“Actively looking at different programmes,” Former Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul sheds light on Hyundai’s F1 prospects

Cyril Abiteboul has made it clear that Hyundai is not ruling out entering into Formula 1, but its clear that the main priority is the WRC.

“Actively looking at different programmes,” Former Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul sheds light on Hyundai’s F1 prospects

Cyril Abiteboul

Hyundai Motorsports has been in the news recently regarding a potential entry into F1 and its Team Principal and former Renault F1 managing director, Cyril Abiteboul has indicated that the outfit is weighing all its options as far as the pinnacle of motor racing is concerned. The hype around Hyundai is real and there is a possibility of seeing the iconic in F1 in the future years of the sport.

Cyril Abiteboul joined Hyundai in January and has since been running the show on the Korean team. Before that, he was the Team Principal of the Renault F1 team between 2017-2020, after his departure, the team was rebranded to Alpine F1. Moreover, the Frenchman has also previously had a spell as the Team Principal of now-defunct Caterham F1 team.

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Abiteboul during the recently concluded WRC Croatia Rally was asked to talk about Hyundai’s F1 prospects, and while shedding light on the same, he said, “The [Hyundai Motor] Group is actively looking at different programmes right now. Since 10 years ago, we are in the WRC. The baseline scenario is that we stick with WRC, because when you build a connection between a brand, that connection is only valid if it’s a sustainable one.”

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“Today, there is a strong legacy between Hyundai and WRC, so our main objective is to see how WRC is going to evolve, so it makes sense to [stay] in the sport which we’ve been in for 10 years.” Cyril Abiteboul has made it clear that Hyundai’s priority is WRC because the team has been doing its trade in the racing category for several years. However, he has admitted that the hierarchy of Hyundai is actively keeping track of its F1 plans.

Related: Cyril Abiteboul discards the rumors about Hyundai planning to go into F1

Cyril Abiteboul has a wealth of experience in F1

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F1 is the hands-down pinnacle of motor racing and no other racing category even comes close to the glitz and glam of the sport. While Hyundai has indicated that its priority is WRC, it may be in their best interest to have a go in F1. The sport has evolved massively in the last few years and has seen an exponential increase in its popularity.

Moreover, in order to lead Hyundai’s charge in F1, the team has got experienced Cyril Abiteboul in its ranks. He has got a wealth of experience when it comes to the sport and if Hyundai decides to pull into it, then Abiteboul would be of massive help to the team in making the transition to the pinnacle of motor racing. But there’s no certainty if they actually will decide to pursue an entry.

Considering the overall interest in the sport from the various potential parties, what do you think of Hyundai’s chances of finding a slot on the F1 grid in the upcoming years of the sport? If they decide to fight for getting a slot on the grid, would they really be able to get it, keeping in mind the other outside parties that have shown their interest in racing in F1?

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