Hyundai Motorsport announced today that Teemu Suninen will have the chance to compete in two rallies with the i20N Rally1 with Emil Lindholm signing a contract with the Koreans in WRC2 class.
After Craig Breen's death, Cyril Abiteboul has stated many times that his team was looking for new talents to invest in. It was most likely for Suninen to secure a drive with the third car as he is competing in WRC2 class with the Alzenau-based team for a second year in a row, therefore he will join the full-timers, Esapekka Lappi and Thierry Neuville, in Estonia and Finland, but at the same time he will continue his WRC2 campaign in 2023. Last but not least, it must be mentioned that he has already tested the i20N Rally1 in Finland last month as Cyril Abiteboul confirmed.
On the other hand, Emil Lindholm, the WRC2 Champion of 2022, renewed his contract with Toksport and Skoda Motorsport for one more season and has taken part with the brand-new Fabia RS Rally2 in four rallies so far. His first outing with the i20N Rally2 will be at Rally Estonia next month and has four events remaining to defend his title in the second category of World Rally Championship as his participation in Sardinia was about to gain more experience and not to score points for the championship.
Hyundai Motorsport founded a new programme for the young talents in 2023 and is named "Hyundai Motorsport Driver development Programme" (HMDP). The team is aiming to expand its drivers' talent pool by adding more names at their programme apart from the two Finns.
"This is a great opportunity to get back to top tier cars and I have been really missing it", Suninen said.
"Estonia and Finland have previously been strong rallies for me, but it will be a big challenge to learn the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 hybrid and the hybrid system with limited testing.
"Both rallies are known as sprint rallies where you need 110% confidence and to push flat out from the first corner to get good results, so that will ask for a lot of patience from me and only time will show our approach.
"My goal is to learn the car step by step and to gradually show more pace and bring good points for the team".
Finally, Lindholm stated: "I’m really excited about the opportunity to become part of one of the most accomplished and successful rally teams globally.
"My decision to join Hyundai Motorsport stems primarily from the brand’s proven track record of success in rallying and especially their commitment to nurture young talent.
"Their clear dedication to rallying aligns perfectly with my own passion and ambition.
"I see Rally Estonia as the perfect starting point for my journey with the team; it’s been a strong event for both myself and the team in the past which brings me a good deal of confidence.
"I firmly believe that we have every opportunity to step on the podium multiple times this season".
Photo Credits: Hyundai
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