Andreas Mikkelsen

[er88]

Hyundai will choose to nominate 3 of the 4 drivers to score pts before each rally. Then the best 2 finishers of those 3 selected drivers score manufacturer pts. Simple.

Could help Paddon actually, he's the weakest of the 4 drivers atm so he should be #4 and told to just focus on pushing hard and driving his own rally (without having to think about manufacturer pts). Let Andreas and Sordo help Neuville and Hyundai out. Paddon needs to regain his confidence fast or he will be quickly lost, and chucked into the scrap heap of nearly drivers that have went before him like Duval, Marko Martin etc. Paddon should have a word with his "mate" Neuville about how to fight back from the dumps. I still believe in him, but he's currently very poor on tarmac and has lost all pace on gravel. Unfortunately for him, that is not a good situation to be in

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[AnttiL]

Hyundai will choose to nominate 3 of the 4 drivers to score pts before each rally.

would, not will, nothing confirmed yet and Hyundai has stated that Mikkelsen is just testing the car. The team has also stated last December that they cannot have four drivers this season, hence sacking Abbring and not even trying to get Ogier.

[er88]

would, not will, nothing confirmed yet and Hyundai has stated that Mikkelsen is just testing the car. The team has also stated last December that they cannot have four drivers this season, hence sacking Abbring and not even trying to get Ogier.

There is just no way Hyundai let Andreas test the car without a deal being in the pipeline for him. The only question is whether Mikkelsen gets a drive from Portugal onwards, or whether he will just take on a test and development role this season, before he starts competing from 2018 onwards. He's going to sign a long term deal with them. And Hyundai can have 4 cars, as has previously been mentioned. Abbring was let go because he wasn't good enough

[AnttiL]

. And Hyundai can have 4 cars, as has previously been mentioned.

The rules allow it, yes, but it's a different thing whether they have resources for it.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Close friends and hear they live next door to each other in Monaco...

[Rally Power]

Yep, Mikkelsen joining Hyundai it's a big surprise but it makes sense to see the Koreans betting all chips to get this year championship. Citroen and Toyota clearly don’t have a driver's line up strong enough to challenge Hyundai and without Ford’s full backing MSport resources can’t be compared to those of Hyundai. Hopefully next year competition will get stronger but ’17, with now Neuville and Mikkelsen as frontrunners and Sordo and Paddon probably sharing the third car, it seems will be Hyundai’s year!

[AnttiL]

https://mobile.twitter.com/voiceofra...90986721689600

pretty sure this is a commercial deal. Don't exclude other offers coming in

[AL14]

Yep, Mikkelsen joining Hyundai it's a big surprise but it makes sense to see the Koreans betting all chips to get this year championship. Citroen and Toyota clearly don’t have a driver's line up strong enough to challenge Hyundai and without Ford’s full backing MSport resources can’t be compared to those of Hyundai. Hopefully next year competition will get stronger but ’17, with now Neuville and Mikkelsen as frontrunners and Sordo and Paddon probably sharing the third car, it seems will be Hyundai’s year!

Also they're securing Mikkelsen for the future years (and taking him from the competition). Add to it that he is a big friend of Thierry, which means less arguments inside the team...
Maybe the only cons is the fact that it will be very difficult, at this point, to eventually get Ogier next year.

[Mintexmemory]

Also they're securing Mikkelsen for the future years (and taking him from the competition). Add to it that he is a big friend of Thierry, which means less arguments inside the team...
Maybe the only cons is the fact that it will be very difficult, at this point, to eventually get Ogier next year.

So team orders will ensure that Thierry gets support from AM? While there is a contest that may get Hyundai the manufacturer's title I still see Ogier's consistency taking the driver contest.

[AL14]

So team orders will ensure that Thierry gets support from AM? While there is a contest that may get Hyundai the manufacturer's title I still see Ogier's consistency taking the driver contest.

Agree with Ogier taking WDC.
My statement about less argument was not about this year's support to Thierry. I was generally speaking. It's more likely to see them two cooperating for the team since they are close friends.