Ott Tanak will use an older-specification Hyundai i20 Rally1 car at next week’s Central European Rally, with the 2019 world rally champion deeming it better suited.
The decision follows a back-to-back test of the 2025-specification car and last year’s model, without the hybrid unit as per this year’s regulations, following last month’s round in Chile.
Hyundai has so far struggled to maximise its heavily upgraded 2025 car this year, with its maiden outing on asphalt at the Canary Islands in April providing several headaches for the team.
With the World Rally Championship heading back to asphalt next week, Tanak reported that he felt much more comfortable in what is effectively the 2024 car. This specification is what Hyundai fielded in the opening round of the season in Monte Carlo.
Tanak has been afforded an unusual amount of set-up flexibility heading into next week’s rally after Hyundai decided not to field the Estonian as one of its drivers nominated to score manufacturer points for the remaining rounds of the season. This call has allowed Tanak to take advantage of the sporting regulations and fit a brand-new engine after maximising his allocation in Chile, without incurring a five-minute time penalty.
Given Tanak is Hyundai’s best hope at securing the drivers’ title, 43 points behind Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier, Hyundai has stated that Tanak is the team’s priority next week.
Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photo by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport
Team-mates Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux will drive the full evolution-spec 2025 i20 N Rally1 car next week. Speaking to Autosport this week, the Belgian revealed that he is confident there is more potential in the 2025 car compared to its predecessor. The drivers will be running new damper struts.
“We’re fully committed to the championship fight and pushing for every point. In a bid to support Ott and Martin, we’re taking advantage of the sporting regulations,” said Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul.
“As they are no longer nominated for manufacturers’ points, we’ve been able to bring a new engine into circulation without incurring a time penalty. Ott and Martin will return to the Monte-spec Hyundai i20 N Rally1 for this event, having reported a better feeling in the car in testing.
“Meanwhile, our continuous development of the 2025 evo car continues, with both Thierry and Adrien carrying damper updates next weekend. Their focus will be on further developing these technical upgrades for Rally Japan, and beyond.”
Looking ahead to the rally, Tanak added: “We’ve competed at Central European Rally a few times now, so we have a good sense of what to expect. This is an event that is very dependent on the weather conditions; there’s a lot of cuts and the road can become extremely dirty.
“The further back you are in the road order, the more surprises you encounter – every car pulls more dirt onto the road. Driving style is also key, especially with grip levels changing dramatically, particularly after rain. Experience really counts here.
“We are still in the hunt for the championship, so delivering a top performance is absolutely essential.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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