Hyundai have named former Caterham and Renault Formula 1 boss Cyril Abiteboul as the new principal of their world rally championship team on Thursday.
The 45-year-old Frenchman left Renault in January 2021, after being in charge of their team since 2017, when they rebranded as Alpine.
"Cyril’s experience in Formula 1 will help us to explore new opportunities for growth and improvements as we look to mount a more intensive fight for titles in WRC and to support our customer racing teams," said Hyundai Motorsport president Sean Kim in a statement.
Germany-based Hyundai won five rallies last year and finished runners-up to Toyota in the championship. Abiteboul takes over from compatriot Julien Moncet, who filled the role in an interim capacity.
Relishing the oportunity
Abiteboul commented on his new job: "I am relishing the opportunity to join Hyundai Motorsport as Team Principal.
"In motorsport, like in the rest of their activities, the Hyundai brand is cautiously building its leadership. I am excited at the prospect of being part of it, managing the WRC and Customer Racing programs, where the team has already proven to be strong competitors," he added.
"I am looking forward to immersing myself into the rallying community and discovering more about this spectacular sport. Hyundai has given me its full support to make the transition into this role a smooth one. I can’t wait to get started," the Abiteboul concluded.
The 2023 season starts next week with the Jan. 19-22 Monte Carlo Rally. (
Reporting by Alan Baldwin
, Additional reporting by GrandPrix247Latest News
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