Hyundai WRT

[Fast Eddie WRC]

If he left for health reasons why is he on dirt fish and every rally every chance he gets?

Come on.

That's nothing like having the pressure of being responsible for running the Hyundai WRT and it's late Rally1 car.

[wyler]

If he left for health reasons why is he on dirt fish and every rally every chance he gets?

Come on.

it's very different going to a pub from being the bartender...

[Gonek]

Gentlemen, please stop! It‘s him who is responsible for all the shit Hyunday has now.

[flat_right]

Gentlemen, please stop! It‘s him who is responsible for all the shit Hyunday has now.

I can't believe that Hyundai waiting until the last minute was HIS fault. Most of the problems Hyundai is facing is because they had so little time to prepare for the season.

[flat_right]

Anyway, on a positive note, Ott sounded reasonably happy during the interview for Estonian media. Lately Ott and the guy who is interviewing (Peep Pahv) click quite ok, so Ott is quite open and giving nice answers, which couldn't be said couple of years ago. I translated the whole interview again so you could decide yourself.

Q: Ott Tänak, it's been a week and a half since the Rally Portugal. How much could you now repair the car and make any changes?
A: After Portugal, we were able to do a one-day test here in Sardinia. It was definitely much more positive than the test before Portugal. We were able to drive reasonable kilometers, there were no major technical problems during the test. The whole day was useful and went well. In Portugal, it was bad enough and we managed to learn from there and the test went a little better. I am certainly more positive before Sardinia than before Portugal.

Q: The information that you gathered in Portugal, could you manage to take and use some of it for this rally?
A: Let’s say that since the two rallies are linked, for example, transmissions and other things that cannot be changed and must stay the same, there we couldn't do anything. But at the same time, the chassis settings and such things, we were able to move to our working window much better. There should definitely come some positive feedback from there. Hopefully everything will work the same way on the rally. In general, yes, it was an efficient test day.

Q: Rally Sardenga has always suited Hyundai, with victories and other good results. Although the car has changed, is it still possible to transfer some of it to the current car so that Hyundai knows what it takes to win here?
A: The old Hyundai car was always very good in rough or difficult rallies, because it was designed to be relatively high. And where it had to be driven with a high ground clearance, it performed better than other cars. Again, this car is designed a little lower so that you can drive faster in other faster rallies. I can't tell if it should be here above all else, we’ll see. It's hard to say before the rally. I personally don’t think that Rally Sardegna will be harder than Portugal. In fact, in Portugal there were some special stages that were in a very bad shape.

Q: There has been a lot of talk about heat. Today it is already quite warm and it's getting hotter. Has anything been done to improve the situation of co-drives in the car? Did you manage to add some heat shielding or anything?
A: It was already covered before. After all, if heat wants to penetrate, it will penetrate through. The FIA allowed us to use mirrored glass and it should shed a little of the outside sun. And a few holes were allowed to be made so maybe a little more air could move inside the car. It's bits and pieces here and there. It's going to be like sitting on a stove, especially for Martin. But in general, the car heats up inside and if it is 40 degrees outside, it can be doubled inside the car. We’ll see how tough it is going to be. Sitting in the sauna for 15-20 minutes is okay, but it's hard to prepare for doing it for 12 hours.

Q: Could you already understand during the test how much benefit this gold-colored film has?
A: Actually, during the test, we had a quite okay temp, 22-25 degrees. It wasn't very crazy. The test also always means that we drive back and forth and, in the meantime, we turn around and have to wait until the dust disappears. And then the whole engine system cools down. During the test it won't reach the same temperatures as on the rally.

Q: The heat will definitely affect the tires. How severe the combination of road and heat is going to be for the tires?
A: It's definitely one of the hardest rallies for the tires during the season. Firstly, in terms of durability. During the recce, we could see that there were a relatively large number of loose stones. You have to be ready for surprises there. Secondly, highly abrasive roads combined with temperatures make it equally challenging for tyre wear. I think it’s going to be rather complicated, especially for those cars that start early. Then if there is loose gravel, you would need a soft tire that would better absorb these ball bearings on the ground. But while it's so hot, it obviously overheats right away. This tyre choice will be a headache.

Q: Rally Sardegna is symbolically an important place for you. Here you got your first victory. After that, of course, there have been many more. But how often do you remember that you won here and the moment goes through your head?
A: At the moment I haven't thought about it. These things will happen sometimes in the future and of course they are special. Looking back, it was definitely a very important moment in my career. Until then, we had been very close several times, and in order for the system to work, let's say this cap needed to be removed. At that moment, it was done, and since then we have been close other times, and even until the last stage coming quite safely. Sardinia is such a harsh place where you can always be surprised.

[Lancia Stratos]

I can't believe that Hyundai waiting until the last minute was HIS fault. Most of the problems Hyundai is facing is because they had so little time to prepare for the season.

And why was that?

I'll give you one guess which team was the first to place an order for a hybrid kit?

And I'll give you one guess which team manager thought he could stop the FIA from going ahead with hybrid?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

And why was that?

I'll give you one guess which team was the first to place an order for a hybrid kit?

And I'll give you one guess which team manager thought he could stop the FIA from going ahead with hybrid?

Yes Adamo was against hybrid. But once the regulations were decided it was Hyundai HQ who delayed the decision for their team to take part in 2022

[Lancia Stratos]

Yes Adamo was against hybrid. But once the regulations were decided it was Hyundai HQ who delayed the decision for their team to take part in 2022

Ha! That was the official line, yes........

[flat_right]

Ha! That was the official line, yes........

So what you are telling us that once the regulations were agreed and confirmed, Adamo was still saying no, we are not doing this and was just waiting... Amazing. Any proof?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I think it's more PR and from Hyundai HQ, rather than real improvement.

Can't be that now one test.day did all good.

Tanak after Sardinia win...

"Luckily, we had a test day between Portugal and Sardinia and we could continue working and we definitely did some good improvements. Before the rally, I was much more confident in the car. Obviously, it has worked out pretty well."