Hyundai confirms participation in the WRC until 2026

Hyundai Motorsport has officially announced its continuation in the World Rally Championship for the 2026 season, putting an end to months of speculation fueled by the Genesis WEC program and short-term contracts like Thierry Neuville's. The decision comes on the eve of the Rally Finland and coincides with the FIA's announcement of granting two additional homologation jokers to all teams. The Korean team had remained silent about its future while Toyota and M-Sport Ford publicly confirmed their commitments.

Abiteboul justifies decision based on recent momentum

Team principal and director Cyril Abiteboul directly linked the decision to the performance achieved in the championship's most recent events. "We are pleased to confirm that Hyundai Motorsport will continue its participation in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2026," Abiteboul stated.

The decision is also based on regulatory support from the FIA, which will allow the team to "continue developing our Rally1 car and remain competitive at the highest level," according to the French executive.

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Homologation jokers for all manufacturers

Homologation jokers are special permits granted by the FIA to make technical modifications to Rally1 cars during the season. Normally, once a vehicle is homologated, modifications are heavily restricted to control costs and maintain balanced competitiveness among manufacturers.

Xavier Mestelan Pinon, FIA technical and safety director, confirmed that the measure to grant two additional jokers responded to a unanimous request from manufacturers. "As requested by all manufacturers, we incorporated two new jokers so they could improve the car to the necessary point," explained Pinon during a press conference.

The technical director clarified that the request didn't come solely from Hyundai: "It was something Hyundai asked for, but other manufacturers too. I'd say we've also met this requirement."

These jokers allow teams to develop specific areas of the car - from aerodynamics to engine components - that would normally be frozen after initial homologation approval.

2027 remains undefined

Abiteboul used the announcement to buy time in defining the future beyond 2026. "This additional season also gives us time to define Hyundai Motorsport's future with greater confidence," admitted the team boss.

The uncertainty focuses on the new technical regulations coming into force in 2027, known as WRC27, which will completely replace the current hybrid Rally1 regulations introduced in 2022.

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Factors that fueled speculation

Uncertainty about Hyundai intensified when the brand announced its entry into the World Endurance Championship (WEC) under the Genesis brand starting next year. This Hypercar program raised doubts about resource allocation and priorities within the group.

During 2023 and 2024, Hyundai Motor Company and its high-performance division N Brand began shifting attention toward other programs, particularly international endurance racing. The formalization of the Genesis program for WEC in 2026 fueled the idea that they might abandon rally to focus on that platform, considering that WEC offers greater global marketing benefits than WRC, especially with events like Le Mans.

Unusually short contracts also contributed to speculation. Thierry Neuville, a team mainstay for years, received just a one-year renewal for 2025, something uncommon for a driver of his caliber. The logic was simple: if there was no continuity beyond 2025 for their star driver, would the team continue to exist?

Months of official silence generated more doubts

For several months, neither Hyundai Motorsport nor the parent company confirmed plans beyond 2025. Abiteboul repeated they were "evaluating" continuity and that the decision would be made in due time, while Toyota and M-Sport Ford publicly reaffirmed their commitment.

Abiteboul even mentioned the possibility of Hyundai continuing as a Rally1 car supplier to a customer team, rather than maintaining the factory operation. This option created even more confusion, as it wasn't clear whether the brand would remain with the same level of technical and human involvement.

Pinon remained optimistic about all current manufacturers staying: "We're not really concerned. We've just announced that the technical regulations will continue. So for now, there's no concern about anyone leaving the championship."

The Genesis WEC program changed priorities

The announcement of Genesis's Hypercar program for WEC represented a major strategic shift for the Hyundai group. Some media and analysts interpreted this as a reorientation of priorities, moving away from world rally toward a platform offering greater global visibility.

Le Mans and WEC provide different media exposure than WRC, especially in markets like the United States and Europe where Genesis seeks to establish itself as a premium brand. The decision to compete with Genesis rather than Hyundai also showed the intention to separate the brands according to their commercial objectives.

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This strategic reorientation coincided with Hyundai needing to decide about its rally future, just as the Rally1 regulations approach their scheduled end. The combination of a new costly endurance program and the need to reinvest in a new Rally1 platform for 2027 raised questions about the financial viability of maintaining both programs.

The hybrid Rally1 regulations were conceived for a five-year cycle concluding precisely in 2026. This situation forced all manufacturers to evaluate whether to continue investing in a platform that would be replaced the following year.