<html><head><meta name="GENERATOR" content="TAGFREE Active Designer"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title></head><body><p style="line-height: 1.5; font-family: gulim; font-size: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;">Hyundai Motorsport has finalized its driver line-up for the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with the announcement that Thierry Neuville has signed a two-year extension to his contract with the team.</span><br><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;"> </span><br><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;">Thierry Neuville will compete with Hyundai Motorsport in the 2017 and 2018 WRC seasons alongside co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul as part of a three-crew team. Hayden Paddon and Dani Sordo are also contracted for two further years, which will offer the team important consistency as WRC moves into a new era with revised regulations.</span><br><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;"> </span><br><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;">Having first been announced as a Hyundai Motorsport driver back in November 2013, Neuville has been an integral part of the team’s growth on the competitive world rally stage. There were already a number of milestones in its inaugural WRC season in 2014. He claimed the team’s maiden podium in Mexico and followed that up with a debut victory in Germany.</span><br><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;"> </span><br><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;">In his three seasons with the team to date, Thierry Neuville has claimed two victories, the most recent of which was scored with the New Generation i20 WRC in Rally Italia Sardegna earlier this year, proving the technology credentials of the new rally car to the rally environment. He has amassed a total of nine podiums, including his third-place at Tour de Corse last weekend.</span><br><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;"> </span><br><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;">Thierry Neuville said: “I am delighted to extend my contract with Hyundai Motorsport for two more years. Although I had alternative options available, it seemed the most logical decision to keep up the great momentum we have within this team. 2017 will be a new era for the WRC with the revised regulations. We have shared very special moments together since the team’s debut in WRC. Our first win together in Germany was one of my career highlights. With a new car next year, and even more ambitious targets, I am excited by what this next chapter will bring.” </span><br><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;"> </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.5; font-family: gulim; font-size: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 돋움;">Team Principal Michel Nandan commented: “Thierry has been a great asset to our team so we are pleased to announce this two-year extension. There has been a lot of talk about Thierry’s future with Hyundai Motorsport, which is obviously part of the motorsport game, but the fact we continue together shows the strength of our relationship. We have had some great memories, as well as some difficult moments, but overall we’ve been on a positive growth curve together. Now we have finalized our driver line-up with Thierry, Hayden and Dani, we can aim for a competitive finish to our 2016 season, as well as focusing on development of our 2017 challenger.”</span></p></body></html>
