Hyundai’s plan to boost Tanak’s WRC title hopes

Hyundai has left no stone unturned in its bid to provide Ott Tanak with the best possible package to challenge for the World Rally Championship title.

The Korean marque has stated that it is the team’s priority to provide Tanak and co-driver Martin Jarveoja - its best hope of securing the drivers’ title, 43 points behind leader Sebastien Ogier - with the most competitive package possible. 

This has resulted in Hyundai going to unusual lengths ahead of this week’s Central European Rally.

The brand has opted to remove Tanak from its roster of drivers nominated to score manufacturer points for the remaining rounds of the season. This has afforded an opportunity to take advantage of the sporting regulations.

Tanak had used his allotted two engines per season following an engine failure in Chile,. However, now Tanak is not listed as a manufacturer entry, the team is able to fit a brand new engine without incurring a five-minute time penalty.

Tanak will also use an older specification Hyundai i20 Rally1 car which the 2019 world rally champion feels will be better suited for this week’s asphalt stages in the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany. 

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 WRC heading back to asphalt, 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’s team-mates Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux will drive the full evolution spec 2025 i20 N Rally1 car.

“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.”

Watch 2025 World Rally Championship on DAZN

The 2025 World Rally Championship is available through DAZN on its own dedicated app channel, Rally TV.

It is available either as a dedicated Rally TV subscription, or as part of your existing DAZN subscription for a small add-on fee.

DAZN is the home of Rally TV worldwide, excluding Estonia, Finland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, China, Hong Kong and Japan.

Rally TV also broadcasts every race from the European Rally Championship.

Watch every WRC and ERC race this year on DAZN's 24-hour dedicated Rally TV channel. For more information on prices, subscriptions and more, click here .