Ott Tänak - Future champion?

[cali]

No, not russian flag, there was straight logo.. Go check that ork's 2022 Rally Sweden helmet..

Wowwww

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[Kras]

No, not russian flag, there was straight logo.. Go check that ork's 2022 Rally Sweden helmet..

Driver who put outlines of his home citys biggest landmarks on his helmet is an "ork"

You people are deranged

[Kalm]

Driver who put outlines of his home citys biggest landmarks on his helmet is an "ork"

You people are deranged

No one has a problem with drivers putting their home citys on their helmets, Nikolay had Russia all over his car for a while, no one had a issue with that, problem starts when from that city a terrorist act is being orchestrated, then you have to make a decision if you are with it or against it. If a Afghan rally driver funded by Bin Laden entered an rally in USA after 9/11, having Kabul city and al-Qaeda painted on his helmet and "from Afganistan with love" on the rear bumper, and people disliked it, does that make these people deranged? Because it is the same thing.

But for sure its not a discussion for this topic, so somebody should clean this up here. Most of the people missed the point of the original post with Skoda and their potential domestic dilemma anyway...

[RS]

No one has a problem with drivers putting their home citys on their helmets, Nikolay had Russia all over his car for a while, no one had a issue with that, problem starts when from that city a terrorist act is being orchestrated, then you have to make a decision if you are with it or against it. If a Afghan rally driver funded by Bin Laden entered an rally in USA after 9/11, having Kabul city and al-Qaeda painted on his helmet and "from Afganistan with love" on the rear bumper, and people disliked it, does that make these people deranged? Because it is the same thing.

It’s not the same. Gryazin did the things you mention (although nothing explicitly supporting Putin?) before the invasion of Ukraine, and as far as i’m aware neither is he funded by Putin. Concede on the helmet, Rally Sweden started the same day as the invasion although of course he would have packed his helmets beforehand.

Sorry for OT but it was raised here.

[manthey]

Most of the people missed the point of the original post with Skoda and their potential domestic dilemma anyway...

Can you explain please?

[mknight]

He had the "art" on his helmet since I believe Estonia 2021. You probably noticed that things have been going on since 2014.

Can you explain please?

I brought it up. Right now he arguably is the biggest favorite out of all Skoda drivers with the new Fabia for a WRC2 win in Monte.

Now Skoda has always valued and promoted Monte win more than basically any rally and for sure they want to promote potential first win with new car.
Mood in CZ just like in all current major Skoda markets (outside of India) is rather negative towards country of this driver.

So imagine the PR if he wins. I can already see how the CZ headlines might look. The damage potential is immense. IMO up to and including scaling down or closing Motorsport activities.See how VW closed Polo R5 operations even after big investments to the car.

I find it amazing that Skoda Motorsport risks so much. Maybe they rely on late service clutch change (wink to a common 2005 Australia fan theory).

[RS]

It would be more of an issue if he was driving for a works Skoda team, but technically at least Toksport is a private team and Gryazin a customer. I don’t see what they can do unless they ban all Russians from driving their car. But then Wimbledon banned Russians from competing last year and it was still won by a woman who was born and lives in Moscow.

[Rallyest]

Maybe you guys should take it to PM or discuss it further in other more proper thread? This has nothing to do with Ott Tänak anymore

[mknight]

It would be more of an issue if he was driving for a works Skoda team, but technically at least Toksport is a private team and Gryazin a customer. I don’t see what they can do unless they ban all Russians from driving their car. But then Wimbledon banned Russians from competing last year and it was still won by a woman who was born and lives in Moscow.

There are 3 different issues:
1. Competition ban which you are mentioning is for FIA or rally organizer (Rally Estonia did ban him). And this is what Tanak was asked about.

Last year there were different levels of hiding him, sometimes he was skipped by WRC+ broadcasts, sometimes not even listed in results/tracking, a few times business as usual.

For Skoda there are 2:
2. Not letting him get the new car, especially as one of the first. Sure if it was half a year after introduction and tons of cars sold it could be difficult, but now in first WRC start with very few cars I can totally see they could keep him from getting it. Either directly or with some excuses.
Note that when he won Sardinia last year nobody cared, cause it was little visible rally with tons of retirements and a car which is everywhere. So delaying when he gets new car would work.

3. Making sure he is less likely to be the fastest Skoda, for example by nominatig Solberg or getting another driver. But that's very indirect and less certain to work. Cais getting the new car helps.

Maybe you guys should take it to PM or discuss it further in other more proper thread? This has nothing to do with Ott Tänak anymore

It is off topic now, but how do you take conversation with 6+ people to PMs I wonder.

[cali]

There are 3 different issues:
1. Competition ban which you are mentioning is for FIA or rally organizer (Rally Estonia did ban him). And this is what Tanak was asked about.

Last year there were different levels of hiding him, sometimes he was skipped by WRC+ broadcasts, sometimes not even listed in results/tracking, a few times business as usual.

For Skoda there are 2:
2. Not letting him get the new car, especially as one of the first. Sure if it was half a year after introduction and tons of cars sold it could be difficult, but now in first WRC start with very few cars I can totally see they could keep him from getting it. Either directly or with some excuses.
Note that when he won Sardinia last year nobody cared, cause it was little visible rally with tons of retirements and a car which is everywhere. So delaying when he gets new car would work.

3. Making sure he is less likely to be the fastest Skoda, for example by nominatig Solberg or getting another driver. But that's very indirect and less certain to work. Cais getting the new car helps.




It is off topic now, but how do you take conversation with 6+ people to PMs I wonder.

AFAIK Rally Estonia didn't ban him but it was done by government which did the job for RE easier as they didn't have the need to make any independent decision.

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