NEWS: Hyundai i20 WRC Podium & Double Finish @ Rally Mexico!

After a disastrous start to their WRC campaign, Hyundai has finally got some luck and shown what their new i20 WRC is capable of – with young hot shoe Thierry Neuville nailing third on the podium in Rally Mexico, behind Ogier and Latvala's VW's Polo R WRC's.
Plus! The Hyundai Shell World Rally Team nailed its objective of a two-car finish in the notoriously tough gravel event in South America, with Chris Atkinson completing his first WRC event as a Hyundai Shell WRT driver in a solid seventh overall, meeting all team targets set. Result… and clearly showing the i20 is up to the job; fast, reliable and durable!
Hyundai said: "Thierry with his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul have been on scintillating form this weekend after initially struggling with the gravel terrain and high altitude on the first full day. Neuville put in a string of competitive stage times on Saturday to edge his way into the podium positions by the end of the day before continuing his fine form into today’s final stages to consolidate the result and pick up 15 drivers’ points.
"The result wasn’t without its moments of drama, as the #7 Hyundai i20 WRC developed a radiator leak at the conclusion of the final stage. Neuville and Gilsoul were able to fix the leak in the road section and make it safely back to the service park enabling the drivers and the team to celebrate their well-earned podium result."
Thierry himself Neuville said: "We are incredibly happy to have scored this podium result today and especially in a rally as demanding as Mexico. We kept our heads down and focused on delivering the best results we could in each stage without going over the limit. Our objective has always been just to bring the car home and finish the rally, so to take a podium is a really nice bonus for the team, who have worked so hard. Having the first-hand experience of rally competition is so valuable for the team and the data we have gathered this weekend will be extremely useful in further development of the Hyundai i20 WRC and the team overall. We are delighted with this result and to have exceeded our targets. It’s been a real team effort and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, even if there is much more to come."
For Chris Atkinson, Rally Mexico has been his first competitive WRC event for over a year and his first as a driver for the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team. The Aussie met and exceeded the team’s expectations of him by also bringing his Hyundai i20 WRC car to the end of the rally in a highly commendable seventh place overall, picking up six championship points.
Hyundai said: "Atkinson and his co-driver Stéphane Prévot had to overcome some technical issues on the opening day but still registered a top ten position heading into Saturday’s stages. The pairing continued to fight hard despite encountering some demanding conditions through the Mexican gravel terrain as one of the first drivers to contest each stage. They achieved the target of completing the rally and ensuring that Hyundai Shell World Rally Team, in just its third WRC event, brought both cars to the finish for the first time."
And Chris Atkinson added: "It’s not been an easy weekend but what a way to end it for the team to celebrate a two-car finish and our debut podium. Mexico is a tough rally and I have had to deal with a few issues during the event. We had a suspension problem on Friday which put us down the order and then we had to run early in the subsequent stages which meant a lot of slippery conditions. We had to play things sensibly and drive cautiously to achieve our objective of finishing the event, which I am pleased we did comfortably. We made some improvements during the rally and I’m pretty satisfied with seventh overall and more importantly to finish. This experience will be really useful for the team to improve the car for the rest of the year. I look forward to returning to the cockpit of the Hyundai i20 WRC later in the season and thank the team for all their support this weekend. Everyone deserves the podium result today."
Rally Mexico has been the toughest test so far for the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team with some of the longest, arduous stages and physical demands on the team with the high altitude in Mexico. The result marks the first time that both Hyundai i20 WRC cars complete a rally event fully but to do so with a podium result far exceeds the team’s objectives and adds 23 championship points to its 2014 tally.
Hyundai Motorsport was only established 15 months ago so the WRC programme is still in development with plenty more for the team still to learn in the remaining rallies of the year. The team has focussed on gaining experience and information from each event with the target of a two car finish still very realistic aims.
Team Principal Michel Nandan said: "Our team is still very young so this result is hugely significant for us. Not only have we finished one of the toughest rallies with both cars, but we have also scored a debut podium in the process. It’s fantastic. We are learning all the time and we are pushing hard both on event and back at our factory in Alzenau. The WRC programme is a big challenge and one upon which we embarked with a very short time scale. This result today is a huge reward for a lot of hard work and determination, so thanks must go to the entire team in Alzenau and also to our colleagues in the Namyang R&D centre in Korea. We are building a great team of people and we are going to celebrate this together before getting straight back to work, preparing for Portugal. Our learning curve continues despite this good result."

