Rally Sweden: Hyundai Struggles Continue as Toyota Dominates
Hyundai is facing a mounting challenge at the start of the 2026 World Rally Championship season, struggling to match the pace of a dominant Toyota team. After a difficult opening round in Monte Carlo, the Korean manufacturer hoped to find a competitive edge at Rally Sweden, a venue where they secured victory in 2024 with Esapekka Lappi. However, the Swedish rally unfolded as a largely frustrating test session for Hyundai, as their drivers grappled with a persistent lack of traction on the snow and ice-covered roads.
Toyota, conversely, continued its impressive form, achieving a remarkable 1-2-3-4 finish led by Elfyn Evans. This marks the first time since Citroen in 2010 that a manufacturer has recorded back-to-back podium lockouts in the WRC. The disparity in performance has left Hyundai searching for answers, resorting to a myriad of setup changes throughout the rally in an attempt to unlock the potential of their i20 N Rally1 car.
“I don’t know what to say,” a visibly frustrated Thierry Neuville stated, after finishing seventh overall. The 2024 world champion admitted to experimenting with approximately 30 to 35 different car setups over the course of the weekend, yet struggled to find a configuration that delivered the necessary grip and confidence to challenge the Toyotas. “One can say that when there is still hope, there is life, but we need to put all of our courage together and try to work hard to bring us back to where we belong.”
The core issue plaguing Hyundai’s performance appears to be a fundamental lack of traction. Drivers consistently reported difficulties in generating grip, leading to understeer and a general lack of confidence in the car’s handling. This was particularly evident when compared to the performance of the Toyota drivers, who appeared to effortlessly navigate the challenging Swedish stages.
Esapekka Lappi, returning to the Hyundai team for the first time since 2024, echoed the sentiments of his teammates. While he expressed satisfaction in being the fastest Hyundai driver through the weekend, he acknowledged the significant gap in performance compared to the Toyotas. Lappi also noted differences between the current car and the one he drove to victory in Sweden two years prior, citing changes in weight distribution, the removal of the hybrid system, and various geometry updates as potential contributing factors to the current struggles.
“For sure, it was frustrating to see how far we are from the Toyotas as a team,” Lappi said. “At first I thought it was just me and that I wasn’t up to speed yet, but in the end it was not only me. But for us to be the fastest Hyundai was satisfying after one and half years away. We are for sure lighter and we are missing the battery and the hybrid [system from 2024] and We find also many updates with the geometries. I don’t know what is wrong at the moment and why we can’t be faster than that.”
Despite the overall struggles, Hyundai did demonstrate flashes of improvement throughout the rally. Neuville managed to secure the fastest time on the Power Stage, narrowly edging out Evans by just 0.1 seconds. This late surge of pace offered a glimmer of hope, suggesting that the i20 N Rally1 car does possess the potential for competitive performance.
Hyundai sporting director Andrew Wheatley acknowledged the challenges facing the team, emphasizing the need for both realism and optimism. “I think we have to be both realistic and optimistic. Realistic to understand where we are, and optimistic to try and work towards how we can bridge that gap,” Wheatley explained. “We know that there is a challenge and I don’t think anybody discounts that, and if we don’t accept the challenge head on, then we are not going to ever get to a position where we are able to fight.”
Wheatley highlighted the importance of understanding how the team was able to achieve success on the Power Stage and replicating that performance consistently. He also emphasized the need to address the fundamental issue of traction and adapt to the available grip levels. “The problem is traction and how we adapt to the tyre and level of grip that we have got. That is the fundamental challenge, but I think there are a lot of other areas that we can use to potentially improve that.”
“We set three fastest times on this rally, and that is not enough out of 18 stages. We wanted to be nearer to where we were last year with seven but if the car was incapable of doing it we would be in a real problem, but it can do it. We just need to understand how we can do that consistently.”
Hyundai is planning to conduct further testing in the coming weeks, preparing for the upcoming rounds in Kenya and Croatia. These tests will be crucial in identifying the root causes of their current performance deficit and developing solutions to bridge the gap to Toyota. The team will be looking to unlock the full potential of the i20 N Rally1 car and return to the front of the WRC field.
Neuville was also handed a one-minute penalty and a €1500 fine after stewards determined he had not correctly fastened his crash helmet during stage 15.
