Quote Originally Posted by Zeakiwi View Post
If Loeb does well at the Dakar Rally. Would Loeb do a few cross country rallies/ Bajas in 2019? (if the sponsorship dollars are there and the 3008 is still competitive etc?)

The last time Hyundai was in world rally they pulled out after 6 years.
2019 will be the 6th year in the championship in this edition of the Hyundai wrc team.

Hyundai sales have been going fairly well in spite of the team not winning titles. Might the corporate accountants at Hyundai HQ look at the numbers and think the $$$$$ should be going to electric vehicle development rather than the wrc team?
Entering the WRC to increase car sales is like flogging a dead horse. Manufacturers would be better off giving away cars and a few quid to B-list celebrities and asking them to post a few pictures on their Twitter/Instagram accounts. Apart from sales of the old 2.0L 4x4 turbocharged cars (Impreza, EVO, Cossie, etc) I've never seen any evidence that supports the notion that competing in the WRC sells cars, winning titles or not. Ok, a few lads might turn up to a national or WRC event in a fast Ford; however, a Hyundai or Toyota?? Even during the Loeb days a spammed up Xsara/C4/C3 was a rare sighting. Someone high up in these companies must have a massive interest in the sport, because rallying really is like throwing money down a drain.