WEC: Hyundai may announce a hydrogen project in winter

Hyundai has had its eye on several racing series, including the World Endurance Championship (WEC), for some time now, and we’ve talked about it.

The Korean company’s factory team is quite successful in rallying and two stages before the end of the season, driver Thierry Neuville occupies third place in the WRC individual standings. But the growing popularity of the WEC is forcing Hyundai to consider expanding its motorsport program or refocusing on the series. In part to conquer Le Mans, and in a new category, because in 2025 the organizers of the legendary marathon will introduce a separate class for cars with electric and hydrogen engines.

Last June, during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Hyundai Motorsport director Cyril Abiteboul confirmed that the company’s management was assessing the prospects that a debut in some form of motorsport promises.

“We have been able to convey our proposals to Hyundai’s board of directors, but no decision has been made yet,” Abiteboul said at the time. As far as can be understood, these proposals include the continuation of the program in world rallying and the transition to rally raids and endurance racing. The chance that a factory team will be organized in Formula 1 is much smaller.

According to the French press, it is possible that the company’s management will make a decision in favor of the WEC next winter out of season. The organizers of the Le Mans race, the ACO car club, are already busy developing a sports prototype with a hydrogen power plant, and this is certainly a signal to other potential manufacturers.

As part of the Mission H24 project, ACO plans to present a vehicle with such an engine in March 2024 and begin intensive testing in the second half of the year. Hydrogen technology is developing rapidly, but on the other hand this creates additional problems as the introduction of a new category in endurance racing requires clearly defined technical regulations.

Hyundai is one of the major players in the global car market showing interest in hydrogen powertrains, and ACO has already announced that it would like to see four factory teams in this category in the future. Toyota and BMW already have their own programs in this area, but the Korean company may even be one step ahead of them.

However, for this you need to quickly decide on plans. If Hyundai wants to be at the start of Le Mans at least in 2026, it is important to make the decision in time, as it takes several years to create a more or less competitive sports prototype, even with a traditional power plant. For example, it took Peugeot almost three years.

Toyota has already presented the GR H2 racing concept car with a hydrogen power plant during the Le Mans Marathon in June, with the intention of creating a real car by 2026.