Racing teams working with South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor have come first and second overall in the World Touring Car Cup in their official debut season, the company said Monday.

It added that a team run by Hyundai had also come second in the World Rally Championship.

The team led by French auto-racing driver Yvan Muller, which uses a remodeled version of Hyundai’s i30 N, ended the season first in the WTCR championship, after the last of 10 rounds at the Guia Circuit in Macau from Nov. 15 to 18. The BRC Racing Team from Italy, which ranked second for the season, also drove the same car.

“It’s obviously a great feeling to win the title. It’s been a year of hard work, not only for me, but by all of the BRC Racing Team and Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing as well,” said BRC Racing Team driver Gabriel Tarquini, who claimed the overall drivers’ championship.

“There have been so many good moments, and the Hyundai i30 N TCR has proved itself to be the car to beat all season. I, in fact all the Hyundai drivers, have been fast and consistent all year, and with both titles for a Hyundai there is the evidence to prove it.”

The carmaker’s own racing team, Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team, took second place in the WRC 2018, followed by M-Sport Ford World Rally Team.

Hayden Paddon, who ranked second in the WRC Kennards Hire Rally Australia at Coffs Harbour on Nov. 18, led the team, it said. Thierry Neuville of the Hyundai team also came second in the individual performance segment.

“Motorsport and high performance go hand in hand at Hyundai; we will now focus on transferring that winning feeling onto customers around the world and to enhance their enjoyment of driving Hyundai vehicles,” said Thomas Schemera, executive vice president and the head of product planning and strategy.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)