As the 2022 WRC season got underway in Monte Carlo last weekend (Jan 20-23), there was an opportunity to take a closer look at the all-new Rally1 machines from Toyota, M-Sport Ford and Hyundai. Now featuring full tube-frame chassis and incorporating the spec, 100kW hybrid system supplied by Compact Dynamics, the different approaches of each manufacturer were clear.
Most notable were the varying means used to tackle cooling the hybrid systems at the rear of the car. Talking to the team technical directors, all noted that meeting the cooling requirements was a challenge, while staying within the rules dictating inlet and exit sizes.
Hyundai i20 N Rally1, engine detail, tire change zone, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
Hyundai i20 N Rally1, front suspension, tire change zone, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
Hyundai i20 N Rally1, fuel cell removal prior to retirement. Service park, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022.
Hyundai i20 N Rally1, service park, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 engine, tire change zone, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 engine installation, tire change zone, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
Also apparent was a seeming reversal in suspension layout choices. With the previous WRC machines, both Toyota and M-Sport opted to offset their suspension uprights from the axle axis front and rear while Hyundai placed theirs inline, but for 2022, the opposite was true. Notably, travel is now limited to 275mm, whereas in the past there was no limit and teams were running in excess of 300mm. The limit, at least according to Toyota Gazoo Racing technical director Tom Fowler, meant it was feasible to hit the travel target without the need to offset the dampers, though Hyundai’s Julien Moncet remained tight lipped as to why it chose an alternative approach.
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, front suspension, tire change zone, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, rear suspension strut, service park, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 rear upright detail, service park, Rallye Monte-Carlo
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, underfloor protection and 4.5kg ballast, service park, Rallye Monte-Carlo
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 rear underside detail, service park, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, interior detail, service park, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, rear suspension installation, service park, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1, rear cooling detail, service park, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2022
