Fabrizio Zaldivar followed in the tracks of Hayden Paddon by winning a prestigious FIA regional rally championship with the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 for the second consecutive year, securing the 2024 CODASUR crown. After Paddon clinched back-to-back FIA European Rally Championship titles driving the same model, ‘Fau’ Zaldivar successfully defended his South American FIA CODASUR Rally Championship title, which he first claimed in 2023. His Hyundai i20 N Rally2 was expertly prepared by the Automotor Rally Team.
Zaldivar’s campaign culminated in a critical fourth-place finish at the Rally del Atlántico in Uruguay (November 14-17), sealing a brilliant season alongside Marcelo Der Ohannesian, his co-driver from Argentina. The pair triumphed in three of the five CODASUR rounds, bouncing back remarkably from a non-finish at the season opener, Rally Trans Itapúa in Zaldivar’s homeland.
Their comeback began at the second event of the year, Rally Jesús Maria in Argentina, where they emerged victorious after an intense early battle for the lead. They continued their winning streak at Rally Santa Cruz in Bolivia and completed a trio of victories at Rally Erechim in Brazil, where their two closest championship rivals failed to score points.
Having extended his championship lead from two to 21 points with the victory in Brazil, Zaldivar knew that a top-five finish at the Rally del Atlántico would suffice to clinch the title, and his fourth place in Uruguay comfortably secured the championship.
“It’s a really nice feeling to win the FIA CODASUR Rally Championship after starting the season with a DNF at my home event,” Zaldivar remarked. “We had to really focus and work hard with the team to have a perfect car for each following round. We managed to win three rallies in a row where we really needed to rely on the i20 N Rally2 and push to the limit to achieve our goals. I am really happy and this achievement is the reward for the hard work we put in during the year.”
With Paddon also adding the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship to his accolades, Hyundai’s i20 N Rally2 secured three FIA regional titles in 2024, underscoring its prowess in global rally competitions.