Hyundai Motorsport's test base is now in France instead of Finland as the Koreans used the Finnish roads the last four years.
Hyundai Motorsport has used the Jämsä region of Finland as its primary testing base for the past four years, a move that proved instrumental in improving the team’s competitiveness on fast gravel events in the World Rally Championship. The demanding Finnish roads provided valuable feedback for the Korean manufacturer, helping Hyundai close the gap to its rivals on high-speed gravel rallies. During this period, the team made noticeable progress in events where pace and confidence on fast surfaces are critical. By contrast, rival manufacturer Toyota has relied on Finnish roads as its main testing base since 2017. Hyundai, meanwhile, relocated its own testing operations from Germany to Finland in 2022, seeking similar benefits from the unique characteristics of the region. The Jämsä roads were regularly used by Hyundai for preparations ahead of Rally Sweden, Rally Estonia, Rally Finland and Rally Poland, offering conditions closely aligned with those events on the WRC calendar. However, this approach is set to change from the current season, with Hyundai planning to move its testing base to southern France. The shift marks a significant change in the team’s testing strategy as it adapts its preparations moving forward. Under current WRC regulations, each manufacturer is permitted 21 testing days per season, making the choice of testing location a crucial factor in maximising performance and development efficiency.
"We have moved the test base to the south of France (Chateau Lastours and Fontjoncouse) from Finland with the main objective to help us in the second part of the championship where there will be a lot of rough gravel", Hyundai's statement said.
"The second main reason is logistics as it’s considerably easier to get to France than Finland for us".
Photo Credits: Hyundai
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