Hyundai records a major departure and changes its organizational chart

One month before the Monte-Carlo Rally which will open the 2025 WRC season, Hyundai is experiencing a significant change in its organizational chart. Its rally program manager, Christian Loriaux, has decided to leave the team with immediate effect.

The Belgian engineer joined Hyundai Motorsport in the World Rally Championship in 2021 and has since played an important role in the brand’s results. He initially held the position of technical consultant, before becoming responsible for the WRC program.

His surprise departure comes as Hyundai managed to win the drivers’ title for the first time in 2024, thanks to Thierry Neuville, while letting the manufacturers’ title slip away in favor of Toyota.

In a press release, Hyundai assures that Christian Loriaux is leaving for “embark on a new adventure”and specifies that his role will be redistributed within the technical department currently headed by François-Xavier Demaison.

At the same time, Hyundai recorded the arrival of Pablo Marcos as team manager, after a season spent at M-Sport Ford. He succeeds Tolga Ozakinci, who takes on the newly created role of head of racing operations.

“Everyone at Hyundai Motorsport is enjoying a well-deserved break from racing, however, as is often the case at this time of year, we are making key changes within the company to support our project 2025 and adapt to our environment “explains Cyril Abiteboul, president of the sporting branch of Hyundai and director of the WRC team.

“We had a very good 2024 season, but we did not accomplish everything we set out to do, so as we look ahead to a transformative year for our motorsport operations, we have taken the time to reflect on how we can streamline our organization.”

“We are therefore delighted to welcome Pablo Marcos, back to Hyundai as team manager. His mission is very different from the one he carried out from 2021 to 2023, focusing solely on our sporting and performance objectives in WRC. Tolga Ozakinci will now oversee the in-competition infrastructure, as well as collaboration with our suppliers and associated partners, some of which are shared between our programs.”

“Finally, we would like to thank Christian Loriaux for his contribution to our mission over the last three years. He was a great personal support when I joined the world of rallying and we wish him every success in his endeavours. We look forward to seeing you all in 2025.”