THE Hyundai Shell World Rally team has entered two Hyundai i20 WRC cars into Rallye Monte-Carlo, with Belgians Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 WRC #7) and Spaniards Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (Hyundai i20 WRC #8) on driving duties, as they will be at all 13 events this season. The Hyundai i20 WRC is a World Rally Car built by Hyundai for use in the 2014 World Rally Championship. It is based on the Hyundai i20 subcompact car, and was unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The launch of the i20 marks Hyundai's return to the World Rally Championship after a 10-year absence. Twelve months on from the team's historic debut in the WRC, Hyundai Motorsport returns to the principality with a clear intent to raise its game and continue to get closer to the leading competitors. Complex logistics, unpredictable weather and constant changes in grip are the main features of Rallye Monte-Carlo and will be the primary challenges faced by the teams in next week's event. Tyre choice will also be critical; Monte-Carlo is the only event on the calendar where competitors – equipped on Michelin - will have five different tyre compounds to choose from – hard, soft, super soft, snow and studded. Mastering the correct configuration will be the key to the teams' success. Hyundai Motorsport's preparations for Rallye Monte-Carlo started as early as mid-December last year, when Neuville and Sordo tested the Hyundai i20 WRC over four days in the Ardèche region – encountering a variety of climatic conditions that allowed the team to fine-tune the cars for next week's rally. A final two-day pre-event test has been carried out early this week to allow the drivers to get more mileage on the car and make some final adjustments ahead of the rally. Tom Lee, Vice President and Head of Hyundai Africa and Middle East Regional Headquarters, commented: “We are confident this year that our team is stronger and more determined than ever and we are looking forward to following the team from the Middle East and Africa, regions that have a strong history and interest in rallying.” The Hyundai i20 WRC that will start the 2015 season will be a substantially developed iteration of the car that started Monte Carlo earlier in 2014. The current generation i20 WRC is equipped with a strong 1.6L turbocharged engine with direct injection producing 300 HP at 6,000 rpm and 400Nm at 5,000 rpm, as well as a sequential gearbox. The New Generation i20 WRC is currently being tested in different terrains to gather data for further development, and is scheduled to debut in 2015's mid-season races. In addition, the team will use all its acquired experience, data and learning from 2014 to tackle Rallye Monte-Carlo with the aim of getting closer to its main rivals. With this event being so unpredictable, anything is possible but with a good driver line-up and lessons learned from its maiden outing in WRC last season, Hyundai Motorsport will be looking for a good result in its first competitive event of the New Year. For Neuville, Rallye Monte-Carlo has proven to be a tough event in the past but the Belgian is eager to prove a point in his fourth appearance at the event. Spaniard Sordo returns to Rallye Monte-Carlo for the seventh time in his career determined to have a trouble-free event after last year's promising performance was curtailed by an electrical problem on his Hyundai i20 WRC, forcing him to retire on the opening day. — SG
