As the World Rally Championship (WRC) shifts gears towards its traditional gravel season with the upcoming event in Portugal, Hyundai’s Ott Tanak finds himself in fourth place in the championship standings, trailing teammate Thierry Neuville by 33 points.
Tanak, known for his prowess on gravel surfaces with 12 of his 19 WRC wins achieved on this terrain, sees this phase as an opportunity to showcase his potential, especially after encountering setbacks in earlier rounds like Monte Carlo and Sweden.
Despite initial struggles in the season, Tanak displayed glimpses of his speed in Kenya before an unfortunate crash halted his progress. However, he managed to bounce back in Croatia, securing significant points haul with a fourth-place finish, leveraging the new scoring system to his advantage.
With the shift to gravel, Tanak aims to find his rhythm and competitiveness once again, acknowledging the differences between the unique challenges of events like Safari Rally and those presented by more conventional gravel rallies like Portugal.
Tanak’s prospects for success in Portugal are further buoyed by his advantageous starting position, positioned fourth on the road, while Neuville is likely to contend with more challenging conditions as the road sweeper.
Neuville, despite leading the championship, anticipates a tough weekend ahead, acknowledging the inherent difficulties of maintaining their position amidst the gravel-dominated rounds that follow. However, he remains optimistic about their prospects, particularly as the team continues to refine the performance of their Hyundai i20 N.
Looking ahead, both Tanak and Neuville are aware of the looming challenges posed by the competitive field, especially with Toyota’s strong presence in such events. While the Hyundai team acknowledges the progress made with their car, they remain focused on further improvements to stay competitive against their rivals.
As the championship battle intensifies, every point becomes crucial, and both drivers are poised to give their best in navigating the demanding stages of Rally de Portugal and the subsequent gravel events on the WRC calendar.
