BLOG: The Magic of the Monte & 2014 WRC

Wow. We said this year's WRC would be a cracker, and, if the season opener – the iconic Monte Carlo Rally – is anything to go by, we were right! What an absolutely thrilling, magic Monte event, setting us all up for a superb 2014 season.
In deeply challenging, changeable conditions – with rain, ice and then so much snow the famous Col De Turini stage was cancelled – Volkswagen’s 2013 champion Sebastian Ogier steered his Polo R WRC to victory, climbing the leader board over the event, to take the win.
Incredibly, second place went to privateer, Bryan Bouffier, who was out to prove a point on his home soil, having narrowly missed out on a factory drive with Hyundai's new i20 this year. Hats off to the Frenchman, who certainly got tongues wagging, leading for much of the event, until Ogier overtook him on stage nine: A phenomenal achievement for a private entry team.
It was a superb, dream start for Brit Kris Meeke too – in his first full WRC season as a Citroen factory driver, who drove a sublime, consistent event, to take third and obviously loved it, while his characterful team-mate Mads Ostberg brought his DS3 WRC home in fourth, in his first competitive drive for Citroen. Impressive stuff for what looks like a very content Citroen team this year.

VW ace and total dude, Jari-Matti Latvala took fifth after a tough start to the event, proving he's a title contender again this year, if luck stays with him.
And new-WRC-blood British rally star, Elfyn Evans drove his superbly-livered M-Sport Fiesta RS WRC to a deeply impressive sixth place – showing maturity way beyond his years. That bodes so well for the young Welsh superstar.

Seventh place went to the stylish, WRC social media expert, Andreas Mikkelsen, who's starting his first full season in the VW Polo R WRC – which looks as cool as he does on the stages again this year. And with next to no pressure, and growing experience, expect some good things from Andreas in 2014.
The all-new Hyundai team rocked the parc ferme with a deeply impressive, flashy new service area set-up – using first names for their drivers, in a successful bid to set an open, friendly, accessible image in the sport and setting new standards in mechanical support, which is sure to stir things up with the other teams and puts their flag firmly in thew WRC soil.
Unfortunately, despite the cars being competitively quick from the off, it was not the dream start that VW had last year with their new Polo for the funky-looking, great-sounding, fresh i20 WRC – as Thierry Neuville made an uncharacteristic error and crashed out of the event... on the first stage, much to his embarrassment and the team's frustration. And things went from bad to worst when Dani Sordo – who was posting good times in the i20 – was forced to retire with electrical gremlins. Sad news for the ambitious new team who say 2014 is all about learning. But we know they really want some podiums, if not event wins. Never mind. I'm sure they will be back with gusto in Sweden February 5th-8th, when the WRC teams take on even deeper snow than they faced here on the magic Monte, and it's great to have Hyundai so committed to WRC.

Former F1 star Robert Kubica's run of bad WRC luck continued in his new Fiesta RS WRC. Having set two fastest stage times on SS1 and SS2 – proving his pace once again – Kubica understeered off into a bridge in spectacular style shortly afterwards, forcing his retirement and lots of repair work on his car, again. Doh.
And it was also dreadful luck for Mikko Hirvonen – back with his old M-Sport pals in his Fiesta RS WRC – who was all set to take a solid sixth place, when his car packed up on the 15th, very last stage of the rally, having suffered alternator issues. Gutted. But, as rally icon, Francois Delecour always used to say about this magical sport: "That's rallying, no?!"
What an event – only enhanced by being able to watch the coverage live this year on new BT Sport! And on highlights on the Tuesday after the events on ITV4 on domestic UK TV.
Bring on the rest of the 2014 calendar, which this year includes Rally Poland back on the agenda. And with two new teams in VW and Hyundai and Citroen and Ford making improvements to match the new blood and fresh-faced, professional, happy and competitive drivers galore – many with a good chance of taking the title – UK TV coverage and two awesome British drivers in Meeke and Evans to support, it's just so great to see WRC back on its feet. Long live WRC!

