Hyundai's WRC improve plan to shut the hole to Toyota

Hyundai plans to unleash additional upgrades to its World Rally Championship automobile after this week’s Safari Rally Kenya because it bids to shut the hole to rivals Toyota.

The Korean marque has made a gradual begin to the 2026 season leading to complete defeats to Toyota on the opening two rounds of the season in Monte Carlo and Sweden. Heading into his weekend’s spherical in Kenya, Toyota has scored back-to-back podium lockouts, whereas ’s run to fourth in Monte Carlo is Hyundai’s greatest consequence up to now this yr.

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Hyundai drivers have struggled to extract constant velocity from the i20 N Rally1 this yr which underwent upgrades to the entrance finish and the gearbox throughout the off season, following a dismal 2025 the place the ‘Evo’ automobile’s slender working window plagued crews.

Whereas Hyundai has spent its homologation jokers on enhancements to the entrance finish and the gear ratios, there are a variety of elements the crew plans to improve that fall exterior of the requirement to make use of homologation jokers.

Since Sweden, Hyundai has been testing “as a lot as potential”, in line with sporting director Andrew Wheatley, finishing a 10-day programme that was deliberate earlier than the beginning of the season. The crew has been testing on gravel to arrange for this week’s Safari Rally Kenya and on asphalt, the place the automobile has beforehand struggled, to arrange itself for upcoming rounds in Croatia and the Canary Islands subsequent month.

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The vast majority of the exams have been undertaken on the crew’s new check base in France, and it’s now anticipated that the primary wave of upgrades will likely be accessible to the crew in time for the go to to Croatia (9-12 April).

Thierry Neuville Martijn Wydaeghe, , Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Workforce Hyundai i20 N Rally1

“It’s actually not the simplest begin to the yr however the outcomes undoubtedly don’t replicate the arduous work that has been carried out or replicate the efficiency potential that’s contained in the automobile,” Wheatley instructed Motorsport.com.

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“We now have been doing a mix of improvement exams and arrange testing. Truthfully, I’ve by no means seen a calendar prefer it. I’ve by no means seen dedication prefer it, it’s unbelievable what they [the team] are doing. I had a have a look at the calendar and the primary week the place we have now every week the place there may be nothing for the main drivers to do is week 21. That provides you a sign as to how a lot dedication these drivers are placing into the method and an equal view as to how a lot effort the entire engineering and check crew is placing in.

“It [the test] was already deliberate as a result of from the top of final yr as we we’re not capable of introduce all of the issues that have been deliberate. There are two kinds of components that we’re working with. The primary, require homologation and so they should be confirmed by the 31 December. However there are a variety of things on the automobile the place you may make adjustments with out affecting the homologation and in order that course of is totally below method.

“So the exams we’re doing in the meanwhile have been deliberate since October final yr. However the components integration comes with a timetable. I believe we are going to see within the subsequent 4 to 6 weeks extra components coming accessible which is able to assist to make the automobile actually extra drivable in a wider window of situations.

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“From my perspective that has at all times been the problem with this automobile. We all know this automobile is quick however the problem is ensuring the window is extensive sufficient with a view to take into accounts the altering situations you have got with the WRC.”

Hyundai assured ‘Evo’ automobile can stand as much as Kenya problem

Earlier than Hyundai can witness the good thing about its subsequent raft of upgrades, the crew will sort out arguably the hardest occasion on the calendar in Kenya this week.

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Podium: Winner Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, second place Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Workforce Hyundai i20 N Rally1, third place Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Workforce Hyundai i20 N Rally1

The rally has proved to be a bogey spherical for the crew having severely examined the reliability of its i20 N previously. Final yr the crew did take pleasure in considerably of a breakthrough with and ending second and third in what proved to be Hyundai’s first go to to the rostrum in Kenya because the rally rejoined the calendar in 2021.

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That was achieved with the older iteration of i20 N Rally1 after opting to not deploy its ‘Evo’ automobile on the rally. Whereas this weekend marks a primary outing for the ‘Evo’ automobile in Kenya, Wheatley is assured it should stand as much as the challenges forward.

“We now have to be reasonable as a result of beating Toyota just isn’t simple particularly after we take into account they’ve made a step ahead over the winter,” added Wheatley.

“We aren’t making an attempt to compete in opposition to the 2025 Toyota, we’re competing in opposition to the 2026 Toyota. We now have had some real trigger for optimism. Everyone knows that Safari is barely totally different. I believe Safari will likely be about making an attempt to go fastidiously and slowly as a lot as pure efficiency.

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“Paradoxically the ‘Evo’ automobile wasn’t constructed for these situations, it was constructed for the tarmac and the quick gravel levels, however the automobile received in Greece and Saudi final yr so these are two of the toughest occasions on the calendar. I believe in consequence it’s got some potential to be aggressive however, as I stated, Safari just isn’t essentially about velocity.

“Kenya is extra about survival, however I’m assured. I went to the check we did two weeks in the past which was on tremendous tough gravel and I’ve to say the automobile took an unbelievable punishment over three days and I used to be gobsmacked to see the quantity of beating the automobile would take.”

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