Dani Sordo will extend his collaboration with the team into an eighth season, having played an instrumental role in this year’s title with his second successive win in Rally Italia Sardegna.
Sordo will drive a third Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in selected events during 2021, alternating with Craig Breen. The Irishman impressed the team this year with a strong charge to second place in Estonia, his standout performance in a curtailed season.
Hyundai Motorsport, who secured the 2020 championship at Rally Monza last weekend, will retain its rally-winning drivers Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville to spearhead next year’s championship campaign.
Tänak joined Hyundai Motorsport on the back of his own title-winning year in 2019. The Estonian got up to speed quickly in the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, taking podiums Sweden and Mexico, before registering his first win for the team on home soil.
For Neuville, 2021 will be his eighth consecutive season with Hyundai Motorsport. Across seven championships, the Belgian has claimed 13 victories, including Rallye Monte-Carlo earlier this year, where he made his debut with the team back in 2014.
Hyundai Motorsport will get its 2021 title defence underway at Rallye Monte-Carlo from January 21-24, with Tänak, Neuville and Sordo. Breen will begin his season at Rally Sweden in February, the scheduled second round of the season.
Team Principal Andrea Adamo said: “We have hardly finished one season before our thoughts immediately turn to the next. After a disrupted 2020 championship due to the pandemic, consistency will be key as we aim to build further on our achievements. We are pleased to confirm that Dani and Craig will share a third Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in 2021, alongside our previously announced drivers Thierry and Ott. All four drivers have shown their speed and commitment this year, with victories and podiums to support our title fight. Our crews offer the perfect blend of experience and hunger for our 2021 title hopes - both in the manufacturers’ and drivers’ - and we are pleased to have them in our organisation.”
Dani Sordo said: “I have said before that Hyundai Motorsport is like a family to me, and that has never been clearer than during 2020. We have had a challenging year, but we have supported each other through it all. I am fortunate to have been part of this team since the very start and we continue to grow each year. Securing my second WRC win with the team in Sardinia - repeating what we achieved in 2019 - was a great example of how we can continue to be successful together. I look forward to more great results in 2021!”
Craig Breen said: “To have the opportunity to compete on the stages of the World Rally Championship with Hyundai Motorsport has genuinely been a dream come true for me. Although I have joined the team in occasional rallies since 2018, this year we were really able to demonstrate our potential, with second place in Estonia. It gives us something exciting from which we can build. The team has placed its faith in myself and Paul to deliver more of these results in 2021. We’ll give everything we’ve got, starting from Rally Sweden.”
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