Hyundai announces WRC foray with i20

Having announced its intention to re-enter the WRC Championship in 2014 with the i20, Hyundai today bolstered the effort with the announcement of WRC veteran Michael Nandan as Team Principal. The team, under the leadership of the Frenchman - who has held key technical positions in the championship since the mid-90's - will use 2013 to develop an interim version of the i20 rally car, to mount a full-fledged effort in the 2014 season.

Hyundai announced its intentions to enter the World Rally Championship at the Paris Motor Show in September last year and is now developing a WRC-specification of its new i20 model. Hyundai has also established a bespoke motorsport subsidiary, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, under which the company’s WRC programme will be run. Gyoo Heon Choi has been named the President of Hyundai Motorsport GmbH.

"Hyundai is excited to re-enter WRC, and we're back not just to compete, but to win," said Tak Uk Im, Executive Vice President & COO of Hyundai Motor. "Hyundai and WRC form a perfect match, and our racing experience will translate directly into performance and handling improvements in our road-going vehicles."

Hyundai has identified WRC as the perfect platform from which to promote the excitement and dynamism of its growing brand on an international stage. The thrill and spectacle of world rally coupled with the technological prowess of the series combine to impeccably embody Hyundai’s brand values.

Hyundai is no stranger to the world of WRC, having participated in the competitive motorsport series from 2000 to 2003. Now, Hyundai is raising the bar for its return to WRC, running an in-house team operating out of custom-built headquarters in Alzenau, Germany, just outside of Frankfurt, where Hyundai’s European HQ is situated.

Given that the earlier WRC effort by Hyundai couldn't provide stellar results, this time around they'll be hoping that the brand new car along with Nandan's experience will garner them some much needed recognition in the motorsports arena.