Bravo for Hyundai and Thierry & Chris. We're real looking forward to seeing more top results come for Hyundai and the talented Thierry in this learning curve inaugural season. Just maybe, they can halt the VW Motorsport dominance and add greater competition and diversity, for the good of the sport… just as it's starting to get it's fan base back onside? No one wants to see one manufacturer winning it all. If this happens, and one or two more manufacturers get onboard in WRC; a new golden era of rallying beckons… maybe! Come on you lot…!   

Rally Mexico Overall Classification: S. Ogier / J. Ingrassia (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) 4:27:41.8
J.M. Latvala / M. Anttila (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) +1:12.6
T. Neuville / N. Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 WRC) +5:28.6
E. Evans / D. Barritt (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +6:49.3
M. Prokop / J. Tománek (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +9:54.4
B. Guerra / B. Rozada (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +12:57.6
C. Atkinson / S. Prévot (Hyundai i20 WRC) +15:15.4
M. Hirvonen / J. Lehtinen (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +17:06.8
M. Østberg / J. Andersson (Citroën DS3 WRC) +25:41.6
Y. Protasov / P. Cherepin (Ford Fiesta R5) +28:18.2

2014 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings:
S. Ogier 63 points / J.M. Latvala 60 / M. Østberg 32 / A. Mikkelsen 24 / E. Evans 20 / B. Bouffier 18 / M. Hirvonen 18 / C. Meeke 17 / T. Neuville 15 / O. Tanak 10 / M. Prokop 10 / B. Guerra 8 / H. Solberg 6 / C. Atkinson 6 / J. Melicharek 4 / P. Tidemand 4 / M. Gamba 2 / C. Breen 2 / J. Protasov 2

2014 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings:
Volkswagen Motorsport 115 points / Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team 60 / M-Sport World Rally Team 40 / Hyundai Motorsport 31 / Volkswagen Motorsport II 28 / Jipocar Czech National Team 10 / RK M-Sport World Rally Team 4

BLOG: Just How Ace Will WRC 2014 Be?

This year's WRC has been totally splendid – with VW making history dominating the drivers' and manufacturers' championships with their new Polo R, and the season ending on such a high with a VW 1-2 at a revitalised Wales Rally GB, as you can read in our latest issue here.

And with Hyundai stepping up to the plate with the fresh-faced i20 WRC for 2014 – with the youthful talent of the new Mr consistency, Thierry Neuville, the multi-surface skills of testing ace Juho Hänninen, the tarmac-terrorist, Dani Sordo and gravel giant, Chris Atkinson driving – the sport is looking in finer and finer shape. 

It's so great to have two new teams and their cool new cars to battle alongside the more establish Citroën Racing DS3 WRC and M-Sport's Ford Fiesta RS WRC. 

And the best news – for us British rally fans, who still miss the days of Burns & McRae doing battle with the best – is that we now have not one, but two British drivers in top teams and ace, established cars in the 2014 WRC.

Kris Meeke gets a WRC seat with co-driver Paul Nagle (racing alongside Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson) in an all-new Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team line up, which you can read about here. 

And now, after a storming season in WRC2 – including his win at Wales Rally GB by a country mile – Malcolm Wilson has gifted Welshman, Elfyn Evans an M-Sport drive in the Fiesta RS WRC in 2014. Yay!

Both announcements are massive boosts for UK rallying – coming following what was without doubt the best Wales Rally GB for years – and they make for a thrilling prospect for 2014 WRC, for all rally fans, but especially us Brits.  

Andrew Coe, Chief Executive of Wales Rally GB organiser International Motor Sports is understandably ecstatic at the prospect of having two British drivers back at the sport’s highest level, saying: "This is just fantastic news for the sport in the UK and, in particular Wales. We were thrilled when Citroen signed Kris and now we are further excited that M-Sport has given Elfyn this equally fabulous opportunity. To have a Welsh driver competing at the forefront of the World Championship is a great reward for the Welsh Government, which has been a great supporter of our sport for more than a decade.

