July 7, 2014 – The Hyundai Shell World Rally Team has announced that Dani Sordo and Bryan Bouffier will join its lead driver Thierry Neuville as part of the team’s line-up for Rallye Deutschland at the end of August.
Neuville will once again spearhead the team’s entry in the #7 Hyundai i20 WRC car, co-driven by Nicolas Gilsoul. Spaniard Dani Sordo will return to the #8 Hyundai i20 WRC alongside his co-driver Marc Martí for his fourth FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) event of 2014 at the asphalt event which he won last season.
Bouffier will join Hyundai Shell World Rally Team for his first WRC event in the Hyundai i20 WRC alongside his co-driver Xavier Panseri. The Frenchman, who has been test driver for the team so far this season, will drive the #20 car in Germany and will compete under the Hyundai Motorsport N banner. He recently claimed the first rally win for the Hyundai i20 WRC, taking victory in Rallye Antibes with the team.
The line-up of Neuville, Sordo and Bouffier will maintain the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team’s three car approach for the third consecutive event as the team continues to develop its car in its maiden season in WRC.
Bouffier said: “I am delighted to be taking part in Rallye Deutschland with the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team. They have made impressive progress since testing last year and I have been honoured to be part of the journey. Having tested the Hyundai i20 WRC since last year, I am excited to make my WRC debut with the team in Germany. We have worked hard to develop the car in testing but nothing beats the thrill of a World Rally event! To be part of the three-car line-up for Germany alongside Thierry and Dani is a real privilege. I will do all I can to contribute to the ongoing development of the car in a competitive rally environment as we enter the second half of the year.”
Team Principal Michel Nandan: “Bryan has been an integral part of the Hyundai Motorsport journey. It was around one year ago that he joined us for the first time as a test driver and we have been fortunate to have him test with us again this season. He knows a lot about the Hyundai i20 WRC and about our team, so he will be a very welcome addition to our driver line-up for Germany along with Thierry and Dani. We are pleased to have Dani back in the #8 Hyundai i20 WRC at Rallye Deutschland for his fourth event with us in 2014 – this time on tarmac. This event will give us a useful opportunity to assess the performance potential of the Hyundai i20 WRC on asphalt and we feel we have the ideal driver line-up to do that in Germany.”
ENDS
About Hyundai Motor Company Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond. The company, which leads the Hyundai Motor Group, an innovative business structure capable of circulating resources from molten iron to finished cars, offers top-quality best-sellers such as Elantra, Sonata and Genesis. Hyundai Motor has seven manufacturing bases and seven design & technical centers outside of South Korea and in 2013, sold 4.73 million vehicles globally. With almost 100,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with localized models and strives to strengthen its leadership in clean technology, starting with the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, ix35 Fuel Cell.
More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at:
http://worldwide.hyundai.com or
http://www.hyundaiglobalnews.com About Hyundai Motorsport GmbH Established on 19 December 2012, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH is responsible for Hyundai’s global motorsport activities and primarily for its World Rally Championship programme. Based in Alzenau on the outskirts of Frankfurt in Germany, the company has embarked on its debut season in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2014 with a bespoke team of skilled staff and a brand new car, the Hyundai i20 WRC.
Further information about Hyundai Motorsport is available at:
http://motorsport.hyundai.com 
-v1.jpg)
