Thierry Neuville will get Hyundai Motorsport’s 2022 testing program back on the road when he steps aboard a new i20 N Rally1, 11 days after crashing down a ravine in France.
Neuville will drive a new test chassis at Hyundai’s private test site close to Frankfurt on Wednesday.
The team has been working through the night to get a new car built and on the road as quickly as possible following the crash on December 4. Following the initial running in Germany, Hyundai will move back to the French Alps to concentrate on preparations for next month’s Monte Carlo Rally.
Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe were both taken to hospital following their crash earlier this month – with the latter suffering a collarbone injury. Wydaeghe is expected to sit out all testing before Monte Carlo in an effort to be fit in time for the January 20-23 event.
The accident, which destroyed the team’s test car, forced a cancellation of further running while the new i20 was prepared back at the Alzenau factory. Already tight on time after beginning the development of its first ever hybrid Rally1 car later than its rivals, the delay cost more precious days of testing.
Further development potential for the i20 N Rally1 is now restricted by the FIA’s homologation process, which DirtFish understands got underway on Tuesday.
The Hyundai, like its rivals from M-Sport Ford and Toyota, is expected to be cleared for competition on January 1.