"The timing couldn’t be much better either, coming so soon after the huge success of last month’s revitalised Wales Rally GB. The move to a new base in north Wales saw the reintroduction of some classic forest stages and a huge leap in spectator numbers – the only ingredient missing was a British driver in contention for victory. Now, with Kris and Elfyn both in major teams, we have two potential British winners."
Evans is widely hailed as one of the sport’s brightest up-and-coming talents. The baby-faced 24-year-old – son of 1996 British Rally Champion and rally stalwart, Gwyndaf Evans – won the WRC Academy in 2012 and last year impressed in the WRC2 category, notably when taking top class honours on Wales Rally GB on his home soil.
Now the youngster and his co-driver Daniel Barritt graduate to one of two officially entered M-Sport Fiesta RS WRCs as team-mates to multiple WRC winner Mikko Hirvonen, who is due a better year and is sure to come out fighting, especially after his muddy, unceremonious roll in Wales!
"It is an absolutely fantastic feeling to know that I will be driving a world rally car for a full season next year!" admitted a delighted Evans. "For Dan and I it is great to be able to take the next step in our careers. The whole team is behind us and we have a long-term plan to get to where we all, ultimately, want to be. This is just the first step and I am extremely grateful to M-Sport for this opportunity and their belief in my future."

Roll on 2014! It's going to be so good to see two such talented, different British rally drivers at the top of the sport again, winning stages, rallies, even WRC titles… just like the good old Burns-McRae era, only different, as it's now Irishman Vs Welshman, not Scot Vs Englishman. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere… 

We wish (the experienced, yet untested properly in WRC) Kris and (the WRC2 master and young gun) Elfyn all the best and you can follow their news here, on Facebook and Twitter with Road Magazine… British rally fans to the core! 

Read our latest Rally GB special FREE here.

NEWS: Hyundai Motorsport i20 WRC 2014 Line-up

Hyundai Motorsport has unveiled its full team line-up at a special launch event in Frankfurt today – readying for its debut in the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship at Monte Carlo next month.
Thierry Neuville made his first public appearance in Hyundai Motorsport colours as the team’s lead driver, while testing ace Juho Hänninen – who will drive the second i20 WRC at selected events – was also present. It was also announced that both Dani Sordo and Chris Atkinson will partner Neuville at several events during the season, with Sordo running on Rallye Monte-Carlo and Atkinson confirmed for Rally Australia. Quite a cool, youthful, talented line-up eh?

Hyundai Motorsport says they have "set realistic targets for its debut season with the primary objective of finishing each rally event with two cars. The young team will approach each rally with the goal of accumulating vital knowledge and data in order to strengthen its foundations for subsequent years. Going up against vastly more experienced WRC competitors, the team knows that it has a steep learning curve, but it certainly relishes the challenge and will be aiming to compete for podium places during the season."

“We have worked tremendously hard to get where we are today and to be able to launch our new WRC team to the world,” explains Team Principal of Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, Michel Nandan. “In less than one year, we have built and tested a brand new WRC-specification car, the Hyundai i20 WRC, and established a professional team and modern motorsport facility. It’s a huge accomplishment but we know that we have a lot to learn in our first season. Our aims for 2014 are realistic: we want to finish each rally with both cars and build up a database of information and experience so we can develop ourselves into prospective rally winners in the future. If all goes well, we will hope to be competing for occasional podiums as the year progresses.”
The launch event was held at the home of Hyundai Motor Europe in Offenbach, just a short drive from Hyundai Motorsport’s facility in Alzenau, where final preparations are taking place for the team’s rally debut in just over one month. Over 150 journalists and guests attended the event to see the newly liveried Hyundai i20 WRC and team on display.
The complete line-up for 2014 includes a new title partner, Shell, which will see the team named Hyundai Shell World Rally Team. The multi-year partnership will see Shell Helix-Ultra logos adorn the Hyundai i20 WRC at all WRC events.
“Shell is delighted to be returning to the WRC in 2014 with Hyundai,” said Colin Abraham, Shell Vice President Marketing (Fuels and Lubricants). “Shell and Hyundai have worked closely together to deliver a high quality product to customers around the world for more than eight years. We bring a genuine understanding of each other’s strengths to this exciting new team as the Hyundai i20 WRC prepares for its first competitive season.”
“I am really excited at the prospect of helping Hyundai Motorsport to integrate itself into the tough WRC environment,” said Neuville. “It is an honour to be representing a manufacturer like Hyundai Motor Company but also to have the extra responsibility of leading the team in our first season. I am looking forward to Monte Carlo. I can already feel the professionalism, motivation and passion of this team so although it will be a steep learning curve, I am sure it will be a positive one.”
Hänninen said: “I respect the opportunity that I have been given to join Hyundai Motorsport in its debut WRC season. I was the first to drive the Hyundai i20 WRC back in May so I feel really close to the project and have a great relationship with the team. I am looking forward to competing in Rally Sweden and continuing our learning curve.”
Sordo commented: “I am very happy to be part of this exciting Hyundai WRC project. It might be a young team but there is a high level of experience and professionalism that makes the team a really appealing package. I am looking forward to bringing my years of WRC experience to the team in its debut season and to take part in Rallye Monte-Carlo, the first event.”
“It’s been a pleasure to be part of Hyundai Motorsport in testing this season and to have had the chance to contribute to the development of the i20 WRC,”said Atkinson. “It’s fantastic to be able to carry on with the team into 2014, our first WRC season, and to be able to drive in Rally Australia later in the year.”
Hyundai Motor Company also used the occasion of its WRC launch to announce that Hyundai “N” will be used to symbolise Hyundai’s high performance technology on both the i20 WRC car and future mass-produced high performance cars. Linked directly to the company’s renewed involvement in WRC, “N” brings together Hyundai Motor’s technology and innovation with the learning from motorsport to provide a new experience for customers.
Representing the company’s passion for high performance, “N” takes inspiration in both name and spirit from the Namyang R&D Centre that has collaborated with Hyundai Motorsport on the development of the i20 WRC. The Namyang R&D Centre is at the heart of the technological innovation and development that serves as the driving force behind Hyundai’s growth as a global brand.
The Hyundai WRC team has come a long way since the first iteration of the i20 WRC car made an appearance at the Paris Motor Show in September 2012. Hyundai Motorsport has developed from scratch into a fully functioning motorsport team, defying the odds to build, test and prepare two rally cars ready to compete in 2014.
With more than 90 staff from 18 nationalities, made up of motorsport specialists and experienced Hyundai personnel, the team represents the perfect mix of Hyundai and motorsport ideals.

