Hyundai has already announced Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville as drivers in the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2024, but the third car still needs to be filled – whether it will be assigned to one driver or two, as has been the case in recent years. The decision is expected to be made in November, before the end of the season at the Rally of Japan.
Currently, Teemu Suninen is one of the drivers in the third i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, and team principal Cyril Abiteboul confirmed to Motorsport.com that the Finn is a strong option: ‘He is basically on the radar, but I can’t say anything in particular. He is part of our list, so now we have to gather with the rest of the team and analyze what happened and make a collective decision about the path to follow’.
On the other hand, Esapekka Lappi is one of the current full-time drivers, and the Hyundai boss would also like to have his services: ‘Esapekka has been key to the system this year and very important, and he has had some very positive moments for the team this year. I like to think that he can be part of what we do in the future and not just next year. It’s a discussion that has been happening between us for some time, and I hope we can reach a conclusion in the coming days’.
