Hyundai's WRC team developing an R5-specification i20
Hyundai will have a World Rally Championship WRC-2 specification i20 ready to compete by the middle of next season, with testing expected to start later this year
Despite already being committed to building a new i20 WRC, the Alzenau-based team received a request from Hyundai's Korean HQ for the brand's motorsport programme to be more engaging around the world.
To be built to R5 regulations, the resulting new car will be eligible for the European Rally Championship and a host of domestic championships.
"I think customer activity is very important," Hyundai team principal Michel Nandan said.
"The World Rally Car is only for the WRC and a couple of other championships around the world.
"The only category of car you can run all around the world is R5, so it's a good decision from Hyundai to build the R5 - it shows they are here to compete in motorsport.
"It shows the global marketing and the sporting image of the company."
Nandan added that the R5 would use the same shell as the new World Rally Car, which made the process of building it to new regulations slightly easier.
"We are using a lot of the work done for the WRC car," he said.
"The roll cage philosophy's the same, we use the same shell, it's just the parts we put into the car.
"The R5 has much cheaper parts - the same upright for every corner and only two types of wishbone. It is more of a compromise car than a race car!
"But having the WRC agreed made our life more easy once the wish came from Korea to have an R5 car."
Tommi Makinen confirmed as team prinicipal of new Toyota WRC effort
Citroen boss Matton wants Sebastien Loeb back in WRC in 2016
Pastrana adds NASCAR Truck Series race to Daytona programme
Travis Pastrana has added the season-opening NASCAR Truck Series race to his appearance at Daytona International Speedway this month.
Turkington continues with WSR BMW for 2023 BTCC season
Four-time British Touring Car champion Colin Turkington will bid for a fifth title in 2023 with the West Surrey Racing BMW squad, the team confirmed on Wednesday morning.
Domenicali: F1 doesn’t want to “gag” drivers
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the series will “never put a gag on anyone” in the light of the controversial FIA clampdown on drivers speaking out.
Las Vegas approves plan to shut Strip for F1 race until 2032
Officials in Las Vegas have approved a plan to shut the Strip for the Formula 1 grand prix for the next 10 years as they eye a “lifetime in partnership.”
Why Monte Carlo success could spark another past master’s WRC revival
Some 39 years on from his Monte Carlo Rally debut, World Rally Championship legend Francois Delecour continues to pick up silverware. Proving that age is purely a number, the 60-year-old's desire to compete against the WRC’s latest young talents could be the start of a new chapter in the Frenchman’s storied career
How fired-up Ogier became the WRC's ultimate Monte master
He may only be contesting a part-time campaign in the World Rally Championship these days, but Sebastien Ogier underlined that he's lost none of his speed in the 2023 season opener. Storming to yet another victory on the Monte Carlo Rally, the eight-time world champion rewrote the history books again as Toyota served notice of its intentions with a crushing 1-2
How Lancia pulled off its famous Monte Carlo giantkilling
Audi should have been invincible in the snowy conditions that typically greeted the World Rally Championship paddock in Monte Carlo. But unexpectedly warm weather for the 1983 season opener, combined with some left-field thinking from the Lancia crew turned the tables. Forty years on, team boss Cesare Fiorio reflects on a smash and grab
Why M-Sport has pinned all its efforts on a WRC reunion
M-Sport had a disastrous 2022 with its Rally1 Ford Pumas following Sebastien Loeb’s first-time-out win on the Monte. But now things are looking up with 2019 world champion Ott Tanak leading its attack, and the Cumbrian operation has optimism that it can challenge for a first title since Sebastien Ogier's departure at the end of 2018
The contenders seeking to take Rovanpera's WRC crown
As Kalle Rovanpera begins his World Rally Championship title defence in Monte Carlo, the Finn knows he has a target on his back. But who is best placed to knock the Toyota ace off his perch?
Why Rovanpera is anticipating a fight to defend his WRC title
Question: what could be harder than becoming the youngest-ever World Rally champion? Answer: becoming the youngest-ever two-time World Rally champion. That's quite the challenge facing Toyota's Kalle Rovanpera in 2022, particularly against rejuvenated opposition in the second year of the WRC's hybrid regulations
From F1 to WRC: Why Hyundai's new boss could be an inspired signing
OPINION: New Hyundai WRC team boss Cyril Abiteboul admits he’s got a lot to learn as he leads the marque's efforts to dethrone Toyota. But could his Formula 1 experience and evident strengths mean he turns out to be an inspired choice?
The ultimate rally car project the WRC is glad COVID killed
Toyota was unstoppable in the 2021 World Rally Championship, with an excellent 75% strike rate from 12 rallies. But in a scary proposition for its rivals, the Japanese marque had built a car for the final year of the previous regulations set which it believes was much faster and could feasibly have crushed the opposition completely. Here the story of its mothballed world-beater
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.