Hyundai Motorsport chief Michel Nandan has confirmed to iRally that the pressures of developing a team in less than 18 months means that the team will have to complete its development of the i20 WRC car on the stages of the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship.
Nandan - who's been in the job for less than 9 months - admits the pressure is intense and the hours long as he and his team try to test, and to complete the necessary i20 WRC homologation dossier for the FIA - it needs to be finished in the next few weeks.
Some of the equipment for the new Alzenau facility on the outskirts of Frankfurt is still to be delivered, and he's still hiring people:
"Doing everything together is not so easy and for sure it is not the best condition.... the 2014 season will be for us following the testing of the i20. It will be a good learning year for us!"
Bryan Bouffier, Juho Hänninen and Chris Atkinson are the test drivers: Nandan says it will be a 2-car team and he'll decide in the coming weeks:
"Things will be decided by let's say end of September, well October. We are still considering different options and - well I think we need a bit of time to make the best decision for Hyundai..."
Nandan also confirmed to iRally than a planned new model of the i20 road car means that the rally car will face a further evolution for 2015 to match what will be in the showrooms.
http://www.irallylive.com/ir_news.htm?00004799&10
:yuck:
