WRC Rally Monza 2021

[bandit12]

Perhaps he'll go back to toyota or even m-sport.

I doubt it, but who knows....

Please stop talking nonsense.

[doubled1978]

It could be true that Tänak will retire. At least if he is not able to get next year´s car to his liking and knows that Hyundai is behind the other cars. He is already World Champion and there is nothing more left...

All I can say is he doesn’t really give off the impression he loves what he’s doing, it may just be his demeanour but of all of them it wouldn’t surprise me if he packed in before it was expected.
Purely speculative but it would also not surprise me if Ogier stopping is also something that reduces his motivation.

[abcrally]

Really surprising announcement. If it really is because of family reasons, then I'm afraid that it is something serious and I really wish him all the best. Other theories:

1) Maybe testing Hyundai Rally1 car somewhere? As they just had this rally simulation, then they saw that there is a lot of work to do and need someone experienced to test the car. As Ott has basically nothing to gain then they thought that maybe they can use Ott's talent in development. One rally is over one week with all the travels and recces and they don't have that time.

2) Retirement... With the least probability but considering his latest interviews, wouldn't surprise as much as I would have in summer. He has been quite vocal about the cars as they doesn't deserve WRC name and for the first time it is not a real car. So maybe after rally simulation that Hyundai had, he thought that f*ck this and called it a day.

Anyway.. don't take this too seriously. Just thinking out loud.

I also wish Ott and his family all the best.

I find three theories:

Continue with Hyundai
Retirement from WRC
Move to M-Sport Ford

[WRCStan]

If he wants to retire and not honour his contract after Monza why wouldn't he retire and not honour his contract before Monza? Surely he would do it with immediate effect? This is silly season chat!

[rallyfiend]

If he wants to retire and not honour his contract after Monza why wouldn't he retire and not honour his contract before Monza? Surely he would do it with immediate effect? This is silly season chat!

It could just be a chance to give him some time to reconsider his future, before making a final decision.

There will be a lot of testing coming up - both developmental and Monte prep, so they give him a break...

It seems unusual to take this significant decision 2 weeks before the event.....

[AnttiL]

1) Maybe testing Hyundai Rally1 car somewhere? As they just had this rally simulation, then they saw that there is a lot of work to do and need someone experienced to test the car. As Ott has basically nothing to gain then they thought that maybe they can use Ott's talent in development. One rally is over one week with all the travels and recces and they don't have that time.

Whatever the case is this doesn't seem likely at all. The team engineers should be at the test while you suggest they would be in Monza. Test days are limited so they wouldn't have to cancel his Monza drive to gain more test days.

[TypeR]

Are they limited at the moment?
New car, not yet homologated.. can't test as much as they want now?

[flat_right]

But are test days limited if you are developing totally new car? So far I have understood that if you have a homologated car, then for that the test days are counted but for new car, you can basically test as much as you want.

[AnttiL]

From sporting regulations:

68.4.5 2022 WRC CARS TESTING
30 additional test days for the purpose of testing new
generation cars will be granted to every Manufacturer Team
entered in the 2020 and/or 2021 WRC Championship, that
is developing a new WRC car according to the specifications of the 2022 technical regulations, under the following
conditions:
a) for the period of the 1st of November 2020 until 31st of
December 2021
b) for the period of 1st of November 2020 until 31st of
December 2020 all the 2020 WRC regulations regarding
testing have to be respected.
c) for the period of 1st of January 2021 until 31st of
December 2021 all the 2021 WRC regulations regarding
testing have to be respected.
Manufacturer Teams are required to use and complete the
appropriate specific test form available

[meh]

If you read the announcement - one just not make joke or fake news out of family reasons. It would be stupid and ridiculous.