Hyundai Motorsport has taken the i20 WRC out of the workshop at its Alzenau headquarters in Germany and onto the road at the start of its testing programme. The latest specification of the Hyundai i20 WRC ran for the first time during a positive shakedown on a private testing ground in mid-May. With the aim of checking the car’s systems as the team ramps up its test schedule ahead of an entry in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2014, Hyundai Motorsport’s technical team completed the roll-out without encountering any particular issues.
This shakedown was followed last week with the first comprehensive testing session where the team started working on different set-up solutions and gathered valuable data which will be analysed by engineers back at the Hyundai Motorsport facility in Alzenau. While all key areas of the car’s performance were evaluated, there was a major focus on collecting feedback on the i20 WRC’s 1.6 litre turbocharged engine as part of the continuing development programme for the powertrain.
A total of 550 kilometres covered over the three days has enabled the team to start building the knowledge base of testing data from which to prepare its entry to the WRC in eight months’ time. The intensive testing programme is intended to ensure that Hyundai Motorsport arrives at Rallye Monte Carlo in January fully prepared for the challenge. The programme will continue for the rest of the year and will involve the assessment and development of the i20 WRC in all of the terrains and conditions expected in World Rally Championship.
