Oliver Solberg and Jari Huttunen have been named as the drivers to give Hyundai’s i20 N Rally2 its competitive debut on the Ypres Rally next month.
Both drivers – along with Craig Breen – have been heavily involved in the testing of the car, which will be homologated on August 1.
Belgium’s inaugural World Rally Championship event takes place two weeks later on an all-asphalt route.
“It’s been a real honor to be involved with the Hyundai i20 N Rally2,” said Solberg.
“And now to be given the chance to drive this fantastic car for the first time in competition is so exciting.
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“I want to say two things to Andrea [Adamo, Hyundai Motorsport team principal] and Andrew Johns [Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing manager].
“The first is thank you for giving me this opportunity and the second is congratulations on this car!”
The 19-year-old added: “I haven’t tested the car on Tarmac and I never competed in Belgium before. I’ve done some testing there [last year in a Škoda] and I know it can be a complicated rally.
“If the weather and the conditions are mixed, it will be a real tough one – to be honest, even if it’s dry it’s definitely not an easy place to go for the first time.”
Given his lack of asphalt experience – Solberg has only competed on eight sealed-surface rallies ever – he was unwilling to predict a result.
“Of course, we are always pushing for the result, but the big news in Ypres is the Hyundai i20 N Rally2,” he said.
“To race a new car for an official team like Hyundai Motorsport is such a great opportunity.
“It’s fantastic and now I can’t wait to show the world what Hyundai Motorsport has been so busy making.”
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Hyundai team principal Andrea Adamo, whose job remit also covers customer racing activities, has overseen the development of the marque’s new Rally2 challenger.
“We will see the debut of the new car – the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 – and Ypres will be the perfect opportunity to start to work with it in competition,” he said.
“Being the first outing of the car there will be no pressure on anyone, but Oliver knows it well from testing so I am sure he will be able to show its performance and bring home a good result.”
