Strict limits are placed on the number of test days available to teams competing in the top class of the World Rally Championship, but the regulations include one major exception: a team may test without restrictions at its designated permanent testing site.
The permanent test area is defined on a year-by-year basis. Since 2022, Hyundai has relied on Central Finland, with its test base located in the Jämsä area. The team has been able to prepare on fast gravel roads for events such as Finland, Estonia and Sweden, while also carrying out Rally1 development testing.
However, according to information obtained by RallyJournal.com, Hyundai has now said goodbye to Finland. For the 2026 season, Hyundai’s permanent test site will instead be located in France. RallyJournal.com has asked Hyundai for official confirmation, but the team has not yet commented on the matter.
The gravel roads around Jämsä have become very familiar to Hyundai’s drivers in recent years. The team carried out its most recent tests in Central Finland just before Christmas, with Thierry Neuville, Adrien Fourmaux and Esapekka Lappi all in action in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1.
Hyundai’s decision can be considered surprising, as Finland has provided the team with a strong base for rally testing. From a logistical perspective, however, Finland has not been the easiest destination for a team whose headquarters are located in Germany.
Toyota, Hyundai’s long-time rival, has always based its test area in Finland, which is only natural given that Toyota’s WRC headquarters are located in Jyväskylä. Inspired by Toyota, Hyundai decided four years ago to centralise its testing activities in Finland.
Even though Hyundai’s permanent test area is now located significantly further south, the team may still be seen testing in the Jämsä region this year in preparation for the Swedish and Finnish WRC rounds. In total, Hyundai has 21 test days available this year outside its permanent test area.
The 2026 WRC season will get under way in just over two weeks’ time with Rally Monte Carlo. WRC teams are expected to carry out tests for the event in the near future.
