• Hyundai Motorsport has joined forces with the FIA, with the aim to support rallying talent from across the world, to launch the FIA Rally Champions World Tour to run until 2024
• Championship-winning crews from five of the FIA’s regional rally series will be awarded a one-off prize drive at a WRC event at the wheel of a Hyundai i20 N Rally2
• The Hyundai i20 N Rally2 is set to have its competitive debut at August’s Ypres Rally following an extensive testing and development program to craft a superb all-round package.
Alzenau, Germany
July 7, 2021 – Hyundai Motorsport and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) have joined forces to launch the FIA Rally Champions World Tour, united by a common goal of encouraging and promoting rallying talent from regional series around the world for the next three years. The brand new initiative will support successful drivers from the FIA’s regional rally series by offering them a prize drive in the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 at an FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) event.
Starting from this season championship winners from five FIA-sanctioned regional series – the African Rally Championship, Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, CODASUR Rally Championship, Middle East Rally Championship and NACAM Rally Championship – will be awarded a drive in the i20 N Rally2 at a WRC round during the 2022 campaign. The program will run for three years – the victorious crews from 2022 and 2023 also eligible for the prize and take part in WRC events during 2023 and 2024 respectively. Though what event each crew will join will be confirmed on an individual basis, it is planned that each will be as relevant as possible to the prize winners to allow them to take maximum advantage of the fantastic opportunity.
The i20 N Rally2 at the centre of the prize is the latest rallying design produced by the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing department. Set to be homologated later this year and debuted in FIA WRC2 competition at Ypres Rally Belgium the car is successor to the Hyundai i20 R5, which has clinched several national and international titles since its first runs in the hands of customer teams and drivers in 2016.
Through an extensive testing schedule the new car has been put through its paces on a wide variety of surfaces, including Swedish snow and rough Sardinian gravel, by drivers with both WRC and FIA WRC2 class experience. With the additional work carried out by the dedicated development engineers working on the project the final package should be competitive no matter the event and – importantly for those who will climb behind the wheel for their prize drive – easy to get the best performance from quickly on the stages.
Hyundai Motorsport’s work with the FIA on the FIA Rally Champions World Tour once again shows the team’s commitment to supporting rallying talent on the progression up the sport’s career ladder from regional into international competition towards the top of the Rally pyramid, represented by a premier-class WRC drive.
Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Andrew Johns said: “Helping to bring through the next generation of WRC champions is an important part of the work of the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing department. The versatility of the Rally2 category as the go-to class for national and regional series allows us to follow and support crews as they progress up the career ladder. Joining forces with the FIA to announce the FIA Rally Champions World Tour broadens this approach to a truly global scope, and we can be very proud of the pivotal role of the Customer Racing department and the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 will play in the program. There are hugely talented crews competing in all of the FIA’s regional rally series. The FIA Rally Champions World Tour offers them an opportunity to show their skills on the global level, and thanks to our extensive testing and development the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 is the perfect car for them to take the next step in their sporting careers.”
FIA Rally Director Yves Matton said: “I’m very pleased and proud to announce this initiative developed in partnership with Hyundai Motorsport, which will contribute to boost FIA regional rally championships and make them more attractive to competitors across all continents. Furthermore, by creating a pathway for competitors from non-European nationalities to the top of the Rally pyramid, it will provide greater diversity in the FIA World Rally Championship and generate positive media coverage, thanks notably to the attendance of regional heroes at flagship events on their continent, with a chance for them to join the world level the following year in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car. The program, which promotes socially relevant aspects of Rally while making it a more accessible motor sport discipline worldwide, benefits from the support of the FIA Innovation Fund (FIF) and highlights the pledge given by the FIA’s Purpose Driven movement.”
Hyundai i20 N Rally2 Technical Specifications
Engine
Type: 1.6 litre direct injection turbocharged
Air Restrictor: 32mm*
Power (Max): 290hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque (Max): 420Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission
Type: Four-wheel drive
Gearbox: Sequential gearbox. Five forward gears and one reverse
Differential: Mechanical front and rear
Clutch: Cerametallic twin-disc
Cockpit
Seats: OMP FIA 8862 competition seats
Belts: OMP six-point HANS compatible
Dashboard: Compact configurable driver’s display
Chassis – Suspension
Front and Rear: MacPherson struts with three-way adjustable dampers
Steering: Hydraulic power-assisted rack and pinion.
Braking System: Ventilated brake discs (300mm diameter for gravel, 355mm diameter for tarmac) four-piston calipers.
Handbrake: Hydraulic control
Wheels: 8×18 inch for tarmac, 7×15 for gravel
Chassis – Bodywork
Structure: FIA-conformant reinforced steel body with Hyundai Motorsport designed welded multi-point roll cage
Length: 4040mm
Wheelbase: 2560mm
Width: 1820mm
Track Width: 1810mm
Fuel Tank Capacity: 80 litres
Weight: 1,230kg minimum – 1,390kg with driver and co-driver*
*mandated by FIA regulations