Hyundai motorsport confirms driver line-up for rally Sweden

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Hyundai motorsport confirms driver line-up for rally Sweden

Sunday, 11. 01. 2015 - 18:23, Public relations

Hyundai Motorsport has reconfirmed it will enter three Hyundai i20 WRC cars into next month's Rally Sweden, round two of the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)
Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo will be behind-the-wheel of the #7 and #8 Hyundai i20 WRC cars respectively with Hayden Paddon competing with the #20 car
The trio will be Hyundai Motorsport's primary driver line-up at WRC events in 2015.
9 January 2015 - After entering two Hyundai i20 WRC cars for Rallye Monte-Carlo later this month, Hyundai Motorsport will switch to a three-car entry for Rally Sweden in February in order to raise its game in the competitive FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

Belgian crew Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul and Spaniards Dani Sordo/Marc Martí will continue behind the wheel of the #7 and #8 Hyundai Shell World Rally Team cars respectively. Hayden Paddon will take part in his first event of the year at Rally Sweden, driving the #20 Hyundai i20 WRC alongside compatriot co-driver John Kennard, as the Kiwi crew remain with the team this year in an expanded role.

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Hyundai Motorsport carried out a preparatory test in Sweden in mid-December with Neuville and Sordo each driving two days in the Hyundai i20 WRC. Paddon will test the car for one day during the week prior to the rally, with the Belgian and the Spaniard also getting some extra time in the Hyundai i20 WRC with a half-day test each.

Neuville has started Rally Sweden three times in the past, with some encouraging results and performances - including a fifth place in 2013. Both Sordo and Paddon have competed in Rally Sweden in the past but this year's event will give both drivers the opportunity to accumulate more experience in snow conditions.

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With a strong trio of drivers, Hyundai Motorsport aims to use all the experience and information gathered from its debut season in 2014 to make improvements at each rally on comparative performance levels and to get closer to the leading WRC competitors.

Neuville, Sordo and Paddon will be Hyundai Motorsport's main line-up for the coming season and they will take the start of all events unless announced otherwise.

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Team Principal Michel Nandan commented: "As we saw last year, having three cars on WRC events is very positive and helps us to develop our Hyundai i20 WRC more rapidly. Overall, I think we have a good line-up for Sweden with Thierry, Dani and Hayden. Despite our drivers not being surface specialists, they have proven to be consistent in Sweden in the past and I'm sure we will see some interesting performances from them this year. Thierry and Dani had a pre-event test in December for Sweden which helped them to find a reliable set-up for the event; we know it's a tough event and we want to be as prepared as possible."

About Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Established on 19 December 2012, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH is responsible for Hyundai's global motorsport activities and primarily for its World Rally Championship programme. Based in Alzenau on the outskirts of Frankfurt in Germany, the company embarked on its debut season in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2014 with a bespoke team of skilled staff and a brand new car, the Hyundai i20 WRC. The team made a strong impression in its first year claiming podium results in Mexico and Poland, as well as a memorable 1-2 in Germany with Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo. 2015 is Hyundai Motorsport's second season in WRC and the team aims to build on the firm foundations laid in its maiden year of competition.

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Further information about Hyundai Motorsport is available at: http://motorsport.hyundai.com

About Hyundai Motor

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond. The company, which leads the Hyundai Motor Group, an innovative business structure capable of circulating resources from molten iron to finished cars, offers top-quality best-sellers such as Elantra, Sonata and Genesis. Hyundai Motor has eight manufacturing bases and seven design & technical centers worldwide and in 2014, sold 4.96 million vehicles globally. With almost 100,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with localized models and strives to strengthen its leadership in clean technology, starting with the world's first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, ix35 Fuel Cell.

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More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at: http://worldwide.hyundai.com or http://www.hyundaiglobalnews.com

About Hyundai Motor UK

Hyundai has sold vehicles in the UK since 1982. In 2005, Hyundai opened its own UK subsidiary, Hyundai Motor UK Ltd, based in High Wycombe. Since 2008, the company has risen from 21st to one of the top manufacturers in the UK and last year sold a record 82,159 vehicles. Hyundai Motor UK employs over 3000 people through its UK operations and dealer network.

Hyundai offers a full range of vehicles from the award-winning New Generation i10 city car through to the capable Santa Fe SUV and iLoad LCV. All passenger cars come with Hyundai's industry-leading 5 Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty package. Further information about Hyundai and its products is available at www.hyundai.co.uk.

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