Ott Tanak says if team-mate Thierry Neuville is “sensible” on the Rally Japan there will probably be no probability for him to say a second World Rally Championship title regardless of Hyundai permitting its drivers to battle.
Each the drivers’ and producers’ titles will go right down to the wire in Japan subsequent month after final weekend’s dramatic Central European Rally.
Neuville may have sealed a maiden world title if he had outscored Tanak by two factors on the three-nation rally, however as an alternative left together with his 29-point lead reduce to 25 after the 2019 champion claimed a twenty first profession win.
It means the title battle will probably be selected Japan’s asphalt roads with the benefit firmly in Neuville’s arms, whereas Hyundai leads Toyota by 15 factors within the producers’ race.
Hyundai crew principal Cyril Abiteboul has confirmed that his drivers are capable of do battle unabated in Japan, however can also be desperate to safe a primary producers’ crown for the Korean model since 2020.
Whereas Neuville has a major benefit with 30 factors remaining on the desk, securing the title will not be an absolute certainty.
“I don’t know what distinction we are able to make however we are going to attempt our greatest, however with this scoring system it doesn’t make a lot distinction,” Tanak instructed Autosport.
“It’s true [a retirement can change things] for certain, I suppose it relies upon how a lot Thierry needs it.
“If he’s sensible in Japan and does an excellent job then no one has an opportunity, however we even have a accountability for the producers championship. It’s nonetheless an enormous job forward of us so we are able to’t actually focus solely on drivers title. We’re accountable for the crew too.”
Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Workforce Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photograph by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport
Neuville was heading in the right direction to beat Tanak final weekend to probably clinch the world title earlier than two errors in stage 12 dropped him from the result in fourth.
Reflecting on a weekend the place his lead over Tanak decreased, the Belgian believes he fulfilled his most important goal of sustaining a snug championship lead.
“If we take a look at our targets forward of the occasion we utterly fulfilled all the targets by leaving right here with an enormous lead within the championship for the final spherical, but additionally having completed the rally and brought some good Sunday factors,” Neuville instructed Autosport.
“So in that perspective we now have achieved however nonetheless we may be disillusioned as a result of we weren’t capable of preserve the lead.
“If I take a look at the circumstances we confronted on Saturday and even on Sunday…I’m unsure on the final day, the place the factors are validated, I might have been capable of go together with he identical dangers because the others.
“It’s a comfy lead. The worst case situation is we have to take six factors. In another situation we’re fairly effective.
“We have to discover the fitting stability [in Japan] as a result of there may be nonetheless the producers’ championship to battle for and nonetheless we now have that third automotive with Andreas [Mikkelsen] who will go for a push. We have to discover a good stability in between a protected however good drive.”
Whatever the consequence of the drivers’ championship, Hyundai boss Abiteboul is relieved to have secured one in all his two most important targets.
“What we are able to say is we’re midway on our goal,” he added. “We now have secured a driver title, we don’t know which one but which is why we don’t wish to rejoice.
“We now have achieved our mission so that could be a reduction and for the remaining let’s see what we are able to do in Japan.”