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: Hyundai WRC Sign Thierry Neuville

Cool specs, raw talent and a dude to boot, 25-year-old Belgian driver Thierry Neuville is now set to be Hyundai Motorsport’s No.1 driver for its inaugural 2014 WRC season in the new i20.

Ogier and VW may have dominated the 2013 WRC season, with their amazing, record breaking wins – but there can be no doubt that Neuville is the WRC's hottest property… and the move by Hyundai to sign him clearly states their ambition for WRC. And we salute them for that… and wish Neuville and the Hyundai Motorsport team the very best of luck. It's really great to have two new manufacturers in the sport. 

“I am thrilled to announce Thierry Neuville as the lead driver to our new WRC team,” says Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal, Michel Nandan. “Thierry is having a fantastic 2013 season and is proving himself to be one of the most exciting young drivers in WRC. His raw speed, driving skill and dynamic approach to rallying make him the ideal lead driver for Hyundai.”

“By signing a driver of Thierry’s talent, we can show that Hyundai’s WRC engagement is serious and focussed on long-term success after signing with the talented young driver, Thierry. It is also great recognition for the work that the entire team has carried out in such a short time. We both share similar values and objectives to win the championship in the long-term so we are proud to have Thierry in the team and as an ambassador for the Hyundai Motorsport brand.”
Neuville, along with his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul, will join Hyundai Motorsport behind the wheel of the new i20 WRC rally car in all 13 WRC events in 2014, beginning with the team’s debut at the Monte-Carlo Rally in January, signalling the start of the Belgian driver’s third consecutive WRC season.
Neuville’s experience will be invaluable to Hyundai Motorsport as the manufacturer begins its first fully-fledged championship WRC campaign with a team and car that have been developed from scratch, impressively in under a year. Neuville’s eye-catching performances this season have challenged the established competitors in WRC and have resulted in his reputation as one of the most exciting, young and dynamic drivers coming up through the WRC ranks.
“I am pleased to be joining Hyundai Motorsport for the 2014 World Rally Championship,” comments Thierry Neuville. “I believe Hyundai Motorsport is the perfect fit for me because it is a young, emerging and ambitious manufacturer team with long-term objectives for championship success and I have long held aspirations of driving for a manufacturer team. I wasimpressed with the team’s facility, their approach to the rally programme and their clear potential. I hope my two years of experience in WRC will be beneficial to the team as we build a harmonious working partnership. We know we have a steep learning curve ahead of us in our first season but I am convinced we will have a successful future together.”
In two competing seasons in the World Rally Championship, Neuville has contested a total of 32 rallies. He finished seventh in the 2012 championship, which acted as a prelude to a championship challenging 2013 season in which he has so far claimed four consecutive runner-up results (Italy, Finland, Germany and Australia), in addition to two third-place finishes (Mexico, Greece), leaving him second in the WRC standings with one rally left to run.

Maybe a win in Wales Rally GB for Neuville will set the tone for next year… in the Hyundai which looks very quick indeed. See tarmac test below:

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. 

