Hyundai Mulls Rally2 Car Entry for 2027 WRC Season

WRC, Sportrik Media - Hyundai Motorsport president Cyril Abiteboul has revealed that the Korean manufacturer is contemplating deploying the i20 N Rally2 as its factory entry in the 2027 World Rally Championship (WRC). The 2027 season ushers in a fresh technical regulations era grounded in rallying's current second tier, as Toyota advances on a bespoke WRC27 machine.

Sportrik Media's thorough analysis portrays this as a pragmatic maneuver by Hyundai amid regulatory uncertainties. Abiteboul informed DirtFish that crafting a dedicated 2027 car is no longer viable. “Unfortunately, 2027 is a train that has left the station already,” he remarked. “Coming in 2027 with a new car, according to the new regulation, no, that’s not going to happen. What can still happen is that we, like many other manufacturers, will have a Rally2 car.”

Pressed on whether this implies the i20 N Rally2 as the foundation for Hyundai's 2027 WRC bid, Abiteboul affirmed: “For instance, yes, it’s a possibility. What I don’t personally understand is exactly what’s going to happen between, what I believe is a unique new rally car (WRC27) and all the other cars. So does WRC become a one-make race [with only Toyota potentially producing a WRC27-spec car] or is there some form of equivalency formula? If so, what is it? And if there is such a formula, how do we work on making the most of that formula with our current Rally2 car?”

Navigating New Regulations and Long-Term Strategy

Abiteboul stressed that operating a Rally2 car would serve merely as a bridge to a more enduring WRC commitment. “It’s clear there is something missing in those [2027] regulations,” the Frenchman elaborated. “What we need as a group, we need to find ways to build bridges, to build a bridge between where Hyundai stands as a brand, as a car company with products, and where the sport is going. And that bridge can be built from both sides.”

He outlined the necessity for the sport to delineate the anticipated role and value for carmakers, paralleled by Hyundai's proactive steps. “What I mean by that and I’m going to be super-pragmatic… Once again, I have to recognize that for us, the benchmark is absolutely Toyota with the Yaris, which is a great car in Rally1, which is a big challenger for us on rally after rally. It’s also a fantastic platform from a business perspective with perfect alignment, perfect continuity: you’ve got the Rally1, you’ve got the Rally2, both, frankly, excellent in their class. And then you’ve got the Yaris four-wheel drive [in] mass production, you’ve got the special edition and you’ve even got the recce car, which are a fantastic business, a fantastic platform.”

Abiteboul highlighted Hyundai's current misalignment, noting their recce car is a German model, not an in-house product. “It’s no secret, our recce car is, unfortunately, a German car. I’m not going to do any advertising for the brand more than I’ve just done. That’s a good example of the fact that, unfortunately, right now, the bridge doesn’t exist. We’ve got bits and bobs of the bridge, but we need to put all of that together and we need to do it working with the FIA. I still believe we need to make a bit more space for the carmaker and, at all levels, with our own product plan and seeing how we can enhance our product plan and stretch it until [it gets to] the rally car.”

Sportrik Media posits that performance parity between the WRC27 and Rally2 vehicles will prove decisive. Should the FIA strike the appropriate balance, Hyundai could extend its WRC tenure to a 14th consecutive season. “If,” Abiteboul posited, “there is such a formula, how do we work on making the most of it with our current Rally2 car so we can still be part of the sport until such time that the bridge I’m talking about falls into place?”

Transitioning to the 2027 framework demands robust collaboration between manufacturers and the FIA. Hyundai's i20 N Rally2, currently out of production yet active in national events, would require resumed manufacturing and evolution if this path is pursued.

Potential Ramifications for WRC Competition

Should Hyundai activate its 2027 contingency, it would signify a notable pivot from Rally1 dominance toward a cost-efficient Rally2 strategy. This could inspire other manufacturers to follow suit, fostering fairer on-track equity. Nevertheless, ambiguities surrounding the “equivalency formula” persist as a primary obstacle, as Abiteboul underscored.

Furthermore, Toyota's Yaris integration exemplifies the benchmark for Hyundai to weave rally cars into overarching business tactics. “We’ve got bits and bobs of the bridge, but we need to put all of that together,” he asserted, underscoring the imperative for FIA synergy to calibrate Hyundai's product roadmap encompassing rally vehicles.

In a wider context, this choice could sustain Hyundai's WRC relevance, ensuring robust rivalry against Toyota. Sportrik Media views it as a shrewd interim measure, preserving involvement pending more manufacturer-friendly regulations.

Hyundai's Post-2027 WRC Horizons

In summary, the Rally2 contemplation underscores Hyundai's resolve to stay pertinent in WRC despite temporal and fiscal constraints. Sportrik Media anticipates that FIA dialogues will forge the requisite bridge, enabling Hyundai's return with a formidable contender henceforth.

Sportrik Media will monitor 2027 WRC regulatory evolutions and Hyundai maneuvers, furnishing profound insights into their sport-wide implications.