Quote Originally Posted by 240RS View Post
Lappi was no match for Rovanpera on gravel. And certainly wouldn't be expected to top Ogier on tarmac. Evans is generally accepted to hold the edge on Esapekka. Which means Hyundai got the fourth best driver from Toyota. My drift: It will be a minor miracle if the South Korean manufacturer were to win the makes title in 2023.

As for the Breen/Sordo car, how will they be expected to be significant players when the first 5 positions can only be obtained via misfortunes/problems for others???
Challenging your first point, Rovanpera was struggling with the rhythm all weekend in Sardegna while Esapekka (sure, with road position to help) was leading until his accident. EP across a full season would have definitely done better than Evans IMO.

It's a shame he's had to leave Toyota, even if I understand his reasons. He was comfortable in the team and very quick in the car; as far as I know he struggles a lot when the setup isn't optimal, but time will tell if the Hyundai wasn't all that bad or if Tanak is just superhuman.