Hyundai Motorsport has strengthened its sources by including two precious members of employees, which is able to oversee programmes within the World Rally Championship and World Endurance Championship.
The Korean marque has created two new roles inside its organisation within the type of Operations Director and Head of Engineering, which shall be stuffed by the skilled Sebastien Metz and Massimo Carriero respectively.
They are going to formally begin work from 1 January 2026, with Hyundai set to contest the WRC and make its WEC debut below the Genesis model.
This follows the appointment of former FIA street sport director Andrew Wheatley, who has taken up a newly created WRC sporting director position.
It has been nicely documented this yr that Hyundai’s transfer into WEC on prime of its WRC and TCR programmes has stretched sources throughout the workforce. Hyundai has struggled this yr within the WRC with its upgraded i20 N that has yielded just one win so far from 12 rallies.
Metz will oversee all Hyundai Motorsport operations and amenities and shall be answerable for each each day operations and strategic planning.
Genesis Magma Racing, GMR-001 Hypercar
Photograph by: Genesis
The Frenchman has beforehand labored in each circuit racing and rallying, bringing intensive expertise from working with groups within the WEC paddock. Metz joins Hyundai from Multimatic, the place he labored on the organisation’s LMDh and GT3 programmes.
“It’s a nice supply of delight to have my expertise and professionalism recognised by a producer of such stature,” stated Metz.
“I’m excited to help [company president] Cyril Abiteboul in shaping the general motorsport technique, whereas working carefully with [technical director] FX Demaison to optimise our instruments and strengthen the present construction.
“My aim is to make the workforce extra strong, high-performing, and autonomous, whereas contributing to the event of Hyundai’s tasks and the sporting deployment of Genesis.”
In line with Hyundai’s announcement, Carriero will work alongside Demaison and can handle the work of the engineering group, growing Hyundai Motorsport’s in-house engineering capabilities.
The Italian additionally has expertise in circuit racing and rallying, having labored as a Take a look at and Improvement Engineer for McLaren Motorsport’s GT3 programmes. He additionally frolicked with M-Sport, the place he held senior technical roles overseeing the squad’s rally and GT3 exploits.
Cyril Abiteboul, Crew principal Hyundai World Rally Crew
Photograph by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport
“Sharing my time with Cyril, FX, and Hyundai Motorsport is a precious alternative to contribute to ongoing motorsport tasks and be a part of a strong, forward-looking group,” stated Carriero.
“I significantly worth the management of Cyril and FX, and the dedication and expertise of everybody concerned, whose collective experience varieties the muse for future enhancements. My aim is to additional strengthen this dynamic by bringing my very own expertise and dedication to the group.”
Abiteboul has hailed the brand new signing as a “key step” for the model’s future in motorsport, saying: “Including the positions of Operations Director and Head of Engineering to our workforce construction, as nicely the latest appointment of Andrew Wheatley as Sporting Director for our WRC workforce, strengthens the workforce for the longer term and can imply that every particular person can focus extra carefully on their obligations, permitting us to work extra effectively throughout all our programmes.”
Whereas Hyundai has dedicated to a manufacturing unit programme in WEC, its future involvement within the WRC past 2026 stays unclear.
Abiteboul has already dominated out the potential for growing a brand new automotive for the introduction of the WRC’s new technical rules in 2027, however has opened the door to upgrading its Rally2 to proceed its involvement in rallying’s prime tier.
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