Hyundai received ‘significant’ numbers of new inquiries since the i20 R5 ran in front of the ERC field on the Kenotek Ypres Rally, and used four days of asphalt testing at the Chambley circuit in France last week to give drivers the chance to get behind the wheel with support from development driver Kevin Abbring and engineers.
Customer Racing Manager Andrea Adamo said in Ypres that the ERC was “perfectly aligned” with the firm’s strategy for the i20 R5 “as it provides a large number of privateers who could win overall, over a wide geographical area, plus the added visibility of television coverage.”
Speaking following last week’s tests and ahead of the car’s homologation in early September, Adamo commented: “As we have gone through the programme, each time we have run the car has become more and more important, so naturally it was very important to have a successful test last week. At the Ypres Rally we showed we have developed a very strong car on tarmac, and at Chambley we are able to concentrate on fine-tuning and building on the results we had seen previously to prove the reliability we have built into the engine.
“However, the ultimate success of the project will fall with our customers. It was great to welcome them to the test, and for them to get their first chance to drive the car. The feedback from those who got behind the wheel was very positive which is both encouraging and rewarding.”
One driver who publicly revealed his participation in the test at Chambley was frontrunning ERC Junior competitor Łukasz Pieniążek.