Gabriele gets a taste of our i20 Coupe WRC

In the perfect cross-over of our racing and rallying activities, reigning WTCR champion Gabriele Tarquini enjoyed his first taste of WRC machinery on gravel after Rally Italia Sardegna.

The two primary pillars of our business concentrate on WRC and a dedicated Customer Racing offering, which includes the competitive i20 R5 rally car and the title-winning i30 N TCR which Gabriele himself helped to develop.

The home hero joined us for the Sardinia rally weekend, in which we secured an incredible victory and double podium. On the Monday after the event, he stepped into the co-drive seat of the i20 Coupe WRC alongside our very own Andreas before taking the reins himself with Team Director Andrea for company.

“To welcome Gabriele to Rally Italia Sardegna was a fantastic opportunity for us to unite the two areas of Hyundai Motorsport business,” said Andrea. “As the reigning WTCR champion, someone who has played such an important role in development of our i30 N TCR, Gabriele was able to experience the challenges faced by WRC drivers first-hand.”

Stick to the day job

“It was the first time for me to drive on gravel and I was truly amazed,” said Gabriele. “The acceleration, stability on the straight, gear changes, braking, driving style, are all so different to what I’m accustomed, and very impressive. These WRC drivers are crazy and talented individuals. I don’t know how Andrea remained so calm. Even in the passenger seat alongside a pro like Andreas, I was scared. It’s a totally different world to WTCR but equally fantastic; I hope we can return the favour one day.”

Andrea’s reaction: “Let’s just say he should probably stick to circuit racing and I should stick to my current job! We had a lot of fun and it was a perfect way to cross over the different worlds in which we are involved.”

Footage of Gabriele’s experiences can be seen exclusively on our IGTV channel (search HMSGOfficial on Instagram if you’re not already following us!).