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Marcus Gronholm in talks with Hyundai for World Rallycross

Two-time World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm is in talks with Hyundai Motorsport about running a two-car team in the World Rallycross Championship next year

The programme would initially be a private effort using 2016-based i20 cars, run by Gronholm's GRX concern together with multiple European Rallycross Champion SET Promotion, but the former Peugeot and Ford WRC driver is hoping to attract official backing in the future.

"We have discussed with them [Hyundai], but the final decision will be soon," Gronholm told Autosport.

"I hope everything goes together, it's not yet there and time is running quickly, we are in late November already."

Asked of his motivation behind targeting the rally-based machine, Gronholm said: "We are hoping to get some support. It will not be a factory team at this point.

"A two-car team would be nice; we are working on that."

Hyundai Motorsport team principal Michel Nandan confirmed that talks are taking place.

"We have spoken about rallycross and we have talked to Marcus," he told Autosport.

"We are looking at some ways to do something next season with him."

Gronholm's son, Niclas, who has raced in World RX for the last two years, would drive one of the cars, but a decision on a potential second driver is yet to be taken.

"There are people who have contacted us, quite many actually," said Gronholm Sr.

"Of course this is the time that people are running around."

The Finn's GRX Management Team company currently has 2014 Global Rallycross Champion Joni Wiman and rising rally star Jari Huttunen on its books.

Huttunen recently won Hyundai's young driver shootout and secured a WRC2 programme with the marque for 2018, strengthening links between GRX and the Alzenau-based WRC team, while Gronholm has ruled Wiman out of a seat in his team.

"Joni would be of course very interesting, but when we don't have the money we need a driver who comes in with some budget," he said.

"I would like to run Joni but I don't think that's possible."

While his focus is on getting a two-car deal across the line with Hyundai, GRX could run just one i20 next season, or remain with its current M-Sport-built Ford Fiesta if the Hyundai plans fall through.

Norwegian driver Frode Holte has previously raced a privately-built Hyundai i20 in World RX events, and was reportedly in talks about to a possible manufacturer deal in 2014, when WRC ace Thierry Neuville was also linked to a one-off rallycross appearance in the car, but poor reliability halted such talks.

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