Portugal warm-up sets Sordo up for WRC return

Next week’s fifth round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship will mark Sordo's first outing of 2024. He shares Hyundai Motorsport’s third car with fellow part-time drivers Esapekka Lappi and Andreas Mikkelsen.

Sordo experienced a variety of conditions during the two-day event, which utilised gravel roads – similar to those featuring next week – around Amarante.

“It was so nice to be here,” the i20 N Rally1 driver said. “I had a good feeling with the car and I feel really good for the [WRC] rally. I can’t wait for Portugal and to do my best there.”

While Sordo was not eligible to compete for the overall victory, WRC2 regulars dominated the top end of the leaderboard.

Kris Meeke will campaign a Rally2-specification i20 N in the premier support category next week and he secured an 11.1sec victory over Frenchman Pierre-Louis Loubet despite rolling in the event’s Qualifying Stage. Loubet was warming up to kick off his WRC2 bid aboard a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.

“Some people call me a 'trees or trophy' driver,” joked Meeke. “I think this weekend it was trees and trophies!”

Citroën C3 Rally2 team-mates Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin placed third and fourth overall, while fifth went to Ireland’s Josh McErlean in a Škoda.