Hyundai Motorsport has today announced that French rally ace Bryan Bouffier has joined the team as part of its test driver line-up for 2013. The news comes just one week after confirmation that Finnish driver Juho Hänninen is contributing to Hyundai Motorsport’s development programme with the new i20 WRC this year.
Bouffier is a three-time Polish Rally Champion and was crowned French Rally Champion in 2010. He also won the iconic Rallye Monte-Carlo (Intercontinental Rally Championship) in 2011 and more recently dominated the legendary Tour de Corse (European Rally Championship). His vast experience as a test driver and expert analysis skills will be essential to help grow the team and to further assess and develop the i20 WRC.
While Hänninen drove the i20 WRC for the first time back in May, Bouffier had his own taste of the car today. The two will be Hyundai Motorsport’s main test drivers for 2013, along with a number of other drivers who will support them during the rest of the year. Hyundai Motorsport aims to derive the full benefits from the wealth of different rally experiences that each driver brings in order to make the i20 WRC the most complete package possible.
Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Michel Nandan commented: “I’m happy to have Bryan on board. He adopts a very professional driving style and can give detailed technical feedback as well as being a very consistent driver, which are all very important attributes for a test driver. Together with Juho’s experience of WRC events and his speed on all terrains, I am sure we have a strong and well-rounded line-up for our testing programme.”
Bryan Bouffier said: “I’m pleased to be joining Hyundai Motorsport’s test programme and to be part of the team for this year. It’s true that there is a lot of work to do but the team is in place and the facilities are impressive, so we have good foundations to build upon. This is an exciting programme and I’m sure the summer time will be very busy and hopefully just as productive.”