WRC Rally1 prototype breaks cover

Following our commitment to WRC’s brand-new hybrid era, we have put our 2022 challenger through its paces for the very first time.

The test of our prototype Rally1 car, based on the i20 N road vehicle, took place on rough gravel roads in the south of France as part of our preparations for WRC’s newest technical challenge.

“It’s a special moment when you take a car to the road for the first time and as always there are some challenges to face,” said our Team Principal Andrea. “In the case of our 2022 Rally1 challenger, we are starting from scratch with brand-new rules, a different concept and a new base model – the i20 N. It was thrilling to kick-off the testing and to start this exciting new adventure.”

Building on years of experience
The test of the all-new Rally 1 car was a comprehensive session, focused on developing all areas of the car and gathering data following its first roll-out at a private testing facility in Germany.

The Rally1 car integrates the key technical features of its high-performance road-going counterpart – hybrid powered in accordance with the new FIA regulations – as well as all the experience and learnings the team has accumulated in recent seasons.

The team will now ramp up development of the i20 N-based car with an intense testing plan. Different venues across Europe will be used to evaluate the new challenger in different conditions and terrains that reflect the variety that encompasses the WRC. The car’s performance will be thoroughly assessed in the coming months, with nothing left to chance before its debut in 2022.

“We have seen interesting things, some that need to be changed and improved but it is all part of the process and of the job,” added Andrea. “The team has done an amazing job and has worked so hard to prepare the car for the first test in such a short amount of time. Of course, we are just at the beginning of a long journey, but I do think we have some interesting times ahead of us before Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022.”