Should Toyota be worried? New details emerge about Hyundai’s secret upgrades

Hyundai, competing in the WRC, is set to introduce a significant update package for its Rally1 car.
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The team has been working on these updates for several months. While Hyundai revealed late last year that the upgrades wouldn’t be ready for the season-opening Rally Monte Carlo, fans won’t have to wait much longer.

The goal is for the updated Hyundai i20 N Rally1 to debut in the season’s second round.

“Hopefully in Sweden (you will see the new upgraded car),” last year’s world champion Thierry Neuville hinted to Motorsport.com.

Rally Sweden is scheduled for February. During testing, Hyundai’s car has already been spotted with updates, including changes to the damper positioning. Additionally, improvements to the transmission are expected, although Hyundai has kept the details of the upgrades under wraps.

Neuville believes the update package will make the Hyundai faster and more enjoyable to drive.

“It is good. We are very limited with what we can do but I feel comfortable in the new car,” Neuville said.

Thierry Neuville
Thierry Neuville. Photo: Austral/Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Should Toyota, Hyundai’s biggest rival, be worried about these changes? Last year, Toyota lost the drivers’ championship to Hyundai and faced a fierce battle for the manufacturers’ title, which went down to the wire.

It became clear last season that Hyundai had closed the gap on Toyota, particularly in rallies where it had previously struggled. If the new upgrades give Hyundai’s Rally1 car even more performance, Toyota must prepare for an even tougher challenge.

Hyundai’s 2025 line-up includes three full-season drivers: Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Adrien Fourmaux. Toyota’s roster features Kalle Rovanperä, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sami Pajari, with Sébastien Ogier competing in select WRC events.

The WRC season kicks off next week with Rally Monte Carlo.

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