Hyundai has unveiled the brand-new WorldSBK Safety Car, the i30 N, on the eve of the 2022 season that gets underway in Aragon, Spain this weekend.
 
Hyundai has been the Official Safety Car supplier of the Championship since 2019. The South Korean manufacturer and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) have since announced the extension of their partnership until 2023.
 
As a valuable partner of WorldSBK, Hyundai undertakes a key role as Safety Car supplier during race weekends but also contributes to the racing itself with the Hyundai N-inspired Rider Award that has been in place since 2020. The accolade rewards the rider who gains the most positions in Race 1 and Race 2 throughout the season from their starting position.
 
In 2022, the award winner will receive a Hyundai i20 N featuring a six-speed manual transmission that can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 6.2 seconds. The turbocharged 1.6 T-GDi engine produces 204PS (approximately 201BHP).
 
On site Test Drives, both on- and off-track, are carried out during the WorldSBK Rounds, involving SBK™ fans and Hyundai Guests in enjoying the high-performance N brand models. In 2022, fans will be able to enjoy a first-hand experience of the Hyundai i30 N, i30 Fastback N, Kona N, or the i20 N. Hyundai will also display a fully electric IONIQ5 model in the paddock for fans to explore.
 
Vice President and Head of N Brand Management and Motorsport Sub-Division at Hyundai Motor Company, Till Wartenberg:
“We are delighted to continue our partnership with Dorna WSBK Organization into a fourth season and to showcase our high-performance N range as part of the WorldSBK Championship. In 2022, alongside the i30 N Safety Car, we will be featuring our broadest fleet of N brand models to date; the i30 N, Fastback N, Kona N and i20 N will all be available for fans and guests to explore and enjoy during race weekends. We look forward to another successful and exciting season.”
 
Francesco Valentino, Head of WorldSBK Commercial & Marketing dept.:
“Hyundai is a key partner of WorldSBK and represents, to us, the concrete expression of our tag line “we make excitement”. We are thrilled to discover the new Hyundai fleet for the 2022 season. This new car fleet, including the i30 N as Safety Car, the Tucson N-line and Kona N-line as Medical Cars among others, is the best tool for Race Direction and the Medical Staff to assure everyone’s safety on track. We are looking forward to another compelling season expecting thousands of fans involved in a full and unforgettable Hyundai-SBK™ experience.”.
 The WorldSBK fleet deployment explained
 
Safety cars have been part of motorsports competitions for decades. They are mainly known by the public through their key role in case of racing incidents, but safety cars fulfil additional duties during WorldSBK rounds, as the Championship Race Director Gianfranco Carloia explains.

During a round, Safety Cars first jump into action on Thursday and are active until Sunday after the last race. The two Hyundai i30 N cars start with several inspection laps around the circuit, taking part in the morning. These laps are for the FIM Medical Inspection and the FIM Track Inspection. These two inspection sessions are important to ensure track conditions are safe for track action to begin. “On Thursday and every morning before the start of the activities, the track is checked by Race Direction which decide whether it is safe or not” explained Gianfranco Carloia, WorldSBK Race Director. Once it’s been confirmed that all safety conditions are met, riders are allowed to take to the track.

The Hyundai i30 N Safety Car role does not end once bikes are out on track. Safety Cars drivers must remain focused on what’s happening and “are constantly in contact with the Race Director” explains Gianfranco Carloia. They must be ready to react, following the Race Director’s instructions in case of an incident on track or in case track conditions suddenly changes; for instance, because of bad weather or if a bike dropped fluids on the track, leading to a lack of adhesion. “If there is an incident and there is an issue on track, we immediately stop the practice or race session. Race Direction goes to the track and check the surface to determine which kind of work the marshals must do to fix the issue to clear the track” added Carloia. In addition to the two Safety Cars, Hyundai also shapes the Medical Car fleet, composed of two Hyundai Tucson N-line and two Hyundai Kona N-line. These cars transport medical staff and “are stationed along the circuit for fast medical intervention in case of incident” added the WorldSBK Race Director.

Once it’s time to go racing, the Safety Car is the first engine to arrive on the starting grid. “The Hyundai i30 N are involved from the start of the Warm-Up Lap until the end of the race”. Five minutes before race starts, one of the two Safety Car goes for a final inspection lap and takes its position behind the riders at the back of the grid. “One Safety Car follows the riders for the Warm-Up Lap and for the first lap of the race. The Safety Car driver is accompanied by a medical staff inside the car” details the WorldSBK Race Director.

