Hyundai Motorsport has confirmed it will field four different drivers in the 2021 FIA World Rally Championship in an effort to defend its recently secured second manufacturers’ title crown.
Dani Sordo will extend his collaboration with the team into an eighth season, having played an instrumental role in this year’s title with a second successive win in Rally Italia Sardegna
Sordo will drive a third Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in selected events during the ’21 season, alternating with Craig Breen. The Irishman impressed the team this year with a strong charge to second place in Estonia, his standout performance in a curtailed season.
Hyundai Motorsport, which secured the 2020 championship at Rally Monza last weekend, will retain its rally-winning drivers Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville to spearhead next year’s championship campaign.
Tänak joined Hyundai Motorsport on the back of his own title-winning year in 2019. The Estonian got up to speed quickly in the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, taking podiums Sweden and Mexico, before registering his first win for the team on home soil.
For Neuville, 2021 will be his eighth consecutive season with Hyundai Motorsport. Across seven championships, the Belgian has claimed 13 victories, including Rallye Monte-Carlo earlier this year, where he made his debut with the team back in 2014.
Hyundai Motorsport will get its 2021 title defence underway at Rallye Monte-Carlo from January 21-24, with Tänak, Neuville and Sordo. Breen will begin his season at Rally Sweden in February, the scheduled second round of the season.
Team Principal Andrea Adamo said: “We have hardly finished one season before our thoughts immediately turn to the next. After a disrupted 2020 championship due to the pandemic, consistency will be key as we aim to build further on our achievements. We are pleased to confirm that Dani and Craig will share a third Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in 2021, alongside our previously announced drivers Thierry and Ott.
“All four drivers have shown their speed and commitment this year, with victories and podiums to support our title fight. Our crews offer the perfect blend of experience and hunger for our 2021 title hopes – both in the manufacturers’ and drivers’ – and we are pleased to have them in our organisation.”
