At the beginning of January 2022 Hyundai revealed its i20 N Rally1 contender for the 2022 World Rally Championship (WRC). As you probably know by now, Rally1 is a special WRC series with cars using a hybrid powertrain and traveling specific road sections in electric mode only.

Now, is time for the i20 N Rally1 to meet its competition: the Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1. The car will be making its competitive debut at the Monte Carlo Rally, January 20-23.

Just like for the i20 N Rally1, the powertrain for the Puma Hybrid Rally1 will be built according to the WRC rules. This means the car will be powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine combined with a 100 kW electric motor.

The four-cylinder engine alone delivers a total of 380 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque, while the hybrid powertrain, combined, delivers more than 500 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque.

The electric motor will get its power from a 3.9 kWh battery that requires only 25 minutes to recharge. Also, the same WRC Rally1 regulations require that the competitors will use a fossil-free fuel from the 2022 season, blending synthetic and bio-degradable elements to produce a fuel that is 100 per cent sustainable.

Ford will enter the competition with four different cars: one driven by Sébastien Loeb, and the other three by Craig Breen, Adrien Fourmaux and Gus Greensmith.

“One of the most captivating aspects of WRC down the years has been the clear link between the ultra-high performance rally cars and their road-going equivalents," said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance. "That's why it's so important that this new era of WRC reflects our industry's shift to electrification. At Ford, we're fully committed to an electrified future, and campaigning the M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 car in the toughest conditions is going to help us develop even more exciting electrified powertrains for our customers.”