Silly Season 2020

[mknight]

I see that as partly as Adamo keeping all his options open.

- He might still want Breen to do Australia
- He will for sure want to create as much "competition" for last seat as possible to lower the price he has to pay to whoever gets the drive
- Mikkelsen will definitely do Australia so he won't say whether he is out until after Australia

[AnttiL]

https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-11017296

Suninen likely to continue with M-Sport, says Jouhki

[dimviii]

4634/5000
Ott Tänak is rightly the most important piece of the World Rally Carriage market. The position holds, even if the World Cup does not yet secure its world championship in the second-last race of the season in Catalonia.

Manager Timo Jouhki knows exactly what position Jack is in - the king moves first, then it is the turn of the others.

- This is not very exceptional. The fastest driver is the most wanted, Jouhki recalls.

Thus, the drivers managed by Jouhk, for example, Jari-Matti Latvala will be assured of the future (you will move to another service) only after Today's decision. Of course, Jouhki himself has been in a situation where his protectors have frozen the negotiations of practically everyone else.

Now, one of these safeguards is for someone who feverishly wants to put an Estonian name on paper.
Twisting of the contract began already in the spring

Tommi Mäkinen's vengeance between Toyota and Today has been stretching from one rally to the next. Already in May, Tänak announced that he wanted a new agreement as soon as possible. At the time, M-Sport's boss Malcolm Wilson immediately stated that his main goal was to capture the British team today.

For the first time things had to be settled during the summer break of the World Cup, but by the time of the Finnish World Rally, speculation had only intensified. Even today, Estonian legend Markko Märtin, who is responsible for today's affairs, made sure that his visit to the stall of Toyota's biggest rival, Hyundai, was also quoted.
Malcolm Wilson and Markko Märtin at the premiere of the film Ott Tänak in Tallinn in April 2019.
Malcolm Wilson (left) said in May that he wants Markko Märtin's (right) protector back.

That is why Tänak has measured its value by getting contract deals from M-Sport and Hyundai. According to Toyota boss Mäkinen, Tänak is still negotiating a deal with the Japanese team.

- You never know for sure. It's been such a spin, Jouhki points out.

Today and Jouhki, who followed the long saga of Toyota's side, wonders how Tänak and his background have turned the deal around.

- Very non-orthodox activity, both from the driver and his so-called manager. It seems amazing how they handle things.
Today's claim is more than just a plush salary

One thing is quite certain in the rallying world. This applies to the value of the future agreement today. Estonians are expected to sign the most expensive contract in the history of the World Cup. Currently, record-breaking cardboard is burning in the pocket of six-time master Sebastien Ogier. Depending on various sources, Ogier's basic salary is estimated to be at least more than EUR 5 million.

Drivers' seasonal earnings are often more heavily focused on success bonuses than their basic salary. It is precisely the relationship between the two that may be one of the points of disagreement between Tänak and Toyota.

However, it is more likely that a pure salary debate will have some other terms in the contract that are not entirely in line with Toyota's views. Ogier, for example, has often had different clauses in his contracts to try to strengthen his position in the stable.
Ogier
Over the years, Sebastien Ogier has shown how to hold on to one's own worth.Tomi Hänninen

Only the imagination is the limit to the ways in which the driver can consolidate his position. The driver may require extra flights for his or her own expenses, or may require specialist in-house expertise to supply certain parts to the garage for tests. Of course, cost-accurate teams don't want to pay extra for overwhelming salary offsets. At the same time, the privileges of a single driver can influence the dynamics of the team - which, on the other hand, is precisely the purpose of the demanding driver.

- Ogier has been very straightforward in his negotiations, but apparently these guys weren't. Of course, that doesn't belong to me. All I can do is comment that it feels quite wonderful, Jouhki says.

One possibility, of course, is that Toyota and Tänak are shaking hands on the length of the contract. Existing cars will be replaced by new rules hybrid cars after the 2021 season.

According to Jouhk, at a general level, it is already possible to see how the preparation of hybrids affects contract negotiations.

- Yes, it has brought changes and will continue to do so. There are already stables that want to look at drivers for new cars.

- Drivers, on the other hand, already want to commit to such a team. Others want to see how power relationships change before they commit to anything.

Not everyone is expecting Today

However, the Estonian is not the only one who can still confuse the driver's guide. For the off-season, for example, is M-Sport's Elfyn Evans, who will surely be ready to move on if other teams show interest.

The Welshman has been one of the most steady drivers, though he has been disturbed by injuries that have required three recovery periods. As M-Sport is known to make only one-year contracts at a time, several years of cardboard might attract Evans.

On the other hand, it is very difficult for Evans to leave M-Sport behind. Camon Wilson, after giving the weak last year a new chance for the current season.
Chauffeur
Almost everyone has to wait for what Ott Tänak (center) does. Kris Meeke (left) is in the forefront of the extension agreement with Toyo. As Jari-Matti Latvala's map reader, Miikka Anttila (right) is in the same situation. In practice, only Citroen drivers don't have to be on their toes. Sebastien Ogier (second left) and Esapekka Lapland (second right) have contracts already concluded.Tomi Hänninen

However, Evans is not even here to challenge Today even in the driver market. So far, the only driver that has signed a contract this season has been Hyundai's Dani Sordo. The situation of the Spanish is different from that of the others, as he will only run special-purpose contracts in the season.

"Special drivers have always been fastest before that, as was the case with Sordo now," says Jouhki.

In spite of all this, Jouhkk has already made great progress with one driver. Teemu Suninen has agreed with M-Sport the basic principles of the extension agreement.
https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-11017669

[mknight]

Joukhi with criticizm of another manager... starting to become a tradition. Last year it was Veiby (senior) , this year Martin.

One interesting point is that Evans might be in debt (moral if anything) to Wilson for not dropping him at the end of the terrible last season.

[AnttiL]

Joukhi with criticizm of another manager... starting to become a tradition. Last year it was Veiby (senior) , this year Martin.

One interesting point is that Evans might be in debt (moral if anything) to Wilson for not dropping him at the end of the terrible last season.

Maybe they also have the deal where Wilson will get his share if Evans gets a properly paying factory seat?

[wrc2017]

Joukki never mentioned Latvala once.

[AnttiL]

Joukki never mentioned Latvala once.

Yle has a different article from assumably the same interview which covers Latvala’s situation

They speculate whether Toyota would also start using driver rotation and if that would save Latvala’s 2020 seat

https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-11017160

[wrc2017]

Yle has a different article from assumably the same interview which covers Latvala’s situation

They speculate whether Toyota would also start using driver rotation and if that would save Latvala’s 2020 seat

https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-11017160

That was 3 days earlier.

[Allez Andruet]

That was 3 days earlier.

Still probably from the very same interview. It's not like Jouhki talks with YLE on a daily basis.

[wrc2017]

Still probably from the very same interview. It's not like Jouhki talks with YLE on a daily basis.

OK. Must be serialising the interview.. how stupid of me.