

2024.12.24 Hyundai Motorsport Team
The 2024 WRC season will be remembered as a milestone year for Hyundai Motorsport GmbH. Thierry Neuville, a key driver for Hyundai, secured his first-ever Drivers' Championship title. This achievement adds to Hyundai’s impressive legacy, following their back-to-back Manufacturers' Championship titles in the 2019 and 2020 seasons. What makes this victory even more meaningful is Neuville’s 11-year-long dedication to Hyundai, sharing countless highs and lows along the way. We revisit the relentless pursuit of rally glory by Hyundai Motorsport and Neuville that led to this historic triumph.
Hyundai’s foray into the WRC began in 1998. After gaining indirect experience in regional rallies and the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) through legendary Australian driver Wayne Bell in the early 1990s, Hyundai decided to develop its own rally car to compete in the F2 class. The F2 rally car, a modified version of the Tiburon, was piloted by drivers Kenneth Eriksson, Wayne Bell, and Alister McRae. In its debut season, the team secured two podium finishes, building valuable experience. By the following year, Hyundai had rapidly adapted to the rally world, achieving five victories and a total of ten podium finishes.
From 2000, Hyundai stepped up to the top-tier WRC class with a full-fledged attempt to claim championship glory. The World Rally Car category, introduced in 1997, allowed manufacturers to convert standard production vehicles into high-performance, all-wheel-drive rally cars. This regulation lowered entry barriers for automakers, which previously needed high-performance AWD production cars to compete in the Group A era. With limited rally car development expertise at the time, Hyundai partnered with the UK-based MSD (Motor Sport Developments) to create the Accent(Verna) WRC. Collaborating with specialized motorsport development firms like MSD remains a common practice in the racing world.
Hyundai made its WRC debut with the Accent WRC at the second round of the 2000 season in Sweden. Driver Kenneth Eriksson secured fifth place in New Zealand and fourth in Australia, helping Hyundai outperform Skoda and Mitsubishi to finish fourth in the manufacturers' standings. In 2001, Alister McRae finished fourth in the UK, and the following year, Juha Kankkunen achieved fifth in New Zealand. However, Hyundai’s dreams of reaching the podium remained unfulfilled. Hyundai and MSD ended their partnership after the 2003 season.
After nearly a decade away from the WRC, Hyundai was quietly preparing for a comeback. In 2012, the company established Hyundai Motorsport in Alzenau, Germany, and showcased its i20 rally car at the Paris Motor Show, signaling its return to the world of rallying. The 8,200㎡ Alzenau facility became a hub for global motorsport experts, and Hyundai appointed Michael Nandan, a seasoned technical director with experience at Toyota and Peugeot teams, to lead its WRC program.
Hyundai's return to the WRC in 2014 came with a formidable driver lineup. Juho Hänninen, Bryan Bouffier, and Chris Atkinson joined the team, while Thierry Neuville was entrusted with leading podium ambitions. Spanish rally veteran Dani Sordo was also recruited as Neuville’s teammate.
In 2012, Thierry Neuville made waves as a member of the Citroën Junior World Rally Team. Born in 1988 in southern Belgium, Neuville began his rallying career at 19 and gained early recognition by winning the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium Championship the following year. In 2010, he secured a third-place finish at Belgium’s iconic Ypres Rally. Neuville’s official WRC debut came in 2012 with the Citroën Junior team. He captured his first WRC podium at the third round in Mexico, finishing third, and replicated this achievement in Greece. Later in the season, he strung together consecutive second-place finishes in Italy, Finland, Germany, and Australia, cementing his status as a rising rally star. Competing against established names like Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala, and Mikko Hirvonen, Neuville’s breakout season concluded with a runner-up position behind champion Ogier. Recognizing his immense potential, Hyundai signed Neuville.
2014 Season
The 2014 season marked Hyundai’s first attempt at independently developing a rally car and managing a full rally team. At the time, major teams maintained both main and secondary teams, and Hyundai followed suit, establishing Hyundai Motorsport N as its second team. Thierry Neuville was the only driver to compete in the full season for Hyundai, while Dani Sordo, Juho Hänninen, Chris Atkinson, Bryan Bouffier, and New Zealand’s Hayden Paddon rotated through the secondary team based on strategy.
