Hyundai has started upgrading its Rally2 car as an option should it decide to continue its involvement in the World Rally Championship in 2027.
The Korean’s manufacturer's long-term future in rallying’s top tier has been shrouded in uncertainty for months, with a call to contest next season - the final year of Rally1 regulations - only announced in August.
Hyundai has been particularly vocal regarding the WRC’s new 2027 regulations, with the lack of flexibility and technology in the powertrains among its key concerns for the ruleset that will last 10 years. It is understood that Toyota is the only marque known to be developing a car for 2027.
The 2027 regulations are designed to be more affordable and flexible, plus able to attract new manufacturers and teams. They will feature cars built to a €345,000 cost cap, delivering approximately 300 horsepower, utilising a space frame chassis and Rally2 componentry. It is anticipated that WRC27 cars will produce a similar performance compared to current Rally2 machinery.
To ensure the WRC’s top class is heavily populated in 2027, the new WRC27 spec cars will compete alongside Rally2 machinery in the top class, which again offers more flexibility to manufacturers and teams.
This opens the door for Hyundai, M-Sport-Ford and any teams with Rally2 cars at their disposal to continue to compete at the top level in 2027.
Having ruled out developing a new car for 2027, Hyundai had revealed that it was considering upgrading its Rally2 car. Now, Hyundai Motorsport president Cyril Abiteboul has confirmed that work is already underway on this project, but stopped short of confirming that the marque will commit to 2027 with an upgraded Rally2 car.
“I’m not in a position to confirm a new WRC car [for 2027], but the one thing we are doing is we are taking the steps to make the Rally2 car as competitive as possible,” Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.
“We have made a step on tarmac and I think the car now is really in the mix, and it has done well in a number of national and regional championships, and we are doing the same step on gravel. For sure we will do that, just to make sure we have a competitive Rally2 car to cover all bases.
“The next WRC car or whatever it is, is a bigger picture thing that we need to understand the direction of the sport, the promoter, and we still have a problem on the powertrain. We still do not have an engine that can qualify with the regulation, as you know it has to be a production-based powertrain - unlike the one used in Rally1. The FIA is aware of that.
“We have not committed to enter that car [Rally2] into a championship because we don’t know the rules of that championship.”
Hayden Paddon conducting Rally2 development work or more?
Interestingly, former Hyundai WRC factory driver and two-time European rally champion Hayden Paddon is entered to drive a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car in this week’s Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy, in France.
Paddon, who took an i20 Rally2 car to Australian Rally Championship success this year, will contest the asphalt rally, renowned as a Monte Carlo warm up, alongside Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux – who will pilot a Rally1 car. New Toyota Rally1 recruit Oliver Solberg will also be in action.
When asked if Paddon’s involvement in the rally was linked to Hyundai’s Rally2 upgrade programme, Abiteboul said: “It can be lots of things. It can be some development work.
“What I can say, he has been part of the family and he has been in Rally1 [top level] before and apart from that I really like his team and the programme in New Zealand and Australia.
“He is very loyal, and it is good to see that, so let’s see. There are different options for next year with him, and that is one of things we are exploring.”
Hyundai also has a vacancy in its Rally1 team for 2026 following Ott Tanak’s decision to take a sabbatical next year.
It is understood Hyundai is considering drivers with top level experience, with former Hyundai drivers Dani Sordo and Esapekka Lappi thought to be among the contenders for what could be a shared third car next year. A 2026 driver announcement is expected soon.
Read and post comments