The former factory Mini, Citroen and Toyota WRC driver is among a number of candidates the South Korean marque is considering, as it looks to reshuffle its line-up for 2023.
Hyundai is yet to confirm plans for next season although it is thought the organisation is set to continue to field three Rally1 cars.
The team has however announced that it will part ways with Oliver Solberg at the end of the year, meaning there is potentially at least one vacancy in its line-up should the team continue to run a shared third car. Dani Sordo’s future is also yet to be resolved having shared the third car with Solberg this year.
It is expected that Thierry Neuville will remain at the squad with a contract already in place for 2023, but speculation regarding Ott Tanak’s future has gathered momentum in recent weeks.
The 2019 world champion is contracted to Hyundai for next year but has been linked to a move away from the team, and has also hinted that he could sit out the championship completely next year.
Hyundai deputy team director Julien Moncet wishes to retain Tanak for next year and has refused to comment on the speculation surrounding the Estonian’s future.
Moncet has however confirmed that his phone has been running hot with several drivers contacting him regarding possible drives for next year.
Former Hyundai and Volkswagen factory WRC driver Andreas Mikkelsen is thought to be among the favourites to secure a drive with the team next year, while another former Hyundai driver in Hayden Paddon has made noises about securing selected Rally1 outings next year.
Moncet has revealed that Meeke is also on the shortlist of candidates. The 43-year-old, a five-time WRC rally winner, last competed in rallying’s top flight in 2019, finishing sixth in the championship for Toyota.
“Somehow my mobile phone number is becoming more and more popular than ever,” Moncet told Motorsport.com when asked if drivers had been contacting him about 2023.
Kris Meeke, Sebastian Marshall, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC
Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
“For sure, we are already having talks with many drivers to know what is going on, and everyone does that. We are already in touch with many drivers.
“We are considering everything and we haven’t decided yet. We have a pretty good idea.”
Asked if Meeke was among the options, he replied: “Well definitely, Kris Meeke is on the list of drivers that we are looking at. Whether he…
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