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| The Hyundai Motor's i20 N Rally1 Hybrid takes part in the 2023 World Rally Championship in Italy, Sunday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group |
By Kim Hyun-bin
Hyundai Motor secured its first win of the year at the 2023 World Rally Championship (WRC) in Italy, the company said Monday. Thierry Neuville, representing the Hyundai World Rally Team, claimed the top spot at the sixth event of the WRC held in Sardinia, Italy from June 1-4.
Driving the i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, Neuville completed the race with a time of 3 hours, 40 minutes, and 1.4 seconds, earning the winner's trophy. This victory brings Hyundai's total wins in the rally to six.
Esapekka Lappi, also part of the Hyundai World Rally Team, finished in second place, contributing to the team's overall performance. With a total of 43 points in the event, the Hyundai World Rally Team maintained its second place in the manufacturer's standings. They currently trail the Toyota team by 23 points.
"We anticipate that the Hyundai World Rally Team, led by Cyril Abiteboul, a director with extensive experience on the international motorsport stage, will continue to deliver strong results this year," Till Wartenberg, executive vice president of Hyundai N Brand & Motorsport Division said.
The WRC, organized by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), is a premier global motorsport competition where the championship titles in both the manufacturer and driver categories are determined based on the annual race results across various road surfaces, including asphalt, gravel and snow.
Since last year's competition, Hyundai has been participating in the WRC with the i20 N Rally1 Hybrid race car, which incorporates new regulations centered on hybrid powertrains. The vehicle features a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 100 kW electric motor.
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