2019 champion Ott Tanak retired from leading positions in Portugal and Sardinia, while Neuville surrendered the lead on Safari Rally Kenya with damper fa🅰ilure and saw his hopes of a positive result on the Acropolis Rally dashed when the power steering unit on the Korean supermini failed.

A starter motor issue almost cost Neuville victory on last month’s Rally Spain when the car refused to fire up in the regroup area before the end-of-rally Power Stage. A push start from team-mate Martijn Wydaeghe eventually got the car going again but not before fire and smoke billowed fro🐈m the exhaust. 

Asked by mahbx.com if reliability was the area 🌞Hyundai’s engineers needed to home in on when developing their hybrid-powered Rally 1 car, he said: “Definitely.  

“To win a championship you need a reliable car and that wa𒉰s the strength of our car in the previous two seasons when we won the Manufacturers’ [Championship].  

“We missed it this year. We have se♓en many times Hyundai retiring from the lead. There have been several reasons and sometimes there have been noಞ reason, and it happened.  

“Like I mentioned, we put our heads up and we continue pushing. I resign🍰ed [with Hyundai back in May] for three more years and I am convinced the new car is going to be the one to have,” he added. 

While Hyundai has faltered, Toyota has enjoyed one of the most successful campaigns since it🉐 re-joined the sport’s top-flight, scoring victories on eight of the eleven rounds that have been held so far. 

Arriving in Italy this week for the final event🐼 with a 47-point lead, Toyota need only six more points at Rally Monza to seal the title – the equivalent 𓂃of one of the three nominated crews finishing inside the top seven places. 

Despite the odds beꦓing stacked firmly in their favour, Team Principal Jari-Mattiꩲ Latvala is keen to point out that Monza will “provide a challenging finale”. 

He said: “We are excited to go to Monza with a great chance to secure all three championship titles – something which has been our 🔯dream🧜 to achieve.  

“It would be the perfect way for us to finish the World Rally Car era and the last race for our Yaris WRC that debuted in 2017, when I was one of the dᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚrivers.  

“I hope th💙at everything will go to plan and we will be able to clinch the manufacturers’ championship, but in motorsport we know that nothing is certain until you’ve reached the finish.”