Hyundai WRC pull-out confirmed
Hyundai will not contest this week's Rallye de France in Corsica and the rally team's boss David Whitehead says it is unlikely it will compete in the remaining rounds of the season
Hyundai and Motor Sports Developments, the outfit that runs the manufacturers' World Rally programme, have been involved in an on-going contractual dispute and Hyundai has withheld payments to MSD until the dispute has been resolved. A resolution has yet to be found and Whitehead, managing director at MSD, says he is taking legal advice to 'set the record straight'.
"The simple fact is that Hyundai has failed to honour their payment obligations to MSD and we cannot continue if we do not get paid," he said. "Hyundai has no contractual basis whatsoever to withhold any payments from us. I can only assume Hyundai had no intention to complete the programme despite its assurances in the past.
The dispute arose when Hyundai Motor Company wanted to see details of MSD's accounts. Hyundai says the dispute could still be resolved if that information is made available to the manufacturer.
"We are still looking for a resolution but we don't see MSD even making a little step to solve the dispute," said a Hyundai spokesman.
"MSD failed to provide financial back-up for the years 2002 and 2003. By contract Hyundai should have access to the use of the [World Rally] budget upon request. The only figures MSD provided were for 2002. So basically we don't how MSD spend our sponsorship budget.
"We have said we want to pay the money required to finish the season. But the conditions of payment are clear - an insight into the books."
Hyundai had recently announced that it would withdraw from rallying at the end of the season until 2006, but would complete this season as scheduled.
Rovanpera to skip France and Spain
Bike star Rossi eyes four-wheel switch
Lappi explains Finland emergency lake visit to secure strangest WRC podium
Esapekka Lappi described his WRC Rally Finland podium as one of the strangest ever after a roll required an emergency trip to a lake to repair his damaged Toyota.
Tanak hails Finland win as his most satisfying in WRC
Ott Tanak labelled victory at Rally Finland as the most satisfying of his World Rally Championship career.
WRC Finland: Tanak sees off Rovanpera to claim remarkable win
Hyundai’s Ott Tanak held off runaway World Rally Championship leader Kalle Rovanpera to claim a stunning victory at Rally Finland.
WRC Finland: Tanak edges away from Rovanpera
Ott Tanak laid down a marker to World Rally Championship leader Kalle Rovanpera as the Hyundai driver edged closer to a remarkable victory at Rally Finland on Sunday morning.
Inside Hyundai’s F1-spec mobile WRC home
Hyundai is one of the World Rally Championship's big three, and has a brand-new travelling facility befitting of that status. The team invited Autosport for a behind-the-scenes look at its state-of-the-art HQ, which comes complete with all the bells and whistles you'd expect of a top Formula 1 outfit
How Rovanpera's latest Estonia masterclass left his WRC rivals stumped
After trailing Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans for much of Rally Estonia's opening day, WRC points leader Kalle Rovanpera took advantage of a change in the weather and never looked back afterwards. Winning for a fifth time this year at the scene of his 2021 breakthrough, and with a breathtaking powerstage bonus for good measure, his advantage is already looking difficult to topple
How the WRC captures its stunning visuals
Whether it’s the mountains of Monte Carlo, the snow of Sweden or the Kenya Savannah, the World Rally Championship is able to beam some of motorsport’s most spectacular footage to television screens while operating in the harshest of environments. Autosport went behind the scenes to unearth the secrets that make this logistical challenge possible
Why WRC's Safari tour is more than just a rally
OPINION: A source of national pride in Kenya, the Safari Rally is also a sporting, cultural and economic phenomenon. And as last weekend's World Rally Championship round reminded us, it's a key driver in establishing Africa’s place in world motorsport
How Rovanpera tamed a wild Safari Rally
The Safari Rally acted as a brutal test of driver and car resolve as multiple retirements opened the path for a historic Toyota 1-2-3-4 triumph, headed by star Kalle Rovanpera. But keeping things clean was only half of the challenge, as a well-timed charge when conditions worsened allowed the Finn to take control
How Tanak turned the tables to deliver Hyundai a timely WRC triumph
The 2019 champion has been a bit-part player recently, but Ott Tanak ended a 15-month drought in fine style with a dominant win in Sardinia. On a weekend when championship leader Kalle Rovanpera struggled with cleaning the road, his Hyundai rival has made his belated arrival into the title race and given cause for those predicting a walkover from the Toyota star to pause
How Rovanpera overcame rallying royalty in Portugal to extend his WRC lead
Although the Rally Portugal entry list featured World Rally Championship royalty in Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier, victory was secured by rallying's rising star in Kalle Rovanpera. Here's the story of his 2022 hat-trick, as his key rivals faltered among the gravel and asphalt ahead of them
The former WRC star playing the unsung hero role for Rovanpera
Kalle Rovanpera’s 2022 World Rally Championship displays have been spectacular, with the Toyota driver benefitting from a secret weapon in his crew to win two of the opening three rallies. But while the former challenger to Sebastien Loeb won’t take credit for his fellow Finn's performances, a key bond has been formed which could prove key to Rovanpera’s title charge