Hyundai Team secures victory at 2024 WRC Monte Carlo Rally

Hyundai Motor Group announced on Monday that Thierry Neuville of the Hyundai team secured the first-place victory at the Monte Carlo Rally, the inaugural race of the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC).

The three drivers of the Hyundai World Rally Team, Neuville, Ott Tänak and Andreas Mikkelsen, competed in this event with the i20 N Rally1 hybrid racing car.

The Monte Carlo Rally features a diverse course with changing weather, including snow-covered roads, icy surfaces and asphalt sections. Adapting flexible operational strategies optimized for various environments is considered crucial.

Neuville maintained the lead from the mid-race to the finish, showcasing his extensive driving experience. Tänak and Mikkelsen also achieved respectable results, finishing in 4th and 6th place, respectively.

Through this Monte Carlo Rally, Neuville secured his 20th career victory in the WRC. He previously won the WRC Monte Carlo Rally in 2020.

WRC is the top-tier global motorsport competition organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), determining manufacturer and driver champions based on annual race results.

Since the 2021 season, new technical regulations based on hybrid powertrain technology have been applied, and Hyundai competes with the i20 N Rally1 hybrid vehicle, featuring a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 100 kW electric motor.

Starting this year, a new scoring system has been introduced, awarding additional points only for the final day's race of the rally to induce more exciting competition until the end.

 adding, "I am very delighted to start the 2024 WRC season with a victory. I will do my best to showcase a strong performance for N brand and motorsport fans in the remaining races of this year," said Till Wartenberg, Vice President of N Brand & Motorsport at Hyundai Motor Co.

Write to Jin-Won Kim at jin1@hankyung.com