Hyundai is yet to commit to the 2026 World Rally Championship, but team principal Cyril Abiteboul says rallying is the “manufacturer’s roots” and he is not “over with rally”.
The long-term future of the Korean marque in the WRC is unclear with the brand understood to be gearing up to join the World Endurance Championship with a Hypercar programme in the near future.
Hyundai is one of two full manufacturer teams in the WRC having rejoined the championship for a second spell in 2014, and has gone on to win two manufacturers’ titles in 2019 and 2020.
Speculation over the car maker’s future in the series emerged during Rally Poland last month with Abiteboul unable to confirm the marque’s plans in the WRC beyond 2025.
In Latvia last weekend the former Renault Formula 1 boss told Motorsport.com that he is pushing for Hyundai to continue in the WRC and that news surrounding its 2026 plans will come in the “very near future.”
Abiteboul has been a key player in pushing the FIA to U-turn on its move to change the current Rally1 technical regulations for 2025 and 2026 ahead of all-new rules for 2027.
“We are in rally and we want to make this work, for the rest there is an ongoing process and ongoing investigation. But first and foremost, I want to secure at least one championship, he said.
“We are here next year and then it’s an annual revision of our plans in WRC. The first thing was to get stability in terms of regulations and the next thing is to understand the direction that rally is taking as a sport as a property and making sure that there is still a fit between where Hyundai wants to go in terms of marketing and the sport.
Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photo by: Romain Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport
“I can tell you that I’m pushing in that direction. I’m not letting go. I’m not over with rally. As far as I am concerned, I’m pushing rally to adopt directions that are sensible for Hyundai.
“I believe that this is our roots in motorsport and cutting your root is something you need to be very sensible about doing it’s always a bit dangerous to cut your root. You have seen me and other people from the Hyundai group looking into different disciplines, but no decision is made. We want to make this work.
“There is no need to make a commitment to 2026 yet, but you can expect some clarification about where we stand in the very near future.”
One reason why a Hyundai exit would…
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