Hyundai are set to embark on a new challenge in endurance racing as early as 2026.
The Korean manufacturer will be building its own LMDh programme under its Genesis branding and could be set to compete in WEC and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, although this has not been officially confirmed.
However, it is anticipated that they will join WEC as early as 2026, with Hyundai said to having talks with Chip Ganassi Racing over a potential partnership after CGR’s current deal with Cadillac comes to an end in 2024.
While the team’s new programme is still a way away from hitting the track, speculation has grown as to who could potentially race with Genesis in WEC or IMSA.
And one Hyundai driver had the question put to him by Peter Windsor on his YouTube channel as to whether he would move into endurance racing.
Thierry Neuville wants to ‘stick to rallying’ when asked about racing with Genesis’ LMDh programme
Thierry Neuville has established himself as a real talent in the world of rallying, having achieved 21 wins, 68 podiums and 406 stage wins in the WRC at the time of writing.
The Belgian currently leads the championship in 2024 having never won a WRC title. Neuville has finished second on five occasions and third three times.
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Windsor’s question to Neuville about moving to Genesis comes after rumours that Hyundai’s future in the WRC beyond 2025 is in doubt, with team principal Cyril Abiteboul admitting that a private team could run Hyundai’s operations in the future.
But while the prospect of racing with the team in a Hypercar is exciting, Neuville has stressed that his main focus is on rallying and that he seems to have no intention of moving to endurance racing at this time.
Asked by Windsor if the idea of driving for Genesis was ‘cool’, Neuville replied: “Yeah, for sure. But as long as I can stick to rallying, I will stick to rallying.
“It has plenty of advantages. First of all, it’s where I invest in. My body isn’t really made for Hypercars in terms of weight.
“I would be too heavy and I would need to request a drivers’ minimum weight, such as [what] Max Verstappen is trying to push at the moment, for sure, because otherwise I wouldn’t be that competitive.”
Will Thierry Neuville ever branch into endurance racing?
Neuville’s desire to continue in rallying is not surprising, especially considering that the only time he has done circuit racing was in the German Touring Car Championship back in 2019.
However, his brief spell there proved a success as he competed in the two races at the Nürburgring with Engstler Motorsport in a Hyundai i30. In the first race, Neuville took pole position, set the fastest lap and led every lap to take victory.
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The lure of the exciting new programme for Hyundai and Genesis is a strong one and it will be interesting to see who will pilot their LMDh machinery come 2026. But it seems that it will not be Neuville getting behind the wheel as he wants to remain focused on his efforts in rallying.
The Belgian is searching for his maiden title in the WRC and looks set to get it in 2024 as he holds a 29-point lead over Hyundai teammate Ott Tanak with two rallies to go.