Hyundai announces former Renault F1 boss Abiteboul as the director of the WRC team
After the interim of Julien Moncet, who had been overseeing the transition since the departure of Andrea Adamo in December 2021, Hyundai has appointed the former director of Renault in Formula 1, Cyril Abiteboul, as the head of its Motorsport department in the World Rally Championship.
One week before the start of the WRC season, with the first round of the Monte-Carlo rally, Hyundai promoted Cyril Abiteboul to lead their World Rally Championship program, which started in 2014. This announcement replaces another Frenchman, Julien Moncet, who had been temporarily filling the role since Andrea Adamo’s dismissal.
After being the director of the Catheram F1 team from 2012 to 2014, he left for Renault before becoming its general manager from 2017 to 2020. Finally, since last year, he has been the motorsport advisor for Mecachrome, which supplies power units in F2 and F3.
His departure from the Renault team had been perceived as complicated in the paddock, with the understanding between the drivers, the hierarchy, and the other teams seeming complicated. We especially remember the harsh exchanges between Red Bull and Renault, as the two entities were bound by their engine supply contract and Renault was facing issues with engine performance and reliability.
We are pleased to announce that Cyril Abiteboul will join Hyundai Motorsport in the role of Team Principal.
Read more about his appointment on our website 👉 https://t.co/RcrYnJ9t6H#HMSGOfficial pic.twitter.com/aniRhqgRpH
— hmsgofficial (@HMSGOfficial) January 12, 2023
“I am savoring the opportunity to join Hyundai Motorsport as team manager starting from 2023,” he said. “In motorsport, just like in the rest of its activities, the Hyundai brand is carefully building its leadership. I am thrilled to be a part of it, managing the WRC and Customer Competition programs, where the team has already proven to be strong competitors. I am looking forward to immersing myself in the rallying community and learning more about this spectacular sport. Hyundai has provided me with all the support I need for a smooth transition into this role. I can’t wait to get started.”
After winning the constructor title in 2019 and 2020, Cyril Abiteboul will have to propel the South Korean brand to a new world championship. He arrives in a structure that is capable of bouncing back, with last year’s season starting off very difficult due to the hybridization brought about by the new regulations, but tempered by the 5 successes obtained.
