Fuchs tops WRC 2 in Argentina
Evans retains series lead despite disappointing weekend
Hyundai i20 R5 edges closer to homologation
Hyundai Motorsport has moved another step closer to homologating its new i20 R5 car after successfully completing a brace of tests in Italy.
The new generation i20 R5 is based on the same five-door road car as the team’s World Rally Car that claimed its first victory at YPF Rally Argentina in April.
Once homologated, Hyundai will become the fourth different marque to compete in WRC 2 with an R5 car this season. The series already features cars built by Citroen, Ford, Peugeot and Skoda.
The German-based team’s customer racing department followed up an asphalt test in Turin at the end of April by travelling to Sardinia last week to complete another five days of running on both asphalt and rough gravel surfaces.
Lead test driver Kevin Abbring and co-driver Seb Marshall tested new suspension parts during the second half of the test that will form part of the i20 R5’s gravel package.
Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Andrea Adamo said: “To have tested for eight days in a fortnight has been tough on everyone and the car. However, we all knew it was what we needed to do in order to respect our own tight development schedule.
“Our two days on tarmac in Sardinia backed up the work we had done testing the previous week, then running on gravel meant we could develop that specification.”
Hyundai is in the process of building a second i20 R5 chassis at its Alzenau headquarters so it can use separate cars during its remaining gravel and asphalt tests. Adamo added: “This means we can increase the amount of testing in the final months before our homologation date in the summer.”
