Hyundai Motor Company has won the 2019 World Rally Championship for the first time, one of the most recognized auto racing rallies along with Formula 1 (F1).
The Korean automaker announced on Wednesday that it has grabbed the manufacturer’s title at the World Rally Championship, which is a mixed surface rally where drivers ride over both uneven dirt roads and paved roads.
The manufacturer championship is awarded to a carmaker that has accumulated most points over the year. Hyundai Motor company received 380 points, 18 points ahead of Toyota, and it has automatically become the winner of the year as the final round was cancelled due to massive bushfires in Australia.
Hyundai Motor was ranked 4th and 3rd at the World Rally Championship in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The runner-up for three consecutive years since 2016 has finally claimed the victory this year.
Do-Hyong Kim dodo@donga.com