![The Hyundai World Rally Team celebrates its third victory of the season on Sunday at the Rally Italia Sardegna in Sardinia, Italy. (Hyundai Motor Group)](http://res.heraldm.com/phpwas/restmb_idxmake.php?idx=640&simg=/content/image/2024/06/03/20240603050543_0.jpg)
Hyundai Motor Co. said Monday it clinched its third consecutive victory of the 2024 World Rally Championship season on Sunday at the Rally Italia Sardegna.
The Hyundai World Rally Team secured a win in the sixth round of the 2024 WRC season on the Italian island of Sardinia, held from Thursday to Sunday. Rally Italia Sardegna, known for its challenging narrow and rough roads and sweltering early summer weather, is considered one of the toughest events in the WRC calendar.
Hyundai's Ott Tanak, driving an i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, narrowly edged out Toyota's Sebastien Ogier by just 0.2 second to take first place. This victory marks Tanak's and the team's third win of the season. Dani Sordo, another Hyundai driver who previously won the Italian Rally in 2019 and 2020, secured third place, contributing to a double podium finish for the team.
With the victory, Tanak moved to second place in the drivers' standings, tied with Toyota's Elfyn Evans at 25 points. The Hyundai World Rally Team continues to lead the manufacturers' standings, accumulating a total of 50 points due to the strong performances of its drivers.
This triumph also marks Hyundai's third consecutive win at the Italian Rally, following victories in 2022 and 2023, and its seventh overall win in the event's history since 2004.
“Securing our third victory this season at Rally Italia Sardegna is a proud moment for us, and we’re eager to continue delivering exciting performances for our N Brand enthusiasts,” said Till Wartenberg, vice president of N Brand & Motorsport at Hyundai Motor Co.
The World Rally Championship, organized by the International Automobile Federation, is one of the top global motorsport competitions. The 2024 season has 13 rounds, with the seventh to take place June 27-30 in Poland.