Silly Season 2020

[steve.mandzij]

latvala was never one of the best drivers. a good number 2, but never anywhere near a match to ogier.

Nonsense, he was runner up three times, easily the best of the rest for years, and at one moment likely the quickest on raw speed.

[mknight]

He was talking in a very serious tone about how it's not good for the sport if one team has two of the star drivers (guess he meant the trio of Tänak, Ogier and Neuville) in its roster.

Well he is right on that one.

[atsiotras79]

Tommi has the biggest budget. Your 1st driver’s contract ends. Why Tommi making a decision for 1st driver is ruled out?
What if for the same amount of money he could get Ogier?
Just thinking out loud...

[Allez Andruet]

Rough translation from Mäkinen's Finnish interview I was referring to:

If we assume Ott is going to Hyundai, in a way I’m disappointed because I have always said that it would be best (for the sport) if every team would have one star driver in its roster but this is tough business and I think Adamo has said that he’s only interested in their own success. I am maybe looking a bit more at the overall picture, that what would keep people interested (in rallying).

[Duvel]

If Hyundai are really hungry for Manu championship, if they don't get it this year, they know their biggest problem is Tanak in a Toyota.
Makes sense for them to sign Tanak and take away the threat of their biggest rival.

It may upset Neuville, but he would just have to come out the blocks as best he can as soon as the season starts and try and dominate Tanak who would be having to adjust to a new car, to lay claim to no.1 driver.

Would be curius to see if tanak would struggle on the same events.
I tink Neuville managed to squeeze everey last bit of speed out of that I20, even when the rally didn't suit him or the car

[KKS]

For Adamo it's win-win situation either way if he gets Tanak. If Tanak is fast... good for Adamo, if he is not fast... he got one less competitor and the main points scorer at Toyota away.

I don't quite understand Tanak's motivation all that much though. Yes especially the Sardinia episode where Tommi seemingly prioritized keeping costs down over securing the win at all costs would matter. But still Hyundai is seen as a "risky" car with no guarantee for top performance on all rallies (and for all drivers). But yes it has improved since Finland this year.

Even we have some problems with all cars here and there. It's not just #8 Toyota broke-up every time. #8 i20 will broke-up with same % of chance.

[KKS]

Would be curius to see if tanak would struggle on the same events.
I tink Neuville managed to squeeze everey last bit of speed out of that I20, even when the rally didn't suit him or the car

100% Tanak can easily make 2 or 3 WDC in next years with Toyota, but chose to play a gamble.
Interesting to see motivation to do that... money?

[AnttiL]

He has been wrong also quite many times...

Was he (David Evans) wrong about anything else than Tänak staying at M-Sport at the end of 2017? And that was a case of Tänak telling him face to face he will stay at M-Sport (at an M-Sport event)

[Tarmop]

Securing future in terms of running a manuf. R5 team is also quite tempting.

[EstWRC]

Was he (David Evans) wrong about anything else than Tänak staying at M-Sport at the end of 2017? And that was a case of Tänak telling him face to face he will stay at M-Sport (at an M-Sport event)

But that was a quite big wrong.