Hyundai is resisting new WRC regulations

Hyundai has approved the FIA, the world automobile association, to revise the changes to the technical regulations of the World Rally Championship (WRC). Specifically, the South Korean manufacturer’s factory team is resisting the reduction of the air flow limiter on the engine of the Rally1 cars from 36 to 35 millimeters.

“We will force the FIA ​​to reconsider their plans regarding performance,” Hyundai motorsport boss Cyril Abiteboul told Autosport, a sister publication of Motorsport-Total.com on the Motorsport Network. “We would like to keep the same restrictor and we think it is a big loss, also I think it is something we need to reconsider with the FIA.”

After some back and forth, the FIA ​​​​decided last week to forego the hybrid drive in the Rally1 cars from 2025. With the elimination of the 87 kilogram hybrid unit, the minimum weight of the vehicles drops from 1260 to 1180 kilograms. At the same time, a smaller air flow limiter should ensure that the weight-to-power ratio remains similar to this year.

Hyundai would have preferred to keep the hybrid drive

But Abiteboul believes this measure is excessive. “I understand the safety concern. But I believe the car can handle it,” says the Hyundai Motorsport boss. “We have to be careful not to lose what defines the sport at the moment, namely the pure performance of these cars. I would therefore ask the FIA ​​​​to reconsider these things, but here too we want to work with the FIA.”

Hyundai accepts, albeit grudgingly, the elimination of the hybrid drive, which has become significantly more expensive due to new maintenance regulations from the manufacturer Compact Dynamics.

“I’m not that excited about the prospect of losing the hybrid,” says Abiteboul, whose team has invested a lot of work and money into updates to the current car for 2025. “But as I have said many times, we also need to be pragmatic when it comes to the state of sport in terms of supplier capacity, product reliability and control.”

Test of the non-hybrid Rally1 in Spain

Hyundai tested its i20 N Rally1 at the La Nucia-Mediterraneo Rally in Spain without a hybrid drive. Thierry Neuville drove a car with a 2024 specification air restrictor, while his teammate Andreas Mikkelsen used a 2024 car with a hybrid drive.

Neuville fears next year’s 2025-spec Rally1 cars will be “much slower” on tarmac and believes retaining the current air restrictor would be a better option.

“We did a few qualifying runs in a rally and I was two tenths faster, and the times were also very close together. So I’m a little worried that the cars will be a little slower next year,” said Neuville.

“I have informed the FIA. I don’t think they will take any of what I said into account, which is quite frustrating, but at least the message got through,” said the Belgian.

“We lost 80 kilograms, which is good in some corners. But we lost 130 hp, which doesn’t matter much on gravel. But on asphalt the additional power was certainly very helpful,” says Neuville.

How Hyundai’s competitors are reacting to the loss of the hybrid

The discontinuation of the hybrid drive next year has triggered different reactions among the WRC drivers. Toyota’s Elfyn Evans believes the weight reduction is a “good compromise”, while eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier is confident the loss in power will be minimal, according to Toyota simulations.

“Reducing weight is a good compromise. “Obviously I haven’t driven the car yet so it’s hard to judge, but I think it could be quite good,” says Evans.

Ogier added: “Such a last-minute change and without the possibility of modifying the car with a variety of homologation jokers is certainly not ideal. I think if Hyundai does that (keep the current air restrictor) they will see a clear advantage for themselves.”

“From what I’ve heard from our simulations, we shouldn’t lose too much power because of the 80 kilograms less, also I think it will be pretty close, but I’m not sure,” says Ogier.

Adrien Fourmaux from M-Sport-Ford is convinced that the Rally1 car will still be fun next year. Nevertheless, he would have preferred the FIA ​​​​to extend the current homologation cycle for hybrid cars until 2026. “It’s like removing a cylinder. It’s over and now we have to deal with it,” he says.