"Generous Support and Enhanced Technology Shine in Hyundai Motorsports"

2022 WTCR Double Champion Commemorative Media Day
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse Team Visits Korea
"Thanks to Hyundai's Support and Technology"
Initiating Korean Driver Development and Electric Vehicle Race Preparation

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The Hyundai Motor team, which won both the driver and team categories in a racing competition based on mass-produced cars, visited Korea. They cited Hyundai Motor's generous support and outstanding technology as the secrets to their victory.

On the 1st, the "2022 WTCR Double Champion Commemoration Media Day" was held at Hyundai Motor's headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul. WTCR is a racing competition conducted with front-wheel-drive cars based on mass-produced vehicles. In this competition, independent racing teams purchase race cars made by automobile manufacturers to participate in the races.

(From left) Park Jun-woo, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Company N Brand Management Office; Till Vattenberg, Head of N Brand Management Motorsports Division; Gabriel Rizzo, BRC Team Manager; 2019 Champion Norbert Michelisz; 2022 Season Driver Category Winner Mikel Azcona; 2018 Inaugural WTCR Champion Gabriel Taquini; Andrea Chizzotti, Senior Engineer of Hyundai Motorsport Corporation (HMSG) Customer Racing, are posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

The BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse team began its relationship with Hyundai Motor in 2017 with the i30 N TCR. Until 2019, they achieved top rankings not only in individual driver victories but also in team standings. In 2020, due to the BoP (Balance of Performance) regulation, which was introduced to prevent the dominance of fast cars and to give slower cars a chance to win, their performance was not favorable.

Afterwards, they aimed for a "counterattack" together with Hyundai Motor. They switched to the Elantra (Avante) N TCR, which strengthened powertrain components such as brake performance to address the BoP issue. They also recruited the rising star Mikel Azcona from Spain. Ultimately, last season they simultaneously secured 1st place in the WTCR driver ranking (Mikel Azcona) and 1st place in the team standings, achieving the "double."

They unanimously stated that Hyundai Motor's support was the key to their victory. In particular, they mentioned receiving substantial support from Chung Euisun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, and Jang Jaehoon, President of Hyundai Motor. Till Vatenberg, Head of Hyundai Motor N Brand Management Motorsport Division, said, "Since 2017, we have felt a lot of support, and without this support, it would be impossible to achieve such results."

Mikel Azcona, the 2022 season driver champion, is answering questions.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

They also did not hold back praise for the outstanding technology. Gabriel Tarquini, who won in 2018 and is now working as a team manager after retirement, said, "Race cars start from mass-produced cars, and the technology of mass-produced cars accounts for about 70-80% of the car, so the base is very important." He added, "Looking at the i30 N and Elantra N, you can see they are very fast, which shows they really started from excellent mass-produced cars."

The BRC team is not satisfied with the present and is preparing for the future. Since May this year, they have been conducting a project to select Korean junior drivers and advance them to the European stage. They also revealed plans for electric vehicle competitions. They have been continuously participating in ETCR (electric vehicle-based racing competition) since 2021. Additionally, considering ▲the different driving styles between internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles ▲stronger horsepower and different braking methods, they plan to respond to electric vehicle racing accordingly.