Proof of Technological Prowess
Hyundai Motor has won the World Rally Championship (WRC), one of the world's top-class motor sports races. This is the first time that a Korean car has won the auto racing championship recognized by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as the highest class of international rallying.
Hyundai Motor announced on Nov. 13 that the Hyundai World Rally Team won the general prize in the manufacturer category. The WRC, which rivals Formula One (F1), lets cars race on both paved and unpaved roads so the performance and durability of vehicles determine the winner. This is the first time a Korean team stands on the top podium with the champion trophy at the WRC.
The Hyundai World Rally Team scored a total of 380 points until the WRC's 13th race this season, beating the Toyota team (362 points) by 18 points. The team took the lead in the manufacturer category by winning the 4th race, the French Rally and the 5th race and continued to run first in the Argentine Rally, the 8th race, the Italian Rally and the 13th race, the Spanish Rally. The Hyundai World Rally Team recorded the best-ever performance, including four wins while standing on the podium 13 times this season.
The Hyundai rally team’s car is the i20 Coupe WRC Rally Car, which was greatly enhanced this year. The team's achievement has proved that Hyundai Motor’s technology has reached the world's highest level.
Hyundai took third place in 2015 after ranking fourth in the WRC in 2014. The automaker has running for the championship trophy such as becoming a runner-up in the manufacturer category for three years from 2016 to 2018.