was, however, the Korean manufacturers’ highest-placed finisher with fifth at Safari Rally Kenya.

Sordo said: “We definitely expected more from this event. Kenya is a tough place for the rally and we were able to make some points, so it wasn’t so bad as it might have been.

“I think we can see from Kenya that we need to find some more performance – especially for that rally. We needed to be a lot faster. OK, as a driver maybe you can push more, but there is always the risk and you could see when we were running without the problem, the other cars were ahead.”

Sordo admitted the fast gravel ahead could serve the team well.

“I think we will do better on the next two rallies,” he said.

Hyundai’s full-time test facility is based in central Finland, meaning the i20 N Rally1 should offer more performance and sit more comfortably on the Estonian and Finnish stages which sitting in wait.