Hyundai needs more information before it can decide whether to homologate an FIA update kit to permit its Rally2 car to compete in the top level of the World Rally Championship next year.
The introduction of new technical regulations for next year will create a situation where all-new WRC27 cars and Rally2 machinery would go head-to-head in the top category.
This has now been further defined by the FIA announcing at this week’s World Motor Sport Council that it will introduce a concept that will allow Rally2 manufacturers to homologate an upgrade kit, costing €7,500, to offer “greater aerodynamic parity” between the two types of car. Rally2 cars featuring upgrade kits will be eligible to compete in the top level alongside WRC27 cars in 2027 and 2028. The kit will comprise new homologated front fenders, a front bumper and a rear aerodynamic device with Rally2 cars also shedding 10kg from their current minimum weight.
The idea behind the concept is to increase the amount of competition in the top category given Hyundai and M-Sport have already ruled out constructing a new WRC27 car in time for next year. It is also hoped that the FIA’s latest plan will convince fellow Rally2 manufacturers Lancia and Skoda to commit to the concept and develop cars to the 2027 regulations in the future. However, should a manufacturer commit to this new upgrade kit they will be required to enter at least two cars in every round next year.
Hyundai’s future in the WRC beyond this year is yet to be determined. The Korean marque has been developing its i20 N Rally2 car this year should it decide to continue its WRC programme as a factory team and for its Rally2 customers. The FIA’s latest concept is now under consideration at Hyundai, but it is not at the top of the manufacturer’s current priority list. The brand is also eagerly awaiting an insight into the vision of the WRC’s new commercial right holder, which is also yet to be announced.
“I can tell you we have taken good note of the decision from the World Motor Sport Council,” Hyundai sporting director Andrew Wheatley told Motorsport.com.
“From our perspective, our priority is 2026. That's our first priority and making sure we maximise our performance this year. Our second priority is the work we started at the beginning of the year, which was on upgrading our Rally2 car.
“We started a project to improve the Rally2 car, both for ourselves and for our customers. At the moment we need to understand how the technical regulation will work with the sporting regulation because that's equally important. We have half at the moment but we don't have the other half. So, we will wait until we see what the full package is. At the moment, our plans don't necessarily change.”
When pressed on the timeframe for making such a decision with six months remaining until the 2027 season begins, Wheatley admitted Hyundai is already “too late” to optimise a Rally2 kit properly, but admitted there are not a huge amount of changes required to homologate a kit.
“We're evaluating everything. But the priority at the moment is making sure our Rally2 car is best.
“It's not a perfect situation [on timing]. We need to understand how the whole package looks and there are still some variables that we don't have the detail on yet. Once those fall into place, then hopefully the position is significantly clearer.”
Committing to the FIA's Rally2 kit concept will require the Hyundai to convince its board that this is the right investment to take to prolong its future in the WRC.
“It's a big development. It could be a big development because it's not just the bodywork, it's the electronics, it's the transmission and the weight. So, it's not super easy. You can do it very easily. But if you want to optimise everything, you're already late,” added Wheatley.
“I think the challenge with this is that it depends on how much work you've put into it, the results you'll get out of it. To maximise the kit and create some performance, you need to put a sensible amount of effort. It's risk versus reward. We have to understand how much investment you put in against how much reward you can generate out.
“I think what we need to understand is that the current Rally2 is a very successful and competitive car, it works pretty well. To make it a step quicker, you need to do a fair bit of work. It's not going to be easy to just go a step quicker because without changing the dynamic.”
Hyundai drivers admit options for 2027 remain wide open
Hyundai’s decision will ultimately have an impact on its current drivers, with the futures of Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux also yet to be determined.
Asked if this Rally2 kit offers a chance for Hyundai to continue, Neuville told Motorsport.com. “I don’t think so, I don’t know. We have been desperately waiting for some news for a long time and we are still waiting for the news of the new WRC Promoter, so I guess up until then we will not have many decisions made.
“I know the management of Hyundai is close to the stakeholders of the championship and potential new promoters to see what it is going to look like in the future. We are sure there will be no Hyundai Rally1 and beyond that everything is open. For me, everything is very wide open for next year and there will be opportunities for sure.
“There was an opportunity to have everyone in a Rally2 car for the upcoming two seasons and give everyone a bit more time to see the evolution of the championship with the new promotion and then from there offer an opportunity to develop a new Rally1 car for 2029. But it is not me that makes the rules.”
Fourmaux added: “For me, if it [the Rally2 kit] brings the manufacturers into the fight it is a good thing. It should be a short-term decision and we should have manufacturers committed to 2027 rules because then it starts to become very complicated to explain to the spectators what is a WRC27 car, a Rally2 kit car and a Rally2 car.
“For Hyundai what I have heard is that it is a bit late to get it [the Rally2 kit] for next year so I don’t know what will happen. For me as long as I drive something next year and fight for the full championship I would be happy.”
M-Sport likely to develop Rally2 Kit for 2027
In the M-Sport camp, the Ford squad is likely to commit to developing a kit for its Ford Fiesta Rally2 to allow it to continue competing in the top category, as it works to find a solution to develop a WRC27 car for the long-term future.
“M-Sport will likely do a kit I imagine but it is not confirmed. I think in general the kit is a positive way to try and build a transition between only Toyota having a new car and putting in a differentiator between Rally2 and that new car,” M-Sport team principal Richard Millener told Motorsport.com.
“You could argue, will it make any difference and do anything major (performance-wise)? Aero maybe could have a difference, but I think it will be tricky to see the difference between the Rally2 and Rally2 kit cars. But if someone said to me you can take 10 kilos of weight from your car you would normally bite that hand off, so it must make a difference. Every engineering change makes a difference.”
Millener believes the FIA concept provides a strategy to convince more manufacturers to commit to the championship in the long term
“But the idea is to find a way to get more manufacturers committed and involved in the championship which is what we all want. I think the fact the kit is only available for 2027 and 2028 is a positive thing as it gives people time, but also forces their hand to develop a new 2027 Rally1 car to compete in the top category.
“I think it is important to start pushing manufacturers. The FIA have said this is what we are doing and now they need to come to the party. We have been missing that. We have spent too much time trying to please everybody.”
With regards to timeframe to homologate the kit, Millener added: “It is pretty tight, and our goal is obviously to build a car to the new technical regulations too. But we still don’t have any guarantees or confirmation of what we will do with the new car yet. So, this is a good idea to bridge that gap.”
Skoda Motorsport and Lancia are yet to make any official comments on the possibility of committing to the Rally2 Kit concept to upgrade their Rally2 machinery for 2027.
