A month ago, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) unveiled a package of radical reforms for the WRC, marking a significant overhaul.
The current hybrid units are to be abandoned after this season, with the FIA aiming to reduce the costs of Rally1 cars. The reform package also mandates that a team must be ready to sell its car immediately after a rally, which is quite an extreme suggestion for the WRC.
Hyundai’s team principal, Cyril Abiteboul, is not pleased with these changes. He gave an interview to the French magazine Autohebdo in Kenya, expressing his concerns.
Abiteboul, who switched from Formula1 to the WRC last year, doesn’t directly threaten to exit the championship, but his words imply significant discontent.
“Indeed, we are dealing with topics where speech must be very measured, as what has been announced is vast and complex. Words must be chosen carefully,” he began.
“You need to read it several times to fully understand what it’s about, even when you’re involved, and I’m not the only one,” Abiteboul chuckled.
“What has been unveiled has serious consequences, starting with our projects,” he continued.
“Hyundai’s management hired me last year to implement a team transformation plan, with recruitments, strengthening the line-up, and obviously a technical strategy for the car. This is necessarily based on a set of regulations,” Abiteboul recounted.
Now, however, everything is changing, much to the French boss’s annoyance.
“When the cards are completely reshuffled while you’re two-thirds into the project, it impacts it.”
“I’ve always said that Hyundai is very committed to rallying, and it has been for 11 years, but we are here to be able to win,” Abiteboul stated.
Hyundai had already started developing their car for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Now, that effort seems wasted.
“It’s not even about whether it’s worth it or not. If we could have done it, we would have. Given the FIA’s decisions, we won’t be able to even though we are very advanced on this car, which was authorized by the FIA a few months ago,” Abiteboul said.
“It’s not questioned; it’s trashed. There are certainly the sporting questions, but at some point, you also have to think about yourself and the competition. We cannot afford to stay in a sport where we would be just extras,” Abiteboul unleashed.
Clearly upset, Abiteboul was asked whether this could lead to Hyundai leaving the sport.
“For now, there’s still the will to fight. These are directions that have been announced for later decisions by the World Council. We continue to make our arguments.”
“I don’t want to wave threats; that’s not what it’s about. Through my experience, I’ve seen that you don’t get much by threatening. For me, it’s ultimately the first act of weakening,” Abiteboul continued.
Abiteboul suggests a simple way to bring more competition and young drivers into the WRC.
“I would prefer to discuss – and I have suggested – the question of whether we should field a fourth car. We want more? If the three manufacturers each introduce four, that would already make twelve. We want more young drivers? Let’s make it mandatory with a steering wheel dedicated to them as is practiced in other categories. Endurance has a driver classification, F1 has the obligation to run young drivers in FP1, there’s the F1 Academy,” Abiteboul reminded.
