Hyundai Motorsport team principal Cyril Abiteboul is keen for Dani Sordo to remain part of the team next season – but there’s no guarantee that will be as a driver.
Sordo has driven for Hyundai ever since it rejoined the WRC in 2014, doing so on a part-time basis for the past six seasons.
But the Spaniard is now 40 years old, and there was speculation last season that 2022 could be his last year before he ultimately re-signed for 2023.
Sordo wasn’t competing in Estonia last weekend, but he was in the service park to support Teemu Suninen on his Rally1 debut in the World Rally Championship.
“Dani has been like a big brother for me,” Suninen told DirtFish, “and tried to help my first steps before I got in the car, and I’m really thankful for him.”
Sordo’s talents outside of the car could become increasingly appealing to Hyundai, particularly as it has relaunched its Driver Development Programme that currently has Suninen and WRC2 champion Emil Lindholm as members.
Asked if there was a particular reason why Sordo was in Tartu, Abiteboul told DirtFish: “Because we like him, and he likes us.”
He added: “We’re also looking at what he wants to do next. It’s the time of the year where we are starting to think about plans for the future. There’s no question about that.
“You will ask some questions in relation to drivers, he is one driver of ours this year, so we also wanted to take a bit of time off to talk about that. Because the days are long when he’s got his helmet on, so very little time to talk.
“So we’ve got the opportunity to do that without the helmet today and this weekend, so that’s what we do.”
Pressed if he wanted Sordo as part of the team next year, Abiteboul said: “We want him to be part of the team, in some capacity, and we are talking about that.
“And that could be as driver, just to be clear, but we are also talking about other activities.”
Behind the wheel, Sordo’s next outing is set to be Acropolis Rally Greece (September 7-10).