In just over one month’s time, Hyundai Motorsport is set to add a new dimension to the FIA World Rally Championship by competing in its debut event of 2014. The company has already shown what can be accomplished in a short space of time with the right mentality and approach. For the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team, January cannot come soon enough.

NEWS: Extensive Hyundai i20 WRC R&D Rolls On

Hyundai Motorsport are in the middle of a huge R&D session (and now homologation testing) on their forthcoming i20 WRC car – having just completed a gruelling 15 day, 1000Km gravel and tarmac rally test, with Juho Hänninen, Bryan Bouffier and Chris Atkinson alternating behind the wheel in both Spain and Germany.  The aim...? An inaugural season like VW have just had surely! . 

Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Michel Nandan, said: “This month was exceptionally busy for us. We were out testing the i20 WRC on both surfaces for more than half of the month, with our three test drivers swapping the seat on four separate test sessions. We now have two latest-spec i20 WRC cars, which allows us to further intensify the development schedule by alternating between the two chassis. Overall, it was a positive month as we managed to test new parts, try different set-up solutions and cover some good mileage with the car.”
October’s testing kicked off with a four-day gravel test in the south of Spain where the team continued to assess the behaviour of the i20 WRC in warm weather conditions with both Juho Hänninen and Chris Atkinson on duty. “During this test we took the opportunity to continue the development of the car on gravel conditions, similar to the ones we will find in Portugal and Sardinia next year. We tried several configurations for these kinds of terrains and evaluated some new components which we hadn’t tested before,” explained Nandan.
The Hyundai Motorsport team then moved from the south of Spain up to the Catalonia region for a five-day gravel test. This was followed by a tarmac test in Baumholder, Germany, home of the iconic Arena Panzerplatte, which forms part of Rallye Deutschland’s itinerary.
“After concentrating on loose surfaces in the first part of October, we took the i20 WRC to tarmac for a test on the same conditions of Rallye Deutschland. We had some new suspension parts to try as we hadn’t tested on tarmac since August,” Nandan continued.
In the final week of October, the team continues tarmac development in Catalonia on the roads of Rally de España, the penultimate round of the WRC, which was held last week. “Testing on the same roads as the rally allows us to start to have some references on the stages we will tackle next year,” concluded Nandan.
This month marked also the beginning of another important process for the Hyundai Motorsport team. The dossier for the homologation of the i20 WRC needs to be compiled and lodged by the FIA by the end of October.
We at Road wish them well on their WRC journey – bringing greater diversity and talent to the sport. 

See more test images (superb!) here.