Hyundai Motorsport Signs Two-Year WRC Agreement With Ott Tänak

November 1, 2019 by Hyundai

•Hyundai Motorsport has announced a two-year deal with Estonian rally driver Ott Tanak for the 2020 and 2021 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

•Tanak will join Thierry Neuville in all 14 rounds of the 2020 championship, starting at Rallye Monte-Carlo in January

•Dani Sordo and Sébastien Loeb will share the third Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC throughout the season, as Hyundai Motorsport reaffirms its WRC commitment.

Alzenau, Germany

October 31, 2019 – Hyundai Motorsport has signed a two-year deal with Ott Tanak that will see the Estonian driver contest two full seasons in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with the Alzenau-based team.

Tanak and co-driver Martin Jarveoja will contest all 14 rounds of the 2020 WRC with Hyundai Motorsport to support the team's continued ambitions in the manufacturers' championship, starting at Rallye Monte-Carlo (January 23-26).

The announcement confirms four drivers for three Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC cars next season, the team's seventh in the competitive series. Tanak will join Thierry Neuville for a full season, while Dani Sordo and Sébastien Loeb will share the third car throughout the year. Hyundai Motorsport also remains in discussion with Andreas Mikkelsen and Craig Breen regarding a possible WRC collaboration in 2020.

The 2020 WRC calendar includes new territories for Hyundai Motorsport with rallies in Kenya, New Zealand and Japan, requiring a versatile and well-rounded line-up of crews who are capable of competing at the front of the field at each event.

Ott Tanak said: 'I am really excited to join Hyundai Motorsport from the 2020 WRC season. The vision that Andrea has set out is very promising and matches my own ambitions for the future. It's a big honour for me to have the opportunity to join the team at this exciting stage of our respective careers. I have big respect for what Hyundai has accomplished; we've been fighting closely against each other for a number of seasons. They have always had a competitive team and car, so now it will be interesting to see things from the other side. The driver line-up is good and I am looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the coming years.'

Team Director Andrea Adamo said: 'Signing a two-year deal with Ott Tanak is a demonstration of Hyundai's continued commitment and ambitions in the World Rally Championship. We are involved in a very close fight for the title this season, and bringing Ott and Martin into the team from 2020 will enable us to continue to be at the forefront for the coming years. He is an exceptional talent, as we have all seen, impressively quick and consistent on all terrains and he will be a real asset to Hyundai Motorsport. With his announcement, we have four crews confirmed for the 2020 season; Thierry and Ott will contest all 14 rounds on the calendar in their own Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, with Dani and Sébastien sharing a third car. It is a potent and inspiring crew line-up, which will set a high benchmark to which the entire team will aspire. We also remain in conversation with Andreas and Craig to see how we might be able to collaborate in WRC next season.'

About Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Established on 19 December 2012, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH is responsible for Hyundai's global motorsport activities, including the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Customer Racing and electric racing projects. In WRC, Hyundai Motorsport quickly established a strong reputation taking victory in its debut season in 2014. The team amassed ten wins up to the end of the 2018 season and finished as runners-up in the manufacturers' championship on three consecutive occasions. Since the establishment of its Customer Racing activities in September 2015, Hyundai Motorsport has become a trusted partner for teams and drivers looking for success on the rally stages or on racetracks around the world. From its competitive i20 R5 rally car to the competitive i30 N TCR, Hyundai Motorsport-built cars have claimed victory in several championships, including national rally series in France and Spain, as well as the teams' and drivers' titles in the inaugural FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) season. Designed and built at its Alzenau headquarters, the Veloster N ETCR was unveiled in September 2019 and heralds an exciting new era, in which electric racing is set to become one of the company's pillars. Unified under Hyundai Motorsport, WRC, Customer Racing and electric racing are together playing instrumental roles in driving Hyundai's global high-performance N brand, and are supporting an important perception shift for the Hyundai brand around the world.

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