 

 Why the i30 N is the ideal Safety Car?
 
The Hyundai i30 N is the WorldSBK Safety Car for the 2022 season. Thanks to the high-quality of the model, the Safety Cars are similar to the standard version of the i30 N in terms of engine and chassis. It has an excellent brand-new N DCT 8-speed automatic gearbox, double clutch with camshafts that facilitates handling on the track as well as super-sporty bucket seats. The car has 280 hp and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds helping the Safety Car drivers to work with precision and react quickly in case of an incident during a session. Also, to fulfil the function of a Safety Car on the track, the Hyundai i30 N must also have several mandatory extras according to regulation: a light bar on the roof (red, blue, and orange), callipers and oversized brake discs, and a cooling system in the braking system. Brembo is the official brake supplier for the WorldSBK i30 N safety car.
Hyundai in brief

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is present in over 200 countries with more than 120,000 employees dedicated to tackling real world mobility challenges around the globe. Based on the brand vision ‘Progress for Humanity,’ Hyundai Motor is accelerating its transformation into a Smart Mobility Solution Provider.
 
The company invests in advanced technologies such as robotics and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) to bring about revolutionary mobility solutions, while pursuing open innovation to introduce future mobility services. In pursuit of sustainable future for the world, Hyundai will continue its efforts to introduce zero emission vehicles equipped with industry-leading hydrogen fuel cell and EV technologies.
 
About N brand

Hyundai Motor’s high-performance N brand highlights the company’s goal to create high-performance vehicles that adhere to high standards of excellence, while providing drivers with vehicles that are fun-to-drive and practical at the same time.
 
With the new brand claim, ‘Never just drive.’, Hyundai N delivers the N mindset and spirit: “Do more than simply drive. Enjoy every second of it.” Driving was never meant to be boring, and with N, it will never be. Furthermore, no matter what the future will hold; whether powered by electric, maybe even hydrogen, N will always be about the drive and fun.
 
The birth of Hyundai N is full of enthusiasm, reflecting the exhilarating and authentic brand identity. Every high-performance N model — including i30 N, i30 Fastback N, Veloster N, i20 N, KONA N and Elantra N — is designed by passionate experts and engineered at Hyundai Motor’s Namyang R&D Centre.
 
The vehicles are later sent to the Nurburgring, one of the world’s most demanding racetracks, to undergo rigorous testing and validation. Through this painstaking process, N technology has been refined and reborn. N brand takes its name from the first letter of Namyang and Nurburgring.
 
Hyundai N’s name and reputation are well-established in global motorsports. Since its debut in 2013, N Brand has built a fervent reputation following its winning combination of everyday sports cars and its rapid rise in rally racing. N brand achieved victories at multiple rallies and races, including the FIA World Rally Championship, the FIA World Touring Car Cup and the Nurburgring 24 Hours Race.
 
N has also accumulated know-how which can be applied to high-performance N brand. With technology inspired by motorsports, N brand excels at delivering driving enthusiasm by providing racetrack capabilities and ‘corner rascal’ ride and handling in everyday sports cars.
 
To keep up the prestige meaning behind the N badge, Hyundai N undergoes a R&D process under the name of ‘Rolling lab’, the middle bridge between motorsports vehicles and mass-produced ones. During this process, advanced technologies can be applied to N cars. Rolling lab lives up to its name as real, drivable cars serve as a ‘lab’ for testing cutting-edge technologies. The latest vehicle is the RM20e, the fifth vehicle following RM14, RM15, RM16, and RM19 of the RM Project since 2012. By incorporating high-performance technologies that have been built up through the previous RM project, Hyundai N could develop a high-performance vehicle from an EV platform, which provides more choices for the sustainable vehicle era.
 
As Hyundai’s motorsports activities are driven by new technologies, efficiency and innovation, Hyundai N aims to reduce carbon emissions, leading the way in the era of sustainable mobility. By participating in various motorsports events, N tests the elements which make N truly N, which is about being racetrack capable and a true corner rascal even when electrified. Devoting the best technology to motorsport, N vehicles serve as a test bed and proof point for performance. Customers can expect many new developments from Hyundai N in the future to come.
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