French-based Hyundai team 2C Competition is aiming to bring two cars to next year’s ARA series – with team manager Florent Peronnet confident they can carry the fight to Subaru and two-time champion Brandon Semenuk in 2024.
It was Peronnet’s team which ran Ken Block’s American campaign last season and his daughter Lia had potentially featured in the 2C plan for 2024, before the announcement of her F1 Academy drive for Williams next year.
“It’s still my goal to go back there next year,” Peronnet told DirtFish. “We really enjoyed our presence there last season. It’s a good championship and it’s a championship that will grow to become known even more around the world with the right support.
“For us, we want a good, high-level European driver. I think, if we can take a driver like this then on some rallies – the twisty ones – I think it’s possible to beat the Subaru. In the high-speed, we will struggle for the top speed and the aero in the fast corners.”
Talking about the potential for Block competing in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2, Peronnet added: “We talked about this, but obviously things have moved [on] a little bit for Lia now. You know, we really loved to work with her father and with the whole family. I would love, one day, to work with Lia.
“She has such a big future in front of her, so much opportunity and so much ability – she will go high in this sport because she is able to really kick the ass of many men drivers.
“She’s still young and, OK we know where she is now, but I hope she still keeps some time for rallying.”
Peronnet has lined up agreements with Hyundai and with a tire supplier for the coming ARA season – he’s just hoping discussions with drivers will deliver an agreement.
“Everything is in place for next year,” he said. “It would be good if we could get some more clarity from the ARA organisers about the technical regulations. For me, it’s clear, it needs to be straight Rally2 and nothing else. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to push Subaru out – they are a really successful and historical part of the championship, but we need clear regulations where everybody can compete.”
