Hyundai parts ways with WRC team boss Nandan
Hyundai Motorsport has replaced its WRC team principal Michel Nandan with its customer racing manager Andrea Adamo for the 2019 season.
Michel Nandan, Team principal Hyundai Motorsport
Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport
Nandan had spearheaded the Hyundai team since its return to the WRC. He was responsible for both the development of its Alzenau factory base and the i20 WRC in 2013.
Since its WRC debut, the i20 has collected 10 world rally wins and finished second in the manufacturers’ standings for the last three years.
Nandan’s team led both the championship races for much of last season and missing out on both titles brought enormous pressure and, reportedly, a desire for change from the Korean side of the operation.
While Hyundai denied there would be change following high-level meetings between Hyundai Motor Corporation and Hyundai Motorsport late last year, Nandan’s replacement in Italian Adamo had already been identified.
Adamo, who will continue to run the company’s i20 R5 and i30 N TCR programmes, will oversee a team headed by permanent drivers Thierry Neuville and Andreas Mikkelsen with Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo sharing a third i20 Coupe WRC.
Thierry Neuville, Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai i20 WRC, Hyundai Motorsport
Photo by: McKlein / LAT Images
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments