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Rally: Juho Hänninen joins Hyundai

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Khatir Soltani
From Hyundai Motorsport press release

Hyundai Motorsport Monday announced Finnish driver Juho Hänninen as one of the team's test drivers for 2013, ending weeks of speculation over the mystery man behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 WRC in May.

Hyundai Motorsport has been building up its new operation from scratch since the start of the year, establishing the team at a dedicated facility in Alzenau, Germany and recruiting specialists at every level of its organisation.

Test drivers are an integral part of the team’s development programme, requiring the necessary skills and experience to develop a competitive and reliable rally car in a short space of time.

WRC Hyundai Juho Hanninen
Juho Hanninen. (Photo: Hyundai)

Six months ahead of the debut at Rallye Monte-Carlo in January 2014, Hyundai Motorsport is in the process of carrying out an intensive test programme to evaluate and develop the i20 WRC on all terrains and conditions.

Hänninen won the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2010 followed by the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship and the FIA European Rally Championship titles in 2011 and 2012 respectively. He will be a valuable asset for the team to prepare the assault to the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship.

Hyundai Motorsport will soon be in a position to announce a second test driver for the remainder of the 2013 test phase. 2014 drivers will be announced at the end of the year.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Juho on board for our 2013 test programme," said Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal, Michel Nandan.

"I’m sure his experience and background will contribute to the project and I’m happy with the job he’s done so far. We have decided to work with different drivers with unique skills and capabilities this year, which will provide us with valuable feedback for 2014”.


Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
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