Hyundai unveils second WRC livery in as many events

The new livery pays homage to the N division's 10 years in the WRC

When it comes to liveries, we’ve become accustomed to teams changing their designs, especially in F1.

In the world of F1 it’s also not unusual to see teams introduce new livery schemes midway through the season, but it is unusual for any team to unveil a second new livery in as many events.

But that’s exactly what Hyundai’s World Rally Championship team has done.

Ahead of the 2024 season-opening round in Monte Carlo, Hyundai unveiled an all-new livery design, shifting further away from the traditional livery colours its cars have donned since it joined the championship.

The light blue took over more of the bodywork than before, with the dark blue and red colours drifting further into the background. It was a nice change from the same old design of previous years.

But as the teams head to Rally Sweden, Hyundai has unveiled another new livery, one that it says will remain on all three of its cars for the rest of the 2024 WRC season.

Now, the light blue has returned to almost its original placement, with the red becoming much more prominent. And down the coloured stripes down the side of the car have gone.

Instead, they’re now replaced with a white “N” in a bid to pay homage to 10 years of N in the WRC.

Hyundai’s justification for the livery change is that it was so impressed by Thierry Neuville’s feats on Rally Monte Carlo that it has now retired that livery, making it a special edition.

The design was created to pay tribute to our close working relationship with Hyundai N and Hyundai Motor Company, and complements their celebrations of ten years in the pinnacle of rallying,” said Hyundai’s president and team principal, Cyril Abiteboul.

“Starting the 2024 season with a win at one of the most iconic events in WRC history was an incredible moment, 10 years after our first-ever Rallye Monte-Carlo, and it is fitting that Thierry and Martijn’s Monte-Carlo colours are memorialised in the history books.”

To be frank, making its first livery of the year immediately a limited edition feels slightly false.

There’s no denying that Hyundai and Neuville put on a great performance on the stages of Monte Carlo, but does that really warrant the livery being declared a limited edition?

It would be a different story if Neuville had just won the championship, but he hasn’t, and it’s not like it’s Hyundai’s first ever WRC victory either.

Therefore, with a true milestone missing, it feels like somewhat of an excuse, and a way to justify the change so early on in the season.

Was it because the management didn’t like the livery or was it purely down to the fact Hyundai really wants to celebrate the N division’s 10 year participation in the championship? We don’t know, and we won’t ever truly get the answer.

But reverting back to a more traditional colour scheme makes it feel like someone wasn’t happy with the livery presented at the season-opening event, which is a great shame.

All too often, teams have become very rigid and corporate when it comes to livery design. That’s understandable to an extent, but it’s also great to see some creativity and fluidity between the designs.

That’s what fans want to see. As long as the baseline colours are there so fans aren’t confused about which car is which, they want to see differing schemes. It’s one of the fun aspects of motorsport.

Instead, Hyundai’s gone back to square one.

For corporate reasons that may make total sense. But from a fan perspective, it all just feels a little disappointing.