Abiteboul takes up dual role as Hyundai Team Principal and President

Cyril Abiteboul is set to adopt a dual role, for Hyundai, as the team’s Company President following in the footsteps of outgoing President Sean Kim. 

Following the team’s announcement of restructuring its senior management, effective from January 2024, Hyundai Team Principal Abiteboul has been promoted into a dual position within Hyundai’s Motorsport. 

As a direct result of the company’s senior management restructuring, President Sean Kim will leave his position after two years since he held the position in April 2022. 

This means that Abiteboul is set to remain as Team Principal for the Hyundai World Rally Championship team while taking up a new post as the Company President. In the announcement, the French Team Principal said: 

“Firstly, I must say thank you to Sean Kim for bringing me to Hyundai Motorsport and to Hyundai for the trust they have shown in me for this new role. We have clear targets in the categories where we are competing. 

“We are also tasked with the transformation of Hyundai Motorsport to reflect the evolution of Hyundai Motor Company and to continue to be a relevant platform for the N brand and products.

“We know there is work to be done, but we enjoy a team of dedicated, talented, and multi-cultural individuals that I will strive to guide with the same values of respect and trust as Sean did during his tenure.”

Following his departure from Renault – before its rebranding to Alpine – as the Formula One team boss, Abiteboul joined Hyundai as its Team Principal in 2023. 

During his first season with the team, the South Korean team completed the season as runners-up to reigning champions, Toyota Gazoo Racing, while Kalle Rovanpera took his second consecutive title. Despite the additional responsibilities, Abiteboul will continue to lead the WRC team as it hones in on its championship hopes for 2024. 

As for Kim, the outgoing company president will move to a new role within the Hyundai Motor Company. On the news of Abiteboul’s new dual role, Kim added:

“Just as twelve months ago I was pleased to welcome Cyril Abiteboul into the Hyundai family, today I hand over the role of President to him. 

“Hyundai Motorsport has been like a family for me these past two years and as I am turning to new challenges, I do so in the knowledge that the company is in the hands of a renewed leadership team, and able to push strongly for the seasons ahead.

“There is an incredible array of talent in Alzenau and I know the future holds the potential for great successes.”

Alongside his team principal role, Abiteboul will undertake a new strategic role as part of a conduit for the motorsport subsidiary and the corporation in Korea and Europe.

That’s all for the article; Abiteboul takes up dual role as Hyundai Team Principal and President!

Read more WRC here:

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• Tanak maintains 100% record in WRC Rally Chile as Toyota take title
• Ott Tanak steps closer to consecutive WRC Rally Chile victory
• Ott Tanak leads WRC Rally Chile in the sport’s first day back since 2019

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.