At this stage, it’s certain that Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak will continue as Hyundai’s full-time drivers next season. However, the team has not yet revealed the strategy or driver choices for their third car.
This year, three different drivers have shared the responsibility in Hyundai’s third Rally1 car: Esapekka Lappi, Andreas Mikkelsen, and Dani Sordo. Currently, the most likely scenario is that Hyundai’s third car will have a single driver next year – M-Sport Ford’s current driver Adrien Fourmaux.
Another possibility is that Hyundai adopts a dual-part-time driver strategy. In this case, both Lappi and Mikkelsen could still have a chance at a new contract. Meanwhile, Sordo might transition into a team principal role if current team boss and Hyundai Motorsport head Cyril Abiteboul decides to ease his workload.
According to Abiteboul, a decision on the driver for Hyundai’s third car will likely take another month.
“With everything that we have ahead of us, I think it makes sense to leave that one until just after Japan,” Abiteboul revealed to RallyJournal.com.
Abiteboul was referring to Hyundai’s ongoing manufacturers’ championship battle with Toyota. Hyundai currently holds a 15-point lead over Toyota in the manufacturers’ standings ahead of Rally Japan, which takes place at the end of November.
Abiteboul also noted that there are still details to finalise.
“Discussions are ongoing with everyone, and they will continue until Japan. So this is the plan,” Abiteboul emphasised.
“I think the fact that it’s clear we have a strong car is generating some interest in the community. So let’s see what options we have on the table,” the French team principal added.
Hyundai has already secured its first-ever drivers’ championship, as Toyota drivers Elfyn Evans and Sebastien Ogier no longer have a chance to take the top spot. Neuville leads the series with a 25-point advantage over Tänak ahead of the tarmac rally in Japan.
