Experienced rally boss returns to the WRC before Central European Rally

A familiar face will return to the World Rally Championship this weekend following the news Hyundai has appointed a new sporting director on the eve of the Central European Rally.

The Korean manufacturer has appointed Andrew Wheatley - the former head of rallying within the FIA, the world motorsport governing body - to fill a newly created position with the team. The appointment marks a return to rallying for Wheatley who was among a series of high profile departures from the FIA last year. 

Wheatley will report directly to Hyundai Motorsport president and team principal Cyril Abiteboul and has been installed to help “drive performance and solve complex sporting challenges” for the raining rounds of 2025 and the 2026 campaign, according to a statement issued by the team.

The appointment will add further experience to Hyundai’s leadership team that includes technical director François-Xavier Demaison, team manager Pablo Marcos and WRC head of engineering Jan de Jongh.

Wheatley has worked within the WRC for 28 years, having previously operated as business development manager at M-Sport-Ford. Wheatley has also held the role of WRC category manager before taking on the FIA Rally Director/Road Sport director role in 2022.

“I am delighted to join Hyundai Motorsport as WRC Sporting Director at this very exciting time,” said Wheatley.  

“This is a team that has the experience, skill, and strong driver line-up to win world championships. My role is to support our experienced team in every department, helping them navigate the day-to-day challenges they face and sharing my knowledge to help drive our performance. 

“All the raw ingredients are there, and my goal is to work alongside Cyril, FX, Pablo and Jan to make our pathway to success as smooth as possible.”

Hyundai has found itself trailing rivals Toyota this season having won only one of the 11 rallies to date. Abiteboul has described the appointment as an “important strengthening of Hyundai Motorsport’s leadership”.  

Abiteboul, added: “As we diversify our motorsport portfolio, it is essential that we enhance the management focus for each of our activities. 

“In addition to his unwavering passion for rally, Andrew brings a wealth of experience that will bolster our WRC operations, supporting the crews and Hyundai Motorsport’s senior management in the day-to-day operations in pursuit of success in WRC, as well as in identifying long-term strategic opportunities in the off-road categories.”

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