Hyundai Motorsport's first project for circuit racing took a big step forward last week, with the new generation i30 TCR taking to the track for the first time as testing began for the new car. The Customer Racing department travelled to Motorland Aragon in Spain as the development phase of the project got underway in earnest.

Prior to the trip, the team had completed several shakedown runs with the brand new design, but the three days at the track gave the engineers a first opportunity to gather data about the car's behaviour around laps of a race circuit.

Completing the running without major reliability issues, the team was able to begin trying alternative settings as they started to work towards a base setup for the car. The mix of corners on the Aragon circuit made it the perfect venue for the maiden test.

The 5.3km layout allowed the team and driver Gabriele Tarquini to refine the handling balance through both low and high-speed corners, as well as under heavy braking for the hairpin at the end of the long back straight. The team was also able to test a number of different engine map settings to begin to gauge the performance of the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, which is connected to a six-speed sequential gearbox, operated with paddle shifters.

Based on the road-going new generation i30 platform, the new racecar is designed according to the successful TCR regulations that were first used in 2015. The category now forms the basis for a number of international and national championships, as well as for classes that compete at endurance events.

Following the test, the car returned to Hyundai Motorsport's headquarters in Alzenau, Germany, where the team will prepare for the next date in a busy development schedule. Testing of the new generation i30 TCR will continue through the summer and autumn at venues around Europe. The first completed cars are expected to be delivered to customers is early December.