World Rally Championship event winners Dani Sordo, Esapekka Lappi and Hayden Paddon will rejoin Hyundai to share its third car next year following the departure of Ott Tanak.
The trio will join 2024 world champion Thierry Neuville and multiple podium finisher Adrien Fourmaux after the pair agreed contract extensions to pilot the team’s two other i20 N Rally1 entries on a full-time basis.
Hyundai has been forced into a driver line-up shake up for 2026 after 2019 world champion Tanak announced plans to take a sabbatical next year, forsaking a drive with the team for 2026.
The Korean brand has since been weighing up its options with the target of winning the 2026 manufacturers title in mind – the final year of the Rally1 regulations. This has influenced its decision-making process, with the team opting for experience over youth.
The inclusion of Paddon has come as a surprise considering the New Zealander last drove for the factory WRC squad in 2018.
The 2016 Rally Argentina winner has, however, remained attached with the brand ever since, winning back-to-back European Rally Championship crowns in 2023 and 2024 driving a semi-factory supported i20 N Rally2 car. This week, the current Australian rally champion is set to contest Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy in France, driving an i20 N Rally2 car ahead of a return to the WRC’s topflight in Monte Carlo in January. This will mark his first competitive WRC outing driving an i20 N Rally1 car.
“I’m very excited to be back with Hyundai Motorsport, eight years after our last event together in the FIA WRC,” said Paddon, who will be co-driven by John Kennard.
"Hyundai is a brand I’m very proud of and loyal to after 12 years, and to now be stepping into a Rally1 car is very exciting. Our expectations are clear: to do the best job we can to support Hyundai, Thierry and Adrien in their respective championships, and making sure we are collecting as many manufacturers’ points as possible at the end of the weekend.
“I feel I am a very different driver compared to eight years ago, and the experience I have gained all around the world in different championships puts me in a good place to put that experience to use.”
Sordo rejoins the team after a year on the Rally1 sidelines, having made his last WRC appearance for Hyundai at Acropolis Rally Greece in 2024 – where he finished second.
The 42-year-old, three-time rally winner is regarded as among the safest pair of hands in the WRC and will guarantee a healthy haul of points. This year, Sordo and Candido Carrera lifted the Portuguese national title, driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car, beating Kris Meeke in a final-round showdown.
“After a year away contesting the Portuguese Rally Championship, I am very pleased to be back in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car for 2026," said Sordo, who will begin his 2026 campaign in the Canary Islands in April.
“Candido and I had a strong season in the Hyundai i20 N Rally2, culminating in the Portuguese title, which was a fantastic achievement for us. We can’t wait to take this momentum into next year, and I am confident we will be a competitive package. I’m looking forward to working with the team again, and supporting Thierry and Adrien in the championship fight.”
Last year’s Rally Sweden winner Lappi had turned his back on competing in the WRC at the end of 2024, but this year’s Finnish national champion has been convinced to come back for a part-time season. Lappi scored four podium finishes during a full-time season with Hyundai in 2023 before moving to a part-time role in 2024.
“It’s an honour for me to return to Hyundai Motorsport for the 2026 FIA WRC season,” said Lappi, who will begin his season at Rally Sweden in February alongside co-driver Enni Malkonen.
“I assumed I was finished with WRC, but after numerous discussions with various people, I knew this was a great idea. I’ve still been competing in the Finnish Championship, which was a lot of fun, but Cyril’s [Abiteboul, president of Hyundai Motorsport] call surprised me and brought me back.
“I'm as excited as a little boy to get behind the wheel of the Rally1 car again, this time with Enni – which is a wonderful new opportunity for her. My win at Rally Sweden in 2024 serves as a great motivation for our 2026 targets, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Andrew Wheatley, Hyundai Motorsport WRC sporting director, added: “We’re delighted to confirm our line-up for the 2026 FIA WRC season, which will see Thierry and Adrien compete in every round with a trio of very experienced and competitive crews sharing our third entry.
"Bringing in Dani, EP and Hayden enables us to call upon their individual strengths to support our manufacturers’ title ambitions next year. We had a difficult decision to make – whether to opt for experience and consistency, or bring in a rising star and nurture them. However, we are in the last year of the Rally1 technical regulations and we believe the right path is to bring in drivers with knowledge of the car and the team.”
WRC 2026 driver line-up
Toyota
Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, Sebastien Ogier (10 rallies), Sami Pajari, Oliver Solberg
Hyundai
Thierry Neuville, Adrien Fourmaux, Dani Sordo, Esapekka Lappi, Hayden Paddon
M-Sport-Ford
TBA, TBA
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