The season began with challenges as Neuville retired in SS1 of the Monte Carlo Rally after an accident and finished a disappointing 28th in Sweden. However, he rebounded strongly in Mexico, earning a third-place finish and securing Hyundai’s first podium since returning to the WRC. Neuville continued his success with another third-place finish in the seventh round in Poland. At the German Rally (Round 9), Neuville suffered a dramatic crash during testing, sending his car tumbling down a vineyard slope. Despite this setback, he returned to the repaired i20 WRC and showcased his resilience with a remarkable first WRC victory. Sordo’s second-place finish in the same rally gave Hyundai a historic 1-2 finish. This triumph helped Hyundai close its comeback season with a fourth-place finish in the manufacturers’ championship, trailing Volkswagen, Citroën, and M-Sport. Neuville ended the season ranked sixth in the drivers’ standings.
2015 Season
The 2015 season proved challenging for Hyundai, as delays in deploying an upgraded rally car led to a rough start. Juho Hänninen and Bryan Bouffier exited the team, and the Dutch racer Kevin Abbring joined as a test and part-time driver. Neuville held the lead in Round 2 in Sweden but was overtaken by Sébastien Ogier in the final stages, finishing second.
In Italy, Hayden Paddon secured second place, while Neuville overcame mechanical issues to finish third, earning a double podium for the team. However, Neuville struggled in the latter half of the season and was relegated to Hyundai Motorsport N, the second team, for the final round in Great Britain. Hyundai’s overall performance, buoyed by Dani Sordo’s podium finish in Spain (Round 12), helped the team edge out M-Sport to secure third place in the manufacturers' championship. Neuville finished sixth in the drivers’ standings, mirroring his 2014 result.
2016 Season
The 2016 season introduced the China Rally to the WRC calendar, but flooding forced its cancellation, leaving 13 rounds. Neuville began the season with a third-place podium finish in the opener but encountered gearbox issues in Sweden and retired in Mexico, leading to a difficult start. In Portugal and Italy, he was once again relegated to the second team, Hyundai Motorsport N.
Despite challenges, Paddon won in Argentina and Neuville clinched victory in Italy, both while representing the second team. This unfortunately divided manufacturer points. Neuville rejoined the main team at the Poland Rally and gradually regained momentum, earning a third-place finish in Germany and a second-place finish in France. In the final three rounds, Neuville secured podium finishes, posing a serious challenge to the dominant Volkswagen team. However, Ogier’s six wins proved insurmountable. Hyundai finished second in the manufacturers' standings, threatening Volkswagen.
2017 Season
The 2017 season marked a major shift in WRC, with Volkswagen retiring and Toyota returning as a works team after an 18-year hiatus. Technical regulations underwent substantial changes, increasing car size and output while offering greater freedom in aerodynamics. Hyundai introduced the new 3-door i20 WRC, replacing the previous 5-door model, and unified its two-team structure into one.
Hyundai faced initial struggles but began to gain momentum when Neuville finished third in Mexico. He went on to win in France, Argentina, and Poland, showing formidable strength mid-season and even overtaking Ogier in the standings. However, retirements in Germany and Spain hindered Neuville’s championship bid, leaving him second overall behind Ogier. M-Sport’s Ott Tänak claimed third. In the manufacturers’ championship, M-Sport clinched the title thanks to the combined efforts of Ogier and Tänak, while Hyundai finished second, setting sights on future victories. Andreas Mikkelsen, left without a seat after Volkswagen’s exit, joined Hyundai late in the season.
2018 Season
Hyundai restructured its driver lineup around Neuville and Mikkelsen, the latter being a seasoned driver who had finished third in the Drivers' Championship three times (2014–2016) with the Volkswagen team. The third car was shared between Sordo and Paddon. In Round 2 at Sweden, Neuville claimed victory, with Mikkelsen finishing third, securing a double podium for the team.
Neuville had a stellar start to the season, finishing third in France, second in Argentina, and securing back-to-back wins in Portugal and Italy. Notably, in Italy, he overtook Ogier in the final stage by just 0.7 seconds to clinch the victory. However, he struggled in Finland and Turkey and retired in the final round in Australia, allowing Ogier to claim his sixth championship title. Neuville finished the season just 18 points behind as runner-up, while Hyundai ended second in the Manufacturers' Championship, losing to Toyota.
2019 Season
Hyundai's driver lineup for the 2019 season made headlines among rally fans, as the team signed Sébastien Loeb, a legendary driver with a record nine championship titles, as a part-time driver. Neuville competed in all rounds, while Mikkelsen, Loeb, and Sordo shared the other two cars. Later in the season, Irish driver Craig Breen joined the team. Additionally, Andrea Adamo, previously head of Hyundai's Customer Racing Program, was appointed as the WRC team principal.
Neuville began the season strong, finishing second in the opening round and third in Sweden. He then secured victories in France and Argentina, putting himself in serious title contention. While the final round in Australia was canceled due to devastating wildfires, Hyundai clinched the long-awaited Manufacturers' Championship after the Spanish Rally, marking a significant milestone six years after its return to WRC. Although Neuville managed three wins during the season and overtook Ogier, his inability to finish on the podium in four consecutive rallies from Italy to Turkey cost him dearly. Ott Tänak of Toyota ultimately claimed the Drivers' Championship title. Loeb, who participated in six races, achieved his best result with a third-place finish at the Chile Rally.
2020 Season
Hyundai significantly strengthened its driver lineup by signing defending champion Ott Tänak. Neuville and Tänak competed full-time, with Sordo, Breen, and Teemu Suninen sharing the third car. Neuville started the season with a victory at the Monte Carlo Rally, marking his first win at the iconic event. However, the season was abruptly interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the Mexico Rally.
The season resumed in September, managing to meet the championship's minimum requirement of seven rounds by including events in Estonia, Turkey, and the Italian Monza circuit. Neuville, Tänak, Ogier, and Evans engaged in an intense battle for the title, with Ogier ultimately clinching his seventh career championship. Tänak secured a victory in his home rally in Estonia, finishing third overall, while Neuville retired from both the Estonia and Monza rallies, placing fourth in the standings. Meanwhile, Loeb achieved a podium finish with third place at the Turkey Rally. Hyundai dramatically edged out Toyota by a narrow five-point margin to claim the manufacturers' title for the second consecutive year.
2021 Season
The 2021 WRC season unfolded without spectators due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The calendar was restructured to include 12 rounds, dropping Sweden, Chile, the UK, Germany, and Japan while adding the Arctic Rally in Finland, Croatia, Spain, and Italy’s Monza Rally. Finland and Portugal, which were canceled in 2019, also returned to the schedule. Hyundai's driver lineup remained unchanged, but a significant shift occurred before the season began when Thierry Neuville’s long-time co-driver, Nicolas Gilsoul, left the team. Martijn Wydaeghe stepped in to take his place.
Despite being new partners, Neuville and Wydaeghe quickly showcased remarkable teamwork by securing three consecutive podium finishes at the start of the season. Notably, Neuville is fluent in English, French, and German but opts to use French for navigation during rallies. Wydaeghe adjusted his French accent to better align with Neuville, further strengthening their partnership. Hyundai also provided an opportunity for WRC 2 rising star Oliver Solberg by placing him in its rally car under the 2C Competition team. Solberg gained valuable experience in events such as the Arctic Rally, Kenya, Spain, and Monza.
Neuville clinched his first win of the season at the eighth round in his home rally in Belgium. He followed it up with another victory at the Spanish Rally, finishing third in the Drivers' Championship. Ott Tänak achieved a win at the Arctic Rally and made four podium appearances throughout the season. However, due to personal reasons, Tänak missed the final Monza Rally, with Teemu Suninen stepping in as a last-minute replacement. In the final standings, Neuville placed third, Tänak fifth, and Hyundai secured second place in the Manufacturers' Championship.
2022 Season
The 2022 WRC season marked the debut of the Rally1 era, introducing hybrid technology to rally cars as part of a new set of regulations aimed at addressing environmental concerns. Hyundai developed its new Rally1 car based on the i20 N, but faced a challenging start due to a delayed project launch and the sudden departure of team principal Andrea Adamo. Julien Moncet, head of powertrain development, stepped in as interim team principal. Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak remained full-time drivers, with the third car shared between Dani Sordo and rookie Oliver Solberg.
While the team struggled in the season opener, Neuville secured second place at the Swedish Rally. This was followed by a double podium at the Croatia Rally, where Tänak and Neuville finished second and third, respectively. Tänak claimed victory at the Italian Rally (Round 5) while Neuville retired due to an accident. At the Belgium Rally, Neuville led early but dropped out, allowing Tänak to take the win. The team achieved an all-podium finish at the Greek Rally, with Neuville, Tänak, and Sordo. Tänak ended the season with three wins, including Finland, securing second place in the Drivers’ Championship. Neuville finished third overall. Toyota swept both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles, with Kalle Rovanperä becoming the youngest-ever Drivers’ Champion. Hyundai secured second place in the Manufacturers' Championship.
