TT
09-17-2003, 05:04 PM
And will be back in mid 2006 with a new car and team, and in 2007 for a whole season..
Hyundai will pull out of the World Rally Championship at the end of 2003, but it will return with a new programme in 2006.
A statement from Hyundai Motor Europe has revealed a new mid-to-long-term motorsport strategy which will be outlined in more detail later in the year.
BH Lee, HMC's director of overseas marketing and promotion explained: "Withdrawing is a painful decision but also a realistic admission that a break is absolutely mandatory for us to reorganize and rethink our entire approach to motorsport. But we'll be back in 2006 in fighting form with a completely new engine and car to mount a more credible challenge for the WRC crown,"
The plan is to return in the second half of 2006 and mount a full WRC programme in 2007. Part of the re-organisation will involve the setting up of an all-new World Rally Team HQ at Hyundai's design and technical centre at Russelsheim in Germany.
Lee stressed that Hyundai wants to complete its 2003 programme, which is on-hold because of a contractual dispute with current team Motor Sport Developments. "We'd like to resolve this issue immediately so we can focus on competing in the four rallies left on the 2003 WRC calendar," said Lee.
Source: wrc.com
Hyundai will pull out of the World Rally Championship at the end of 2003, but it will return with a new programme in 2006.
A statement from Hyundai Motor Europe has revealed a new mid-to-long-term motorsport strategy which will be outlined in more detail later in the year.
BH Lee, HMC's director of overseas marketing and promotion explained: "Withdrawing is a painful decision but also a realistic admission that a break is absolutely mandatory for us to reorganize and rethink our entire approach to motorsport. But we'll be back in 2006 in fighting form with a completely new engine and car to mount a more credible challenge for the WRC crown,"
The plan is to return in the second half of 2006 and mount a full WRC programme in 2007. Part of the re-organisation will involve the setting up of an all-new World Rally Team HQ at Hyundai's design and technical centre at Russelsheim in Germany.
Lee stressed that Hyundai wants to complete its 2003 programme, which is on-hold because of a contractual dispute with current team Motor Sport Developments. "We'd like to resolve this issue immediately so we can focus on competing in the four rallies left on the 2003 WRC calendar," said Lee.
Source: wrc.com