P1racenews AI automatic summary:
How being a target for young drivers spurred Mikkelsen back to WRC
never thought I would return to the top level of the World Rally Championship, but I kept pushing and believing in myself. Winning two WRC2 titles and a European Rally Championship boosted my confidence. Last year, I came close to a return before Hyundai chose Esapekka Lappi, but now I have signed a one-year contract to share Hyundai’s third WRC i20 N challenger with Lappi and Dani Sordo. It feels like a full circle moment for me, as I last drove for Hyundai in the WRC in 2019. Being absent from the top level for so long, there were moments when I doubted if I would ever drive in the WRC again, but I never gave up. And now, I’m excited to be back and competing with the best drivers in the world.
