3 / 24
3
STANDINGS
SPOTLIGHT
Hyundai Motorsport’s first project for
circuit racing took a big step forward
earlier this week, when former World
Touring Car champion Gabriele
Tarquini drove the New Generation i30
TCR on the track for the first time,
beginning the testing programme.
The Customer Racing department
travelled to Motorland Aragón in
Spain as the development phase of
the project got underway. Prior to the
trip the team had completed several
shakedown runs, but the three days
at the track gave the engineers a first
opportunity to gather data about the
car’s behaviour around a racing
circuit.
Completing the running without
major reliability issues the team was
able to try alternative settings as they
started to work towards a base set-up.
The mix of corners on the Aragón
circuit made it the perfect venue for
the maiden test. The 5.3km layout
allowed the team and Tarquini to
refine the handling balance through
both slow and high-speed corners, as
well as under heavy braking for the
hairpin at the end of the long back
straight.
The team was also able to test a
number of different engine map
settings to begin to gauge the
performance of the two-litre
turbocharged engine, which is
connected to a six-speed sequential
gearbox, operated with paddle-
shifters.
Following the test the car returned to
Hyundai Motorsport’s headquarters in
Alzenau, Germany, where the team
will prepare for next date in a busy
development schedule.
Customer Racing department manager
Andrea Adamo said:
“The first test of
a new car is always a very exciting
moment in a project, and to have come
through three days without a major
problem makes it even better. We were
able to complete all the work that we
had set out for the test, which is
obviously a nice start to a busy
development schedule for the New
Generation i30 TCR project. We were
able to work on the balance of the car,
and start developing an initial set-up
that we can use in future, not only for
the handling, but the important engine
and differential settings. We can now
use these as a base for future tests as
we turn our focus to gaining the
maximum performance from specific
components.
”
Testing will continue through
the summer and autumn
at different venues around Europe.
Hyundai Motorsport expects to deliver
the first cars to customers
in early December.
The Hyundai i30 TCR
takes the track