Just some hours after the results from the 2022 RallyRACC Catalunya – Costa Daurada round came, it was announced that the 2019 world rally champion Ott Tänak and Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT will end their collaboration after this year´s season.
Tänak chooses to break the contract with the team and does so in a situation where he says he has reached a limit in his career and needs a new challenge. The seasons with Hyundai have not been the best in the 35-year-old’s career, after the WRC title with Toyota Gazoo Racing, the Estonian took the step to Hyundai in the hope of continuing to deliver WRC titles, but it was not to be.
Tänak has had three seasons with the German-run team where the problems followed each other, technical problems, driver mistakes, and problems in communication with team management. Now Tänak chooses not to continue after this year’s season, what the next challenge will be is not known. The Estonian is still registered for Rally Japan, where he will defend his second place in the championship.
For a long time, rumors surrounding a comeback at M-Sport Ford WRT have been rife, Tänak and sporting director Malcolm Wilson have a long relationship where the Briton many times saved the Estonian’s career when the crashes followed each other. After the final in Japan, we know for sure what happens – maybe we will see Tänak and Oliver Solberg in Ford Puma Rally1 when the 2023 season starts in Rallye Monte-Carlo as the Swede is also in talks with the British outfit.
For Hyundai, this means that the team only has Thierry Neuville contracted for 2023, possibly Dani Sordo, who himself is considering putting his helmet on the shelf, will now have to take a step up, from part-time to full-time driver. A name mentioned in the speculation is the Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen, while Teemu Suninen is said to be ready to be picked up in the Rally1 class again.
