Rally fans thrilled as mechanics rebuild crashed race car in less than 30 minutes
Thierry Neuville was the pre-race-favourite until a puncture threw him off course, his Hyundai i20 Hybrid R1 hitting a stone, sending the car to the hard bank which comprehensively tore the rear right side of the Hybrid on Friday.
Neuville stopped and replaced the wheel holding a ring of rubber on the rim and bare threads of what was earlier a tyre.
According to World Rally Championship (WRC) rules, the Belgian had to bring back the rim as proof of a replacement.
Neuville, who is leading the global championship with 48 points, three ahead of Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, was distraught at the Naivasha Media Zone, looking sad and well aware that the puncture had derailed his first possible Safari victory after three futile attempts.
Work had to be done to return the car to its former showroom state in less than 30 minutes.
The repair work at hand, which would take an ordinary mechanic days, was accomplished in 29 minutes 30 seconds of the allocated 30 minutes to avoid penalties.
For the media and fans who had earlier gathered at Naivasha’s Buffalo Mall to greet the drivers, this appeared a herculean task.
But he returned in the afternoon for the second round of competition across Loldia, Geothermal and Kedong and with a new car.
This is what happened: As a team, Hyundai has brought in body pork kits, spires in tonnes, speedy mechanics and engineers who are using computers to diagnose misfires and Pirelli tyres in hard and soft compounds for mud and dust.
The mechanics simply removed the body panels and carried out any structural damages and changed parts before fitting back new ones, tyres, a whole sump guard from front to rear in 29 minutes and 30 seconds.
There was a heightened sense of urgency when the lead mechanic said they had only four minutes left until the clock started ticking towards penalties.
They completed the task with 30 seconds left when Neuville emerged from the resting lounge with an exclamation: “Well done, guys!,” before firing off for the start of the second loop.
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