Hyundai has switched the location of its permanent test site from Finland to the south of France.
Having tested out of a central Finland base in the Jämsä area since 2022, the i20 N Rally1 will be further refined on roads close to the renowned development bases around Château de Lastours and Fontjoncouse.
Hyundai’s sporting director Andrew Wheatley confirmed the news, telling DirtFish: “The decision was taken, very clearly, with a view to help us dramatically as we forward with the second half of the championship this season. Tactically, this is a very strong opportunity.”
The second half of 2026 includes the vast majority of the rough gravel events, with Greece, Sardinia and Saudi Arabia all falling into the latter part of the calendar. Hyundai’s drivers played their part in the decision, working with the test team to finalize the 12 kilometers (7.45 miles) of roads they wanted to use through 2026.
Using a rough test base will enable Hyundai to better prepare for the season's tough events
“The selection of roads has been done very, very carefully and gives us the widest possible window of options,” added Wheatley. “One of the challenges we had in Finland was the need to constantly repair the roads to keep them in the best possible condition – and, of course, you’re relying on the goodwill of the local population living alongside the roads. In France, at least some of the roads – and we’ve selected four – are purely used for testing.
“Another aspect for us is the logistics: it’s considerably easier to get to the south of France [from Germany] rather than Finland. And let’s remember, the reason the team moved to Finland was for a particular requirement to build more performance.
“While, maybe, the results don’t necessarily reflect that performance in places like Estonia and Finland last year, the car was working. The car was fast in Estonia and Finland, and I think that is valuable, and it has effectively done its job.”
While teams can run without restriction at their nominated test site, World Rally Championship regulations permit just 21 days of testing outside of that location – but always within Europe.
Toyota’s permanent test site is in Finland while M-Sport utilitzes Greystoke forest in England.
