Hyundai withdraws from WRC

[FourWheelDrift]

Autosport said:

Korean manufacturer Hyundai will pull out of the World Rally Championship at the end of this season, but it has announced its intention to return with a new programme in 2006. The marque also hopes to complete the current season, despite a contractual dispute with current team Motor Sports Developments. A statement from Hyundai Motor Europe has revealed a new mid-to-long-term motorsport strategy which will be outlined in more detail later in the year. "Withdrawing is a painful decision but also a realistic admission that a break is absolutely mandatory for us to reorganize and rethink our entire approach to motorsport," saod Hyundai's director of overseas marketing, BH Lee. "But we'll be back in 2006 in fighting form with a completely new engine and car to mount a more credible challenge for the WRC crown." The plan is to return in the second half of 2006 and mount a full WRC programme in 2007. Part of the re-organisation will involve the setting up of an all-new World Rally Team HQ at Hyundai's design and technical centre at Russelsheim in Germany. Lee stressed that Hyundai wants to complete its 2003 programme, which is on-hold because of a contractual dispute with current team Motor Sport Developments. "We'd like to resolve this issue immediately so we can focus on competing in the four rallies left on the 2003 WRC calendar," said Lee.

One less place for Colin McRae to possible go (if they dropped one of their other drivers for 2004).