This year’s World Rally Championship season is just around the corner, so the factory teams are starting to completely unveil their new specials. They were created according to new rules.
–
The World Rally Championship is entering a new era. This year, a new generation of competition specials will compete in the series, which means the end of the WRC (world rally car) category. It is called Rally1 and its main technical novelty is the arrival of a plug-in hybrid special. Hyundai, which is the first brand officially presenting it, will also have a competition car built according to the new technical regulations.
We already had a Ford Puma Rally1 here a few weeks ago, but Hyundai is already presenting its new i20 N Rally1 in competitive colors, including the ambitious goals of the factory team. Toyota will then show its GR Yaris Rally1 no later than January 15, at the official pre-season presentation.
“We are confident that we have a package to fight for the third design title – and to support our crews to be in the hunt for riders and co-driver titles,” said Hyundai President Scott Noh, who currently serves as temporary head of the Korean racing team. car manufacturers. The current long-time head of Hyundai Motorsport, Andra Adamo, ended unexpectedly at the end of the year, which he explained for personal reasons.
Hyundai won the WRC design title in 2019 and 2020, so its highest ambitions are logical. On the other hand, it is necessary to emphasize the fact that this year there will be a great unknown (in) reliability of the new electrified drive, which may stir the order. The manager of the drivetrain and deputy director Julien Moncet is thus more cautious in his estimates, saying that the upcoming Monte Carlo Rally, which starts on Thursday, January 20, will show the true capabilities of the new Hyundai.
“Every team promises to take a step into the unknown, but we are sure that we have done the best possible work with our Hyundai i20 N Rally1,” adds Moncet.
The competitive novelty of the Korean brand is officially called the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 and its basis is the current generation of a small hatchback i20, which is actually noticeable only by the lights. Otherwise, the appearance was significantly modified by aerodynamic elements.
A supercharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder petrol engine continues to work in the bowels, but it is now accompanied by a hybrid system with an electric motor with an output of 100 kW. It is uniform for all teams, supplied by Compact Dynamics from the Schaeffer Group. Riders will use the help of an electric motor directly on rally stages, as well as brake energy recuperation during deceleration. Under certain conditions, the car will run exclusively on electricity at level crossings.
In terms of crews, Hyundai continues to count on pilots Otto Tänak and Thierry Neuvill. Dani Sordó and Oliver Solberg are to take turns in the third car. For the first of them, according to his own words, it will be the last season in the WRC.
– .
