Hyundai was the first World Rally Championship plant to unveil its Hyundai i20 N Rally1 hybrid rally car for the new season from the WRC onwards.

THAT Alcenau teamwho was the last to start developing and developing its Rally1 for next year, but to be the first to introduce it, made it clear that with its new i20 N Rally1 it has the sole aim of both returning to the top of the Manufacturers Championship and winning it his first driver championship.

The Korean company’s new rally car, which has kept the same color with a few minor changes, will be driven by Ot Tanak and Thierry Neville in all races of WRC 2022 – starting with the Monte Carlo Rally from January 20-23.

The team’s third car will mainly host the up-and-coming Oliver Solberg, son of former world champion Peter, who will start the first three races this year in Monte Carlo, Sweden and Croatia. At the rally, in which the Swede will not compete, the experienced Danny Sordo will be lost.

Since the company’s management in Korea decided last spring to keep Hyundai in the WRC for the ninth year in a row (and at least until the end of 2024), the racing team has been engaging in a fierce road race over the design and extensive development tests of the new car .

With the addition of the electric motor and hybrid system forcing Hyundai, M-Sport Ford and Toyota to redesign their new cars in white, it wasn’t until late November that Hyundai began testing the final specs of the i20 N Rally1.

But a few days earlier he had successfully completed a simulation of an entire race with the test prototype in northern Italy in October, and the progress was so far that the drivers spoke warmly about their first experiences and the development of the car.

The only unfortunate moment was Neville’s accident in November, in which his co-driver Martin Wydaeghe was injured. The latter broke the key, but is said to have recovered by the start in Monte Carlo.

Hyundai, however, remains to be seen what consequences the (personal) departure of team boss Andrea Andamo and the change to the not yet appointed successor of the Italian will have.

The current race director is Hyundai Motorsport President Scott Noh, who emphasized: “We are excited to be part of the new WRC era. The 2022 season will take things to the next level, and it’s important for Hyundai to connect with production vehicle technology. We’re optimistic that we have the specs to claim our third Manufacturers World Championship and help our crews hunt for driver and passenger titles“.

Thierry Neville and Ott Tanak have both made it clear that they want to win the drivers’ championship, which Sebastian Ozier will no longer count – as the Frenchman has decided to only drive a handful of selected races with Toyota in 2022.

The Belgian, who has won 15 WRC games so far, said: “Our goals remain the same, as a team we want to win the constructors ‘championship again and the drivers’ title is always one of my personal goals. I’ve always loved new adventures, and in this new era everyone will want to show their speed – but credibility will also play a crucial role. With every test, we felt more and more comfortable in the car“.

Ott Tanak wins his second driver title after the title he won with Toyota in 2019: “The goal for this year is simple: to win. We have undoubtedly made a great effort [το χειμώνα]. The key to the year is reliability. We have to finish the races and collect as much data as possible. Correct mapping of the hybrid system will also be important. We still have a lot to learn, but we want to win another championship and we will fight hard for it“Said the Estonian.

We remind you that in the new Rally1 cars of 2022, which will replace the WRCars, the same 1.6 turbo internal combustion engine will be retained, but this time the drivers will have the 100 kW electric motor of the hybrid system at their disposal. The latter uses the energy stored in the battery when braking and gives the driver additional power at certain points on the special route.

The battery adds an additional 70 pounds to the car, while new regulations reduce aerodynamic efficiency by 15%, remove complex mid-range differentials, and limit suspension travel. In addition, the new Rally1s have much higher safety standards with a new and more durable grille.

Following today’s unveiling of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, the team is making its final preparations for this week’s Monte Carlo Rally in France. The other two teams, M-Sport Ford and Toyota, are expected to present their own Rally1 at the WRC event next Saturday (January 15th) to present the new sports season.