Cool car, progressive look! Hyundai team unveils its car for the new WRC season

The Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT team was the first team on the entry list to unveil its new car for the 2023 season. In terms of livery, it remains almost identical, but the bodywork and aerodynamic elements have undergone an interesting upgrade.

The South Korean Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT team was the first of the trio of teams to unveil a new car. While the car will remain the same in terms of colour, the bodywork has undergone several upgrades.

Hyundai has modified both the front and rear of the i20 N. Specifically, the bonnet has been flattened, plus widened. The team also opted for a significantly redesigned rear wing and rear view mirrors.

That rear wing was split into several sections last year. The central element and the end elements were redesigned into one continuous wing covering the maximum width of the car.

The riding assembly

In addition to the upgraded car, Hyundai will also enter the new WRC with a revised driver line-up. And its line-up? Experienced Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo remain part of the team, but will be joined by Esapekka Lappi and Craig Breen. 2019 World Champion Ott Tänak has left the team.

“The competition will be very tough again, but after a strong second half of 2022 for us, I think we can expect a more even fight during 2023. The goal remains the same – to win both championships,” Neuville said in an official team statement.

“The start of the new season means that everyone is on the same points and we don’t yet know how competitive the other cars will be. I feel it could be a really good season for us. It’s not so much about finding ourselves, but continuing the momentum we’ve set,” explained Sordo.

The new team boss

However, Hyundai omitted confirmation of a new team boss in its official press statement. It is widely expected, however, that former Renault Formula 1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul will fill that role this season.

He will thus replace the South Korean team’s current boss Julien Moncet, who led the team to five victories in 2022. This is despite a poor start when Hyundai had reliability issues.

Statement from the President of Hyundai Motorsport

Hyundai finished last season in a respectable second place despite their season opener, accumulating 455 points overall. So what did Hyundai Motorsport President Sean Kim have to say about the 2022 season in an official statement?

“Last year was one of the most challenging for us as a team, but perhaps also one of the most rewarding. We see 2023 as a continuation of the chapter we started in 2022. We have a competitive i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, a line-up of crews eager to challenge for titles, and a hard-working team ready to carry the momentum from one season to the next.”

Sources