The Korean manufacturer previously celebrated titles in 2019 and 2020 and came very close to returning to the top. However, their campaign unravelled on Sunday at arch-rival Toyota’s home rally in Japan, when Ott Tänak crashed out and was forced to retire.
Toyota secured the manufacturers’ championship on the final Power Stage with a slim three-point margin. However, Hyundai had cause to celebrate this year, with Thierry Neuville claiming the drivers’ world championship for the first time.
Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul emphasised that the team’s primary goal for the season had been the drivers’ title.
“We must have good emotions. It’s super difficult because it’s been at first exhausting weekend, a tough season. And obviously there was always this sort of second target of also going for the manufacturer title. We knew that the driver title was secured. So that sort of emotion is a bit gone since almost Central Europe,” Abiteboul said.
“Obviously, on one side it’s a bit difficult, because we are losing it by so little. This is still a huge step from last year, so I think we need the emotion to to go down a little and accept the fact that we can’t have everything in one go. It’s already one and we will be back for more.”
Despite missing out on the manufacturers’ championship at the final hurdle, Abiteboul promised a big celebration for Neuville’s title win.
“We still need to celebrate that because first and foremost, that’s something that is truly deserved by Thierry and Martijn (Wydaeghe), and that’s what we need to celebrate 100%, 1,000% tonight. Party hard with him because it’s really a man’s effort, a career’s effort, a family effort that went into into this and for sure with the support of Hyundai,” Abiteboul said.
Abiteboul also took a moment to comment on the state of rallying, highlighting what an incredible year it had been while stressing the need for more manufacturers to join the championship.
“I’ve said it on many, many times. For sure you would like there to be more manufacturers. And maybe this is an invitation actually for having more manufacturers and more cars. When we see the quality of the racing that we have, it’s clearly at the pinnacle of motorsport in terms of commitment,” Abiteboul stated.
“It’s really beyond imagination what those guys are doing. It’s true that there is really a handful of them who are capable of doing that, but what those guys are doing is just amazing indeed.”
