Ott Tänak - Future champion?

[cali]

Tanak is under contract and Mads is just a customer, no? Maybe D-Mack will be a factor?

What about DMack?

[noel157]

What about DMack?

Money, sponsorship, support etc.

[Mintexmemory]

The thing that bewilders me in these speculations is: what about Mads Østberg? He's the same age as Tänak, but more experienced and already more accomplished in a WRC car. Why wouldn't Ford choose him to partner Latvala?

Well the cynical answer is that why pay someone who is already paying you, when you can pay someone else (of rapidly improving potential) much less and not create a threat to the undisputed team leader. As for Mads being more experienced than Ott - I believe many of the 2011 events were new to Mads and Ott was doing them in SWRC at the same time (e.g. Sardinia).

[EuroTroll]

Well the cynical answer is that why pay someone who is already paying you, when you can pay someone else (of rapidly improving potential) much less and not create a threat to the undisputed team leader. As for Mads being more experienced than Ott - I believe many of the 2011 events were new to Mads and Ott was doing them in SWRC at the same time (e.g. Sardinia).

Still, two podium finishes... Not bad for Norway's next rally generation.

Or does Mads's ability to independently find funds for next year really count against him? That would be... interesting.

[cali]

Money, sponsorship, support etc.

Not going to happen unless they would like to be out of top 6

[noel157]

Have to start somewhere.

[tolis]

I found a picture of Ott Tanak driving a Renault Clio Sport in Rally Norway 2006.

[Allar]

It was a new team for very young Ott Tänak back in 2006. I think he retired from this event. He had very sloppy gearchanges back then and it destroyed gearbox.

[rubla]

He had very sloppy gearchanges back then and it destroyed gearbox.

That was "official" version of things by one quite controversial local team chief back then. He also said that Ott will never achieve anything in rally due to obvious lack of talent. period. If you look at his performances before and after this brief stint in this team, you notice that he has never had problems with gearchanges, not before with Golf, not afterwards with other cars. One explanation which i heard, was that this was due to defective transmission/gearbox, they should have bought new gearbox and related parts, instead of replacing just broken cogs. But as things went sour there quickly and team didnt want to spend money on him, this was never done. If i remember correctly though, after he left this team, he also bought out this same Renault, got new gearbox and suddenly overnight these gearbox failures stopped...

[Jeppe]

I found one pic also. It´s from 2005 edition of Tallinn Rally where Ott were quite spectacular - as always