Despite narrowing his team-mate’s championship advantage and emerging as his most credible challenger after Rally Chile, Ott Tänak’s priority is not chasing Thierry Neuville down for what could be a second drivers’ title.
Instead, Tänak has told DirtFish securing Hyundai the manufacturers’ title is “more important” to him.
Neuville has led the championship ever since his victory at the Monte Carlo Rally, but Tänak – the only world champion to be contesting a full season in 2024 – managed to close to 29 points of him after Chile, thanks to beating Neuville in both the rally and the powerstage.
But equally, Neuville heads to Central European Rally later this month knowing that outscoring Tänak by two points would be enough to earn his first World Rally Championship title.
Tänak has previously suggested that there would be no backing off in the quest for points as improving a drivers’ tally also boosts a manufacturers’