2022 WRC News & Rumours

[cali]

Can we be more specific, or should everybody start to look to crystal ball?

I posted here about it once but since some of the members did not like it, I then removed my post. So, if anyone wants to know more specifically please PM. Not gonna let some of the guys here jump on my throat no more.

[trykmann]

I believe Lappi wasn't too complementary of him as a team mate.

According to Ott Tänak: the Movie they had a good relationship.

[AnttiL]

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/what-now-for-tanak/

[bandit12]

Still milking that cow...

[seb_sh]

The only interesting thing in that article is the claim to have information about disagreements in the team from an inside source. Not that it would be hard to guess but if it's getting printed it's might be pretty bad.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

The Hyundai judgement was probably that Tanak was still very unlikely to challenge Rovanpera for the Ch'ship even if they switched positions and Neuville deserved and needed the victory.

[ouvreur]

The Hyundai judgement was probably that Tanak was still very unlikely to challenge Rovanpera for the Ch'ship even if they switched positions and Neuville deserved and needed the victory.

Even if what you say was the actual thought process, it's still a vote against Tanak. Rather than backing their best chance, they admitted defeat. It would be quite something if Rovenpera ended up winning the title by less than 7 points...

[mknight]

Again I have to remind everyone of the contrast vs Toyota in Sweden 2020 where Ogier did not get teamorders vs Rovanpera who basically risked a crash (and came close to it) on PS to overhaul him.
"We don't do team orders" was basically the whole story. Before at MSport Ogier was demanding and getting teamorders already in Sweden on second rally of the year, same at Citroen.

So it does seem a bit inflated, sure Ditfish inflates it to create some buzz, but Tanak seems a bit like a spoiled child.

One good point in this article is that there is a huge contrast between Adamo/Penasse times and this. During their reign all kinds of team orders were applied, restarting drivers dropping minutes mid-stage for different road cleaning, team orders on who could push on PS etc etc.

Yet when Toyota didn't win it was more about their own mistakes than due to these tiny Hyundai things. (in 2019 it was as much about Meeke and Latvala loosing a lot of points unnecessarily due to own mistakes, in 2020 Toyota putting Rovanpera in his first season vs Breen+Sordo+Loeb combo).

It is not as straightforward "correct" decision as Dirtfish tries to make it.

[AnttiL]

Again I have to remind everyone of the contrast vs Toyota in Sweden 2020 where Ogier did not get teamorders vs Rovanpera who basically risked a crash (and came close to it) on PS to overhaul him.
"We don't do team orders" was basically the whole story. Before at MSport Ogier was demanding and getting teamorders already in Sweden on second rally of the year, same at Citroen.

What were the team orders in Sweden 2017-2019? IIRC Ogier's Sweden was ruined by heavy snowfall in 2018 and his own mistake in 2019. In 2017 he finished behind Tänak, no team orders were issued. Ogier however did get some team orders in Finland 2018, first Evans let him past on Friday for better start position and then on Sunday Suninen took time penalty to let Ogier pass.

As for Sweden 2020, Rovanperä was the third best Toyota before the power stage started so it wouldn't have made a difference if he crashed. Toyota wouldn't have gotten a 1-2-3 anyway.

[mknight]

I was thinking about Sweden 2018 yes. Most notably where Ogier got 4:10 penalty for his PowerStage ("hiding in forest" stunt) and they let Evans get 4:20 penalty just so he doesn't get ahead of Ogier in overall which would cost Ogier a single point.

In clear words. Evans who just won his first rally recently (GB 2017) as well as Suninen get pushed around with team orders for tiny advantages and one point on second rally of the year.


Then in Sweden 2020 Rovanpera in his second rally in WRC car and after finishing 5th 4mins behind Ogier in Monte (which Ogier didn't win), is allowed to take podium from Ogier without any drama. Quite a different approach.

( Toyota were 1-3-4 if Rovanpera crashed they would be 1-3).

Tldr. Imo Tanak not getting team orders is not extraordinary even by recent standards. Maybe by recent Adamo standards.