NEWS: Hyundai i20 WRC Testing Mission Is On

Hyundai Motorsport are contuining their development of their fabulous new 2014-spec i20 WRC over the Summer and into Autumn, with a monster series of tarmac tests in France and gravel blasts in Finland (pictured), just the tip of the iceberg of their assault on the WRC.
Test drivers Bryan Bouffier and Juho Hänninen were both in action over a total of ten days with both drivers sharing duties on tarmac before gravel specialist Hänninen assumed control on his home turf.
The latest iteration of the i20 WRC car hit tarmac roads for the first time in the Vosges region of France from August 12 to 16 with the main objective of gathering experience and data on this terrain.
“For our first time with the 2014-spec i20 WRC on tarmac, we adopted a deliberately broad test plan with the main goal of defining the base set-up for that surface,” explained Team Principal Michel Nandan. “We completed good mileage with no major issues, and obtained valuable feedback from both Bryan and Juho, which will allow us to concentrate next on fine-tuning the individual components. Overall, it was a very positive tarmac debut.”
Bryan Bouffier added: “I think this test has given us a very good base from which we can develop further. The roads in the Vosges region allowed us to assess some key components and to identify the characteristics of the i20 WRC on tarmac. I’m very pleased with the behaviour of the car in the fast sections and when the road is bumpy. Of course, we will continue working on some areas but overall I find the car very well balanced and easy to handle.”
From the tarmac test, the team moved to Finland last week to tackle the fast gravel roads and the well-known jumps, which characterise Rally Finland, one of the most technically demanding rallies of World Rally Championship. With local hero Juho Hänninen behind the wheel, the test featured an upgraded version of the 2014-spec of the i20 WRC.
“In Finland we used an evolution of the 2014-spec car, different from the one which we used in France,” added Nandan. “We applied some changes to the shape of the body and during the test we worked on the aerodynamics of the car. The i20 WRC was fitted with a new aerodynamics package and we focussed our efforts in finding a good balance. We wanted to check that all aspects of the car worked properly at high speed, as well as on the jumps, which are extremely demanding. The car can reach extreme acceleration through these jumps so it is essential to study the behaviour of the car and all of its components upon landing. We’ve also tried different suspension and differential solutions to develop the best set-up for next year’s rally.”
Juho Hänninen commented: “I was positively surprised with the handling of the i20 WRC after the first run. When you go to Finland for the first time you never know what to expect; sometimes, it can be really rough and there can be a lot of work required on the suspension. In this case, though, it was really easy from the first day and we were able to work making only minor adjustments. The car reacted very well to every change we made throughout the five days. I felt that I could trust the car immediately and the feeling got stronger day after day.”
With test sessions planned almost every two weeks, Hyundai Motorsport now faces the busiest time of the development phase ahead of its entry into next year’s FIA World Rally Championship.
“With new features on the car on every test session there’s a lot of work to be done not only on the ground but also back at the factory in order to get the car ready. There’s a great team effort and everyone is doing his best,” concluded Nandan.

Team Road wishes all the team at Hyundai the very best in tests and hope they bring as much to WRC as VW have this year. Great to see some great diversity entering the WRC. 

Now come on Subaru! Mitsubishi! Nissan! ;-) 

VIDEO: Hyundai i20 WRC Test

Can't wait for this little badboy to launch next year. Maybe Hyundai can have an unreal launch season like VW eh? Why the heck not! Good to see new blood in WRC. We'd like to see Mitsubishi, Subaru and Nissan back in rallying. Who'd you like to see there?

NEWS: Hyundai i20 WRC

Good on Hyundai! The i20 WRC is on its way – and looking awesome!
Hyundai say they been making "key appointments to consolidate the team in core areas" – including Frenchman Bertrand Vallat leading the design office and compatriot Stephane Girard taking the role of Engine Manager, Alain Penasse joining Hyundai Motorsport as Team Manager and Stefan Ph. Henrich heading the marketing & communications team.   

Since the appointment of Team Principal Michel Nandan in January, the team has focussed not only on building its bespoke facility in Alzenau and getting the i20 WRC ready for intensive testing later in the year but also on consolidating technical, sporting, and marketing sides the team. With new key appointments in all of these areas, the team is now operating at full speed while continuing to grow rapidly.
Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Michel Nandan commented: "We’ve been evolving rapidly since the beginning of the year and made great progress in filling all the main roles to establish our core team. We’re facing a big and exciting challenge, in building a team from scratch and we have now only nine months to prepare for next year. I’m now surrounded by the best people in the business and I’m confident we’ll be ready to meet our ambitious goal to be ready at the start of the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship. While we have a very busy year ahead of us, I believe that team-work together with shared commitment and passion for motorsport are the keys for success."
Can't wait to see and hear the first test later this year. See more images here.