What’s the future for Hyundai’s Rally2 car?

With Hyundai Motorsport’s World Rally Championship future a topic of considerable uncertainty, what does that mean for its Rally2 car?

The i20 N Rally2 is widely seen, certainly in WRC circles, as the weakest of the current crop of Rally2 machines – although Hayden Paddon is currently leading the European Rally Championship in one, as is Eric Camilli in France while Kris Meeke has been winning rallies in Portugal and Stéphane Lefebvre won Ypres in an i20.

But nobody has driven a Hyundai onto the WRC2 podium this season, with Nicolas Ciamin’s trio of fourth places in Monte Carlo, Safari and Croatia the car’s best results in 2024. The last time a Hyundai topped the WRC2 podium was via Grégoire Munster at Rally Japan 2022.

Hyundai did conduct a testing program two weeks ago though, as Hyundai Motorsport president Cyril Abiteboul admitted to DirtFish “we know that we are on the back foot” in the Rally2 class.

But he also revealed that the machine would not be made as of 2025.

“Developing a new Rally2 is something in the past because, simply, the regulations are also coming to the end of the cycle,” Abiteboul said.

“On top of that, it’s also true that our car, the i20, is going to be discontinued in a few months from now – well, next year – but we have a bit of time so we are going through a very extensive testing program for the Rally2.

“We know that we are on the back foot in terms of performance, competitiveness, reliability. I’m not saying that we will want to address absolutely everything, but we have a clear plan. We have clear targets. We have clear objectives. And we’ve got a clear plan to make that happen. ”

Abiteboul then suggested that the i20 N Rally2 is currently better suited to asphalt events and to drivers not competing in the world championship.

“We think in particular that the car has big potential in Tarmac,” he continued. “I believe that the car is still leading in ERC, which says something about… what is the type of, you know, target, objective, market, and drivers for this car?

“Maybe there is a certain level where the car is not fit for the purpose as it is now, and that’s maybe what we will need to address in the next couple of months.”

Asked what the target and objective was, Abiteboul replied: “As I said, typically it’s a very good Tarmac car. We think we can make it even better. In the European Championship or national and regional championships, it is, I believe, a very good car and we can make it even better.

“We’ve got some very clear ideas and that’s exactly the plan that we are going through at the minute.”

Abiteboul shared that “a combination” of drivers had been testing, including Dani Sordo, who was recently victorious in a regional Spanish rally with an i20 N Rally2.

“So it does show that we are not letting go, we are not over with that program yet,” Abiteboul added. “I think what we simply need to do is to be very, very clear, as always: there is no chance that you hit a target if you don’t define precisely your target.

“We’ve redefined the target and we’re making sure to act in accordance with that target.”