Hyundai WRT

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Originally Posted by Eli

Apart from hints that came from Lancia & Škoda, are there any other manufacturers who've hinted at wanting to come the wrc?

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Stellantis did claim, that they are looking closely at FIA, what they will do with regulations for 2027. And Gryazin/Rossel being supported by the official manufacturer driving Rally2 C3 (doing quite good job at the moment) give us a clue, that they do explore options. Well I hope so.. Fingers crossed.

Lancia (being part of the Stellantis family), start doing on a Rally4 car... But that's it. And recently Stellantis being all over Lancia don't bringing them enough money I don't believe they will enter with that brand.

Skoda, hmmm don't know, but they are so quiet. They really need that challenge being in the top. They are building some sort EV SUV concept race car.

Subaru was also mentioned, but that was only wish from Toyota boss. Ever since it was quiet about them.

Ford are saying if the regs will be right for them they will invest fully in rallying, probably M-Sport will still be the team to do that.

Alpine was in the game too but they want to be the championship fully EV. But even if it would be, I don't think they really have interest in rallying at all.

Neuville-Hyundai extended the contract and he stays in Hyundai for another year.. so already 2026 sounds uncertain..?

Said it on allLive after SD

Thierry Neuville to remain with Hyundai Motorsport in 2025

• Hyundai Motorsport has signed a contract extension with driver Thierry Neuville for the 2025
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season
• Confirmation of the Belgian’s continuation for a 12th season reaffirms Hyundai Motorsport’s
commitment to the FIA WRC for 2025
• With Neuville competing alongside Ott Tänak, the Alzenau-based team will once again boast
one of the most competitive driver pairings in the series next year.

Lamia, Greece September 5, 2024 – Hyundai Motorsport and Thierry Neuville have today announced the continuation
of their successful partnership in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) for a 12th season, reaffirming
the team’s commitment to the series for 2025.
The confirmation of Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe – in what will be their fifth year together
as a crew – alongside Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja at Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team ensures
continuity and stability for the Alzenau-based outfit as it looks ahead to a new season.
Neuville has played a fundamental role in building up Hyundai Motorsport’s WRC programme over the
past twelve years and has reached numerous milestones with the team in that time. He scored his first
career win in Hyundai machinery at Rallye Deutschland in 2014 and has since gone on to amass 20
victories, 59 podiums and 371 stage wins behind the wheel of the team’s WRC challengers.
Having been a crucial element of Hyundai Motorsport’s two FIA WRC manufacturers’ crowns secured in
2019 and 2020, the Belgian is currently on the hunt for his first drivers’ honour. Neuville begins Acropolis
Rally with a 27-point lead in the standings with just four rounds remaining.
In 2025, Hyundai Motorsport will once again boast one of the strongest and most competitive driver
pairings in the WRC. Neuville and Tänak will spearhead the charge as the team once again challenges
for all three titles. The line-up plans for the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid car will be announced in
due course.
Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “We are pleased to confirm
Thierry Neuville alongside Ott Tänak for our 2025 FIA World Rally Championship campaign. The decision
to maintain this competitive pairing at Hyundai Motorsport underscores our commitment to the series in
2025, where we will once again be targeting all three championship titles. Thierry has been with Hyundai
Motorsport since the very start, proving invaluable to the team both on the stages and in the factory over
the past 11 years. With him and his co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe now locked in for next season, we have all
of the ingredients needed to continue fighting at the very pinnacle of our sport.”
Thierry Neuville said: “I am very happy to extend my contract with Hyundai Motorsport for the 2025 FIA
World Rally Championship season. There are not many partnerships in motorsport that have spanned as
long as ours, but since 2014 we have achieved great success together. I’ve said before that this team has
become a second family to me, and our ambition and motivation has only grown year after year. It would
be a great honour to win our first drivers’ title with them at the end of this season, and to carry that forward
into a 12th year together. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us. ”

No surprises there. The question is over the choice of a full-time third driver, or if they'll continue with rotating several and who they'll be.

If they leave at the end of 2025 or run by PH sport that means 1 only factory team. It will be the end of ours lovely wrc.

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Originally Posted by spyros

If they leave at the end of 2025 or run by PH sport that means 1 only factory team. It will be the end of ours lovely wrc.

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A lot of motorsport runs 'factory teams' through third-party operations. It's often common-sense business.

After all, even Hyundai's rumoured WEC programme for Genesis is likely to be run by a third party company.

Big companies are usually very bad / expensive at running small, nuanced operations....

Such a BREAKING news and long PR story made up just to say that he continues next year..

Years of #teamNeuville discussions, it will soon be official after all :D :D

Neuville used to say that after this season, he would have liked a 2 year extension contract. The fact that he got only a one year extension could very well mean that works Hyundai won't be there after the end of next season.

Good summary and quotes in Autosport:

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/h...ture/10651295/

I think many are tired and bored of this neverending Hyundai drama for years. Team, boss, mess with driver pool and young drivers, delayed decisions to develop and commit, top drivers in and out, new boss again, wrc commitment yes or no - this is more like PR disaster/dumpster than any type of long term brand awareness and trustfulness building. And i suspect it is very much related to how super traditional, heavy, vertical Korean corporate management system works. It was good, when all the world was slow in 50-80th, when the big break happened, but today, some approaches look outdated, not in sync with the modern world. And that has led to this never ending "drama queen" of our sport.