2023 Season
Ahead of the 2023 season, Hyundai appointed a new team principal: Cyril Abiteboul, a name familiar to F1 fans. Abiteboul, who led Renault F1 from 2010, previously worked with Caterham and Mecachrome before taking the reins at Hyundai. Despite being new to the rally scene, Abiteboul quickly adapted, restructuring the organization to strengthen its operations. The departure of Ott Tänak to M-Sport Ford created a vacancy, which was filled by Esapekka Lappi. The third car was shared among Dani Sordo, Teemu Suninen, and Craig Breen.
However, tragedy struck ahead of Round 4 in Croatia, when Craig Breen lost his life in a testing accident. Breen's absence was filled by Teemu Suninen, who had been leading Hyundai’s WRC2 program. Thierry Neuville secured two wins, in Italy and the newly introduced Central European Rally, and climbed the podium eight times, finishing the season in third place. Meanwhile, Kalle Rovanperä claimed his second consecutive driver’s championship, and Toyota secured back-to-back double titles. Abiteboul held the team together during this difficult season and strengthened the driver lineup by bringing Tänak back for the next season. By the end of 2023, Abiteboul was promoted to president of Hyundai Motorsport.
2024 Season
The 2024 WRC season kicked off on January 25 with the Monte Carlo Rally, marking the beginning of a 13-round championship. Hyundai's lineup featured Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak as full-time drivers, while Dani Sordo, Andreas Mikkelsen, and Esapekka Lappi rotated in the third car. Meanwhile, rival Toyota adapted an impressive strategy, as reigning champion Kalle Rovanperä announced a year-long hiatus. Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta took on full seasons, while Sébastien Ogier and Rovanperä shared the third car as part-time drivers. Occasionally, Toyota fielded four or even five cars, adding young talent Sami Pajari to the mix.
Hyundai started strong, with Neuville winning the season opener in Monte Carlo and Lappi taking the victory in Sweden. These back-to-back wins propelled Hyundai to an early lead in both championships. However, the Kenyan Rally saw Hyundai miss out on the podium, while Rovanperä and Ogier claimed consecutive wins, intensifying the title race. Tänak, still acclimating to the rally car, achieved a second-place finish in Portugal before claiming a victory at Round 6 in Italy. Neuville consistently delivered podium finishes, including strong performances in Croatia and Portugal, keeping Hyundai in contention. During the grueling triple-header of high-speed gravel events in Poland, Latvia, and Finland, Neuville and the team held their ground, maintaining their lead in the championship standings as the season entered its final stretch. In a stellar performance at the Acropolis Rally in Greece (Round 10), Hyundai achieved another remarkable all-podium finish, replicating their 2022 success.
Toyota, feeling the pressure, decided to field part-time driver Sébastien Ogier in all remaining events of the season. However, Ogier struggled in Greece, Chile, and the Central European Rally, effectively falling out of contention. Instead, Ott Tänak’s victory at the Central European Rally set up an intense title showdown with his Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville. The final event at Rally Japan was a rollercoaster of unpredictability. Neuville faced engine troubles, allowing Tänak to take the overall lead.
Fortunately for Neuville, he ended Saturday in seventh place, keeping his championship hopes alive. On Sunday’s opening stage, Tänak retired, paving the way for Neuville to claim his first Drivers’ Championship title. This triumph marked a milestone for Neuville, who secured the title 11 years after joining Hyundai in the WRC and 15 years into his rally career. It also represented Hyundai’s inaugural Drivers’ Championship title. Notably, the Manufacturers’ Championship, which had seemed within Hyundai’s grasp, narrowly went to Toyota by just three points.
As we’ve seen, the journey of Hyundai and Thierry Neuville has been nothing short of a drama, delivering heartfelt moments to motorsport fans year after year. Hyundai demonstrated its exceptional technological prowess by clinching back-to-back Manufacturers’ Championship titles in 2019 and 2020. This season, they brought full circle the story of a young rally star who captured global attention 11 years ago, elevating Neuville to the pinnacle of the sport. The Hyundai Motorsport GmbH is poised to continue delivering thrills and excitement to motorsport fans in the upcoming season.
By Su-jin Lee
In 1991, Lee’s passion for cars led him to enthusiastically write letters to the newly launched Korean car magazine Car Vision. This unexpected connection led him to start his career as an automotive journalist. He has served as editor and editorial board member for Car Vision and Car Life, and now works as an automotive critic. While eagerly covering the latest trends like electric vehicles, connected cars, and autonomous driving technology, he is also a car enthusiast who secretly hopes that the smell of gasoline engines will never disappear.