WRC Q&A: Michel Nandan
The Hyundai Motorsport boss answers our questions
Abbring steps up R5 testing
Kevin Abbring put Hyundai Motorsport’s i20 R5 through a second phase of gravel testing in southern France earlier this week.
The Dutchman spent three days on the notoriously rough roads at the Fontjoncouse test area folllowing initial work there at the end of January focused on reliability.
Since then the team has been developing dampers and other suspension parts at its base in Alzenau, Germany, and Abbring concentrated on honing the car’s handling in this week’s session which ended on Monday.
The i20 R5 is due to be homologated in the summer after which it will be eligible for customers to use in WRC 2 against other R5 cars such as Citroën’s DS 3, the Skoda Fabia and Ford Fiesta.
Customer project manager Andrea Adamo said Hyundai would now step up the test programme of its first customer project with Abbring.
“Our testing schedule now increases its pace as we work to finalise the car for production in time to have it competing in the hands of our customers before the end of the year.
“To have another successful test of the New Generation i20 R5 is a big step towards our planned homologation date in late summer. Going through a test on the demanding surface of Fontjoncouse is a huge positive as we continue to develop the car,” he said.
Adamo added that more experienced personnel would join the project in the coming months as the pace of development increased.
