Hyundai Motorsport will begin testing the final specification of its 2017 WRC challenger this week after five months of development. The team began work on the new car back in April, using a mule for initial tests. Since June, a second evolution of the car was put through its paces in private testing. Kevin Abbring has carried out most of the driving duties to date, although both Hayden Paddon and Dani Sordo got their first taste of the new car after Rallye Deutschland.
Doesn’t she look wilder every week? Feels like Christmas each time we hop into this #NGi20WRC’17 ! #development pic.twitter.com/5RjJUwyCov
— Kevin Abbring (@KevinAbbring) 13 September 2016
Hyundai Motorsport’s trio of driver crews have all been testing since Rallye Deutschland
A pre-event test in Catalunya was held in the final week of August in preparation for Rally Spain. The drivers will head to Corsica next week to prepare for the Tour de Corse.
With no Rally China to contest, the team’s driver crews have found themselves with a longer break before Corsica. Dani Sordo, Hayden Paddon and Thierry Neuville used the opportunity to spend time with their friends and family. Sordo has been relaxing at home after his well-earned German podium. Neuville has carried out a number of activities for his sponsors. He visited the Belgian Formula One race at Spa-Francorchamps at the end of August. Paddon made the long trip over to New Zealand. There he has been catching up with his home comforts before jetting back to Europe for testing and the next round of the Championship.
From China to Australia
The cancellation of Rally China has required a change in the team’s logistics arrangements. 6 12-metre containers are shipped at the start of the year to cover the overseas events,. Now they are now sent directly to Australia for the final round of the season. A total of approximately 50 tonnes of material is sent by freight. These include recce cars, spare parts, tools and the service area and hospitality equipment. The three New Generation i20 WRC cars will be sent by air from Europe together with 4 500kg of parts shortly before the last rally.
Hyundai’s Nandan: “We are pushing hard to continue our most successful WRC season”
Team principal Michel Nandan: “The summer months have offered little respite for our team as we enter an exciting, but busy period for all of us in Alzenau. We are pushing hard to continue our most successful WRC season. We seek to score more podiums in the final four rounds. Our crews have a busy testing period to prepare for Corsica and Spain. We have also been preparing for next season. The next test will be with the final 2017 specification so it will be an important part of our preparatory phase.”
