One year ago, in his first event driving the i20 N Rally2, James Williams took a superb victory in the British Rally Championship at Rali Ceredigion. Fast forward to 2024 and the Welshman is in the middle of his first full campaign with the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing department’s newest rally car. This year he’s already tasted success on Rally Isle of Man and showcased his talents – and the car’s capabilities at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Now he heads back to his home rally as defending national winner, in a field packed with international talent as the FIA European Rally Championship joins the event for the first time.
You have driven both the i20 R5 and the i20 N Rally2. What would you say the major difference are between the two cars?
I’m a fan of both the Hyundai, even now, the i20 R5 is still a very capable car, however, the i20 N Rally2 is definitely a step forward in terms of balance, precision and overall drivability. I still have a bit to learn with the new car, especially on gravel, but we as a team have found it responsive to changes, easy to work on and overall a good platform for us to compete in Britain’s premier rallying series.
You won the British Championship round at Rali Ceredigion last year in your first event with the i20 N Rally2. How did the car help you get that result, and how does it feel to be preparing to return to the event this year?
To feel as comfortable as we did so quickly with the car in 2023 was a very positive feeling, especially heading into a very competitive and demanding rally. I found the car was very predictable and overall the characteristics were well suited to the style of roads we faced. It was great to get the win in the British Rally Championship on the event in a new car and ultimately this fuelled our decision to buy our own i20 N Rally2 for 2024’s assault on the championship. For this year, it’s great to be heading into the event with an idea of what to expect, especially with the event being part of the ERC championship – it gives us a little head start in regard to performance and familiarity. It will be great to see what we can achieve with this car and how we match up with the ERC championship regulars!
How do you assess your 2024 season so far?
So far in 2024, it’s been tough – a real learning year especially when it comes to conditions, tyre choices and set-up. However, we are definitely taking some big steps towards a more consistent front-running pace. To win Rally Isle of Man and just recently Goodwood festival of speed definitely has given us a good bit of confidence ahead of our home rally, where we’re hoping to unlock our full potential and showcase what we know we can do on the Welsh roads.
Which has been your most rewarding rally, and your biggest challenge?
So far, the most rewarding rally for me was taking the overall victory at Rally Isle of Man this year by a margin of 4 minutes. The rally was extremely challenging – the nature of the roads super high speed and tough on the car. I had an incredible feeling in the car from the beginning of stage 1, taking several stage wins and really maximising the performance of the car. To win the event, with little or no issues and to have joined the likes of Higgins, Burns, McRae and Vatanen was an incredible feeling for myself, Ross and the team.
How was your experience at Goodwood Festival of Speed this year? What did you enjoy the most?
We thoroughly enjoyed the event, taking VIP’s, our partners and others out in the car for the first time was a highlight for me. However, to win the shootout stages and mix times with some of the WRC machinery was incredible – hopefully we can go back again next year!
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