Andrea Adamo on Hyundai’s WRC 2020 Testing, Tänak and Rally Mexico

AUTHOR: VERA VON MONIKA

Fafe does not disguise weakness. The roads are narrow, abrasive, and defined by impact, each compression and landing exposing what simulation cannot fully replicate. For teams preparing for the early gravel phase of the World Rally Championship season, this is not spectacle. It is verification.

Hyundai Motorsport arrived not to perform, but to measure. With both cars running at full WRC specification, the objective was clear: validate the i20 Coupe WRC against the punishing conditions that resemble the rough terrain and mechanical stress that awaits in Mexico. At the center of that process is Andrea Adamo, operating with his usual directness, less concerned with stage times than with the relationship forming between driver and machine.

In this interview, conducted early in the morning at the Fafe service park, Adamo reflects on that process: Ott Tänak’s reintegration following Monte Carlo, Dani Sordo’s role as a technical reference, and the ongoing development cycle that defines a car which, by design, is never finished.

Andrea, seeing two full-spec WRC cars here in Fafe is a dream for the fans. What was the main technical reason for choosing this specific rally as your testing ground?

Vera, we don't come here just to put on a show, though the fans deserve it. These roads are "honest." They don't lie. To prepare for the rough gravel of Mexico, you need a place that punishes the car. If the suspension survives Fafe, we can start to feel confident.

Ott Tänak is still quite new to the i20. Are you focusing on his stage times today, or is this weekend purely about his "feeling" with the car?

Times are just ink on paper. I care about his face when he takes the helmet off. If he is smiling and talking to the engineers, we are winning. We are building the marriage between the driver and the machine. So far, no one is asking for a divorce!

This is one of Ott’s first major outings since that incredible escape in Monte Carlo. Have you noticed any change in his approach, or is he back to 100% "attack mode" today?

Ott is a professional. Of course, when you fly off a mountain at 180km/h, you don't wake up the next day for a jog. But he is a tough Estonian. He doesn't look back; he only looks at the next corner. We are here to make sure he feels the car is his "second skin" again. If he is fast here, the ghosts of Monte Carlo are gone.

On the other side of the garage, you have Dani Sordo, who is a master of these technical roads. What is his specific "homework" for this weekend?

Dani is our benchmark. He knows the car, he knows the gravel. His job is to push the development and give the engineers the "real" feedback. If Dani says the setup is right for Mexico, I believe him. He is the calm one in the middle of our storm.

You have introduced some visible aero updates here. Is this the final configuration we’ll see in the next WRC rounds?

In racing, "final" doesn't exist. If you stop changing, you are losing. We are trying things, some are good, some belong in the bin. That is why we are here in the mud and not sitting in a comfortable office in Germany.

The "Felgueiras" stages are a new addition this year. How do they compare to the classic Fafe jumps?

They are technical, they are tricky. It adds a new layer to the challenge. For us, it’s more data. For the drivers, it’s more work. For me? It’s perfect.

You also have the Team Hyundai Portugal cars running here. How much technical crossover is there between the WRC stars and the local crews?

We are one family. Whether it’s an R5 or a WRC car, the logo is the same. My engineers keep an eye on everything. We support the local guys because they are the foundation of this sport in Portugal.

The atmosphere at the street stage last night was electric. Does that energy help the mechanics during these long work shifts?

My boys are tigers. They don't need coffee when they have this atmosphere! The Portuguese fans have more blood in their veins than anyone. It reminds us why we do this crazy job. It’s about the passion, nothing else.

We are only weeks away from Rally Mexico. Does this weekend give you the "100% confidence" you need?

(Laughs) If I tell you I am 100% confident, I am a liar or I am stupid. I am never satisfied. We are 90% there, and we will find the last 10% on the plane to Mexico. Now, I must go back to work before my engineers forget what I look like!