After just half a season in the Belgian Rally Championship with a Hyundai i20 N Rally2, 20-year-old Thomas Martens has already convinced Astara Western Europe, Hyundai’s importer for BeLux, to extend their partnership through to the end of 2027. The Limburger, nicknamed “The Ginger One”, now has a clear pathway to mount a full title assault in 2027 with additional resources and manufacturer support.
A vote of confidence in Belgium’s rising rally star
Martens is widely regarded as the biggest emerging talent in Belgian rallying, combining natural speed with an authentic, energetic personality that has quickly built a loyal and growing fanbase. Hyundai BeLux presents the deal as more than a sporting investment: it is also a brand play, aligning Martens’ fresh image with Hyundai’s ongoing transformation and the launch of five new models in Belgium over the next 15 months, including several sporty N derivatives.
Kristof Winckelmans, PR Manager at Hyundai BeLux, frames the partnership as a way to support home-grown talent while giving something back to the Belgian rally community that has long backed the brand. “Thomas embodies the values Hyundai stands for: passion, perseverance, authenticity and progress. That fits seamlessly with our brand vision, ‘Progress for Humanity’,” he says.
Martens’ role: development and ambassadorship
Under the agreement, Martens will complete the remainder of the 2026 season and the entire 2027 campaign in a Hyundai i20, with the explicit goal of becoming the youngest Belgian rally champion ever. Beyond the cockpit, he will take on a prominent role in Hyundai BeLux’s communication and PR activities, using his accessible profile to engage a new generation of car enthusiasts and motorsport fans, including people who are not yet rally followers.
Martens describes the deal as a “fantastic new chapter” in his rally story and a major step forward in his development as a driver. “I hope through rallying and everything we organise around it to create more emotion, experience and enthusiasm around the brand, and reach as wide an audience as possible, even people who are not yet rally fans,” he says.
Context within Hyundai’s motorsport strategy
Hyundai has deep roots in international rallying through Hyundai Motorsport in the WRC, and is already a familiar name in Belgium’s national scene. The Martens partnership is positioned as a logical extension of that involvement, with the added angle of using his profile to highlight Hyundai’s sporty DNA ahead of key model launches. Currently fifth in the BRC standings and already on the podium in the Rallye des Ardennes, Martens now has the platform to turn early promise into a sustained title challenge.
