WRC
Wheatley: Hyundai focused on clarity for 2026 as momentum builds
Hyundai sporting director Andrew Wheatley says the team is working “every day” to finalise its 2026 WRC line-up, stressing that nothing has been signed as the team builds toward a renewed push.
Wheatley spoke at the end of Rally Saudi Arabia, where Hyundai closed a mixed 2025 campaign with a 1-2 finish as Thierry Neuville took victory ahead of i20 N Rally1 colleague Adrien Fourmaux.
Reflecting on his first weeks in the role after joining late in the season, Wheatley said he was “delighted” with the rapid progress across all departments.
“It’s been really positive,” he explained. “The whole team has done an incredible job - the team back at base, the team here on the rally, the design and engineering groups. Everybody has been so reactive in working to understand how we can address some of the challenges we had earlier in the year.”
Estonia's Tänak will take a break from WRC in 2026
© Hyundai
Hyundai introduced a suite of upgrades to its i20 N Rally1 across the final quarter of the season, with Japan marking a clear step forward on asphalt and Saudi Arabia giving the team a better understanding of its gravel performance heading into 2026.
“Japan was the first step,” Wheatley said. “The Tarmac pace was really encouraging, and this [Saudi Arabia] is another step along the way. But it’s only the second step, and the real hard work for Monte Carlo starts now. The team begin their programmes next week, and that shows how dedicated we are to making next year a success.”
With Toyota already confirming its 2026 Rally1 roster, attention now turns to Hyundai’s choices for next season. With 2019 champion Ott Tänak taking a sabbatical from the sport, Wheatley insists the situation remains open.
“We have deadlines looming,” he acknowledged. “I promise you there is nothing signed at the moment - we’re not holding anything back just to let Toyota finish their season. We are working every day to understand what the options are, and as soon as that’s available we’ll share it.”
“We only have one target next year,” he said. “We’re absolutely crystal clear: our target is to win the World Championship. All we’re interested in is anybody who can help us get one step closer to that. We just want to get every car as far up the podium as we possibly can.”
Hyundai’s 2026 driver announcement is expected to arrive over the coming days.
