While M-Sport Ford and Toyota engage in the race to run their 2022 Rally1 cars, Hyundai Motorsport has yet to start work on its all-new hybrid motor for next season.
In a month when its rivals are expected to start testing cars running to some of the most revolutionary regulations in rallying’s history, the lack of sign-off on Hyundai Motorsport’s 2022 effort from Hyundai’s Seoul headquarters is putting the Alzenau-based team a long way behind.
Asked to comment on where Hyundai sits in the race to 2022, team principal Andrea Adamo told DirtFish: “I have nothing to say.
“When I will have the authorization to do [the 2022 car], I will start to do it. I am happy for Malcolm and Toyota that they are ahead, all the best for them.”
Offering a further explanation of where Hyundai is for next year, Adamo added: “Basically we have not started because if I don’t have the budget and the authorization to do it, I cannot do it.
“Here it’s not written ‘Adamo Motorsport’. So far, and like I say many times, Hyundai management is still not so convinced [hybrid is the right way forward], so I am waiting for the final green light to do it.”
The multi-million dollar decision to sign off on the World Rally Championship’s next generation of machinery has to come from Hyundai Motor Company – and Adamo pointed out that it is well aware of the timeline.
“I’m Andrea Adamo,” he said. “I’m a small Italian immigrant living in Germany trying to do my best in motorsport. I am nobody to send blackmails to the Hyundai board saying: ‘But there is a deadline!’.
“If they tell me in June, we will do the car in June, trying to work hard. Everybody is aware the later we start the more we have to catch up later, we will see what’s going on.
“But if I will not be there, I will wish all the best to them [M-Sport and Toyota].
“I have no idea to put on a percentage on whether we will be there [in 2022] or not. So far I did all I could to support the FIA; we bought two [hybrid] kits because the FIA asked me to buy two kits to make things happen. I’m happy to help them with the money I had, but I cannot do more than that.”
