Hyundai have given Andreas Mikkelsen another appearance in their third car in 2024 at the Central European Rally.
The Norwegian is competing alongside Ott Tanak and Thierry Neuville in the i20 N Rally1 machine, with his two teammates battling it out for the WRC title at the event.
Mikkelsen made his WRC debut back in 2006 with the Stobart VK Ford Rally Team and went on to make one-off appearances over the next few years before landing a full-time seat with Volkswagen in 2013.
From 2014 to 2016, the 35-year-old finished third in the standings, claiming his three victories in the category thus far during that time, coming in Spain in 2015 and in Poland and Australia in 2016.
Andreas Mikkelsen makes ‘mind-blowing’ set up change that makes Hyundai machine ‘enjoyable to drive’
Since then, Mikkelsen has made part-time appearances in the WRC and has been regularly competing in WRC-2, winning the title in 2021 and 2023.
In 2024, the Norwegian participated in three rallies with Hyundai in Monaco, Croatia and Polan, finishing sixth in all of them.
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At the Central European Rally, Mikkelsen finished the opening day of the event third overall, 1.7 seconds behind the leader Sebastian Ogier. Speaking with Motorsport.com, the Norwegian explained what was ‘mind-blowing’ about racing on tarmac as he puts himself in a good position for Friday’s stages.
“It was fun, now is the first time I have enjoyed driving the car on Tarmac,” said Mikkelsen.
“I changed a lot in my set-up and it was mind-blowing in there. It was really enjoyable to drive. It has been a long time since I have had that feeling. I’m looking forward to the weekend now.”
Who will win the 2024 WRC title?
As aforementioned, Mikkelsen’s Hyundai teammates Neuville and Tanak are in the battle for the 2024 title, with the former holding a 29-point lead over the latter.
Neuville has never won a championship and must outscore Tanak by two points at the Central European Rally to secure his maiden title. Many would think that Hyundai would prioritise the Belgian given that he has led the championship since the Monte Carlo Rally.
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But Tanak is not looking to give up the fight and wants to challenge Neuville all the way to the title. The pressure on the Belgian will be immense given the competitiveness of his teammate and the fact that Toyota are closing the gap in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Hyundai lead the standings over their Japanese rivals by 17 points after Toyota cut the advantage down from 35 points with a one-two finish in Chile.