Ott Tänak - Future champion?

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Originally Posted by Kristjan

But things change, and he seemed to lose it all when pitted against the Seb..

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We should not forget that through history some drivers seem to be top guys in one car and suck in another - Mäkinen in Mitsu vs Sub; Märttin in Ford vs Pug - i would put Duval also in that line with his Ford vs Citroen move. Some cars are developed for and by certain star drivers and others coming in might just find them unsuitable for them, maybe because car suits certain driving style better than another, maybe they just dont feel comfortable in new car behaving too differently comparing to old one.

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Originally Posted by BDunnell

The depth of talent just isn't there.

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I think that's harsh, and far from true. There's a huge depth of talent on tap with the present drivers, the young Tanak, Paddon, Nikara and the top IRC contenders, Hanninen etc... . Not to mention a few older ex WRC pilots still hanging around the fringes.
The issue is the mountain is so much tougher to climb than in other era. Regardless of talent or financial backing these guys simply cannot sit in a Loeb spec Citroen or the Ford equivalent so you cannot assess their ability accurately.
And when & if they do ever get the chance, they have to contend with the master himself with a decade unchallenged at the top and for whom the car is as comfortable as an old slipper.

I think too much is being made of the D-Mack tyre. Not enough is known to make assessment here on whether he would have been faster, better, cleaner, on Michellin's. The fact that Tanak lost speed toward the end of long stages could simply be a concentration issue. He wouldn't be the first.

The fact that we're talking about him is fair indication that he's already an exciting and class act.

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Originally Posted by sollitt

I think that's harsh, and far from true. There's a huge depth of talent on tap with the present drivers, the young Tanak, Paddon, Nikara and the top IRC contenders, Hanninen etc... . Not to mention a few older ex WRC pilots still hanging around the fringes.
The issue is the mountain is so much tougher to climb than in other era. Regardless of talent or financial backing these guys simply cannot sit in a Loeb spec Citroen or the Ford equivalent so you cannot assess their ability accurately.
And when & if they do ever get the chance, they have to contend with the master himself with a decade unchallenged at the top and for whom the car is as comfortable as an old slipper.

I think too much is being made of the D-Mack tyre. Not enough is known to make assessment here on whether he would have been faster, better, cleaner, on Michellin's. The fact that Tanak lost speed toward the end of long stages could simply be a concentration issue. He wouldn't be the first.

The fact that we're talking about him is fair indication that he's already an exciting and class act.

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We talk a lot about Matt Wilson, and he is neither.

Other than that, you make very good points.

#WRC Ott Tanak will drive the 2nd Ford Fiesta Wrc in French National Rallye du Var 2011 & Latvala in first Fiesta Wrc Var Ralye 2011

Latvala and Tänak, does it mean something?

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Originally Posted by jbmarcus21

#WRC Ott Tanak will drive the 2nd Ford Fiesta Wrc in French National Rallye du Var 2011 & Latvala in first Fiesta Wrc Var Ralye 2011

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Interesting...

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Originally Posted by rallyfan+

Latvala and Tänak, does it mean something?

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It could be a sign! M-Sport must be paying for this event, because i see very little reason for Ott to cover these costs, considering how tight his budget has always been. Maybe Wilson is trying to show Ford bigwigs some new and exciting team options and doing this in a rally without other real wrc entrants is quite safe (also bit pointless maybe...)?

Good practice for RMC, no snow and ice (usually).

I think Tanak is still an unknown quantity. He obviously has car control and commitment in abundance but these days they are just not enough. He has a lot of work to do in other areas but he is still young enough to be moulded into a great driver and he certainly has the right management team behind him who have succeeded in putting him in front of the right people early on in his career.

It is an interesting time for the WRC with so many young drivers coming through to replace the likes of Loeb and Hirvonen in a couple of years.

Still, Ford has to commit to WRC, and a probable demand for them is a new Manu title for once. Taking a young driver like Tänak, as talended as he is, is still a risk. Especially considering they are now against both Mr. Consistency's at Citroën.