Hyundai hail successful test of the new i30 TCR by Gabriele Tarquini

Hyundai Motorsport have had a successful first test of their new i30 TCR at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain, with former WTCC driver Gabriele Tarquini on hand for development duties for the South Korean manufacturer.

The three-day test was the first official on-track running for the new i30, with the car only having completed shakedown runs previously.

Tarquini and the team focussed on the base set-up of the car at the 5.3km circuit, as well as trying out different engine mappings on the car’s 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which is paired with a six-speed sequential gearbox.

“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,” said project manager Andrea Adamo.

“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.”

The Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing department and Gabriele Tarquini will continue the development and testing of the car over the summer, with Hyundai aiming to deliver the first cars to customers in December this year.