Doubt persists at Hyundai

After a disastrous start, the Korean manufacturer has turned things around in a surprising way. Is this a trend? Will the long break allow the team to aim higher and threaten Toyota? For the sake of the championship, it is absolutely necessary.

Published on 22/04/2022 à 09:00

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Going from shadow to light © Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

The 2021 season had been difficult for Hyundai. Possessing without doubt the fastest pair of drivers and a very efficient car, the team had nevertheless recorded only three successes compared to nine at Toyota. Both titles had eluded the Koreans. While the reasons for this failure were difficult to determine, another cause for concern complicated the situation with the hasty departure of Andrea Adamo (see Interview AH n°2358). Without a pack leader and with many questions, the team led by Julien Moncet, suddenly thrown into the spotlight, had not progressed calmly towards Monte-Carlo. Given this state of affairs, the surprise was not that big in Monaco. Placed on standby by the indecision of their leaders, the technicians had only late started the development of its hybrid machine. By waiting for the green light (which fell in March 2021) to join M-Sport and Toyota on the “clean” path followed by the championship from 2022, the me