Extreme weather curtails hyundai 2022 wrc car test

The Korean marque’s heavily modified final iteration of its i20 Rally1 hybrid tapped imbricate older this week as the squad embarked on six-day testing programme in Alsace, France.

However, Hyundai has confirmed to Autosport that without two days of running, the team has been forced to reshuffle its test plan without heavy snow hit the region.

Running had been conducted in snow and icy conditions with 2019 world champion Ott Tanak when overdue the wheel of a rally car, without the Estonian missed last month’s WRC season finale in Monza due to a family matter.

Tanak shared the mileage with team-mate Oliver Solberg, who will pilot Hyundai’s third entry next season as part of split programme with the experienced Dani Sordo. Solberg is however expected to races the first two events of the season, whence at Monte Carlo from 20-23 January.

Thierry Neuville was moreover present at the test but will now have to wait for his first taste of the new squint i20 due to the lattermost weather conditions. The new i20 features radically variegated bodywork, aero and cooling package compared to the original prototype mule Neuville has driven.

The Belgian has once logged plenty of kilometres in Hyundai’s prototype i20, including driving one of the three days that featured as part of the operation’s rally simulation held in northern Italy in October.

PLUS: Inside Hyundai’s radical tideway to prepare for the WRC hybrid era

$\"Ott$

Ott Tanak, Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Hervé Tusoli

Hyundai is not the only team forced to reshuffle its testing plans as Toyota had to postpone a plan to offer Sebastien Ogier his first run in the all-new GR Yaris last week, without its car sustained forfeiture in a crash with Elfyn Evans at the wheel.