Hyundai will be «better prepared» and «stronger» in the World Rally Championship next year after a difficult 2025, according to team principal Cyril Abiteboul.
The Korean marque was soundly beaten this season scoring two victories, at Acropolis Rally Greece and in Saudi Arabia, while rivals Toyota chalked up a stunning 12 wins spread across drivers Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanpera and Oliver Solberg, to secure a fifth consecutive manufacturers’ crown.
Hyundai opted to debut its new ‘Evo’ i20 N Rally1 car this season at Rally Sweden in February. The upgraded car made strides forward, particularly on fast gravel rallies, but it struggled to perform on asphalt and in low grip conditions. The car was also hit by a number of reliability issues.
Reflecting on the decision to upgrade the car for 2025, which was made in 2023, Abiteboul said: “It has been a difficult and challenging year. We came into it after such a successful 2024 season and always knew defending our titles would be hard, especially with Toyota reacting as they did. They arrived with five cars and a very solid package.
“On our side, we committed early in 2023 to a radical new car for 2025 compared to last year. That decision brought long-term value, but it also meant a steep learning curve this season. So yes, challenging is the right word — but it was a challenge we accepted when we chose that direction.
“The development path of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 was a very large project, and with hindsight you always ask whether the timing was right.
Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photo by: Massimo Bettiol — Getty Images
“When I joined, the team was being dominated by Toyota, so we decided to go bold. The original plan was a completely new car; for various reasons, we delivered a major evolution instead. Last year’s success was almost a bit of a surprise, which showed that in rally, even a small evolution could bring so much. But our Evo car was already well underway, and we remain committed to it.
“The 2025 car brought performance improvements in some areas, but also uncertainty, and the season became a learning curve — understanding behaviour, limits and how to extract consistency. It was demanding, but the advantage now is clear: we have a precise view of the weaknesses and a focused plan for the coming year.”
Hyundai is expected to utilise bonus homologation jokers, afforded to all teams for the final year of the current Rally1 in 2026, to make further improvements to its i20 N in a bid to close the gap to Toyota.
This, coupled with a new management structure in place headed by sporting director Andrew Wheatley, along with the knowledge gained throughout 2025 has Abiteboul feeling confident Hyundai will perform much stronger when the season begins in Monte Carlo next month.
“There are positives, obvious and less obvious. The two wins were fully deserved; in both rallies we controlled the pace,” added Abiteboul.
“The team’s attitude was strong all year, and we never gave up despite the difficulties. We’ve also progressed in how we operate and react. The pace of the car was often very good, even if the final results didn’t always show it. And Adrien was a major positive.
“Bringing a young driver in is always a question mark, but he showed maturity, professionalism and real potential. He also helped us understand the car better, which will matter going into 2026.
Cyril Abiteboul, Team principal Hyundai World Rally Team
Photo by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport
“I believe we’ll arrive stronger in Monte Carlo. Compared to last year, we’ll be better prepared.
“The organisation is more stable, the leadership structure is in place, and having our base in Fechenheim fully operational removes a major distraction.
«We can focus on extracting the performance from the cars and the crews. Of course it’s always relative to what our competitors are doing. Toyota will and their drivers will be strong, especially in Monte Carlo.
“What gives me confidence is that we have a much better knowledge and understanding of the package, the plan is focused, and there are fewer moving parts than a year ago. This year was a reminder that absolute performance is not necessarily the determining factor; it’s more important to have a controlled and well-understood product, and a focused organisation. If we keep working this way, we’ll be in a stronger position at the start of next season.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
— The Motorsport.com Team
