Sordo benched by Hyundai for Australia WRC finale

Sordo is the second Hyundai driver to be dropped after Hayden Paddon was sacrificed to make way for new signing Andreas Mikkelsen in Spain earlier this month.

Last year’s Rally Australia winner Mikkelsen will be joined in Coffs Harbour by Thierry Neuville and Paddon.

All four i20 Coupe WRC drivers will be present in Wales this month, but the logistics of repeating that exercise down under have proved beyond the Frankfurt team.

Hyundai team principal Michel Nandan said: “The complexity of logistics for Rally Australia meant that we were not able to run a four-car entry, although that would have been the ideal solution.

“We had to make the decision based on which combination of crews we felt would give us the strongest all-round chance on the Australian gravel.

"Thierry scored our first Australian podium last year, an event that was won by Andreas and Hayden has made continuous improvements year-on-year in this rally.

“We want to finish the season in the most competitive way possible, to lay ourselves strong foundations for next year – that’s our aim.”

Hyundai’s hopes of lifting a maiden WRC title are likely to be dashed at Rally GB later this month, where its rival M-Sport needs to pick up just four points to be crowned manufacturers' champions.

M-Sport's Sebastien Ogier leads the drivers' title race, 37 points ahead of teammate Tanak, with Neuville one point behind him.