Andrea Adamo (Hyundai): “I put question marks on everything”

Do you have all the answers to make the transition to hybrid?

No ! But I'm sure you already knew that! (Laughs)

In what area do you continue to question yourself?

I want to understand that the pandemic has created problems for many people and in particular for the supplier of the 2022 system. There are three actors. The FIA, the supplier, who wants to know how many kits he will have to produce and, finally, the manufacturers. For my part, I will never give the green light to buy parts if I don’t know the price!

On the chassis side (after letting the manufacturers work on their own roll bar, it was decided that it would be the FIA ​​which would define the latter and which would carry out the crash tests. It will be common to all cars. If the FIA ​​realizes the design, the manufacturers will have to produce it. Editor's note), the FIA ​​is still carrying out safety tests, but this delay is not what concerns me the most.

Do you still have a deadline or a perspective of…

(He cuts)… I think we have already exceeded the deadline three or four times!

All this is not very reassuring. Do you think it would have been better to postpone the entry into force of the hybrid?

(Long silence) I have my opinion. I'm a little worried, but it's also interesting to see what other manufacturers want to do. I think we need to rethink what we really need for the rally.

Does this mean that you doubt that the hybrid is the best solution for the WRC ?

The situation is a bit complicated because we lack information. I have the impression that since Mexico (March 12-15, Editor’s note) things have changed. This will create a lot of problems. Do we need cars that are expensive and very complicated to operate? I wouldn't want us to replay the " WEC 2 Revenge!

In this discipline, there is only Toyota and it is the reign of the BOP that may one day require it to ride on just three wheels to even the odds. Is hybrid the solution we need? Maybe ? I know that if you look at motorsport in general... I don't have a clear opinion. I'm waiting for someone to give me the bill.

The FIA ​​announces that the 2022 cars will be cheaper than the current Rally1s. Do you think it’s possible?

Without the hybrid, yes!

But the project is based on hybrid!

Yes, but I have the feeling that we have deviated from the direction we initially took. I feel like some things we decided weren't done the way we thought they would be. The day I get the bill, I will be able to tell you if I was right or not. Today, unfortunately, I have enough experience to say that I have already seen a certain number of films in my life...

You mean they didn't end well?

It was you who said it ! I'm just saying that I've seen a lot of films. I think we need something more aggressive to reduce costs. Maybe I'm stupid, but I don't have a good feeling about this regulation.

Will the measures that have been taken to reduce expenses not make it possible to offset the increase in costs due to the hybrid?

It’s simple: everything we talked about until March is no longer true today! The hybrid was to be used for the connections and the departure ceremony, but from now on we want to perform. The system is not made for that, if we want it, it will involve modifying the cooling system. It ends up looking like a gas machine! If I'm wrong, that will be fine, because it will mean that many of the problems I expect won't happen.

When do you plan to take your car for the first time?

If today I don't know what the hybrid system looks like, I can't answer.

The hybrid system should cover 10-12 km. That's not a lot considering the costs it generates and the concerns you're talking about?

I don't know if it's little or not. This would allow us to be accepted by everyone. We are talking about rallying. If we wanted to do more kilometers, we would have to consider another system. Do we have the money? I do not think so. Do we really want WRCs to be very different cars from anything else in the world? I'm wondering.

For 2022, it was planned that manufacturers would be able to sell Rally1s in order to increase the numbers at the World Cup. Where is this possibility?

With Malcolm Wilson, we had indeed considered it, but we found ourselves unable to do so. This is one of the questions to which we do not have an answer.

Is it really in August that the FIA ​​will ask you to decide for or against 2022?

I am going to ask the FIA ​​to decide on what this costs. I think if you're going to buy something, you want to know the price first. There are restaurants I don't go to because I know I can't afford them. Others seem very welcoming, but after reading the menu, I'll just have some pasta and a coffee... before running away!

However, I can say that I went there. Hyundai competes in the championship to win, not just to pay a lot for a simple dish. I'm worried because I don't know what I can do with my cars, in which championships I can race them, can the hybrid system be managed by everyone, what is the cost of developing the system hybrid, the price of its management, etc. At the FIA ​​there are many very intelligent people who know the situation perfectly and understand the concerns.

Should we question Hyundai's participation in the world championship from 2022?

I don't want to say that Hyundai will leave the WRC or stay. I have no right to say that. Previously, it was already difficult to get the green light when things were clear. This has become even more complicated with the health crisis and, today without the answers, I am putting question marks on everything.

It's not me who decides and I don't have all the elements to go to South Korea and ask for the budget to do the 2022 WRC. It's a very complicated situation and I tell you honestly: I indented and I'm waiting to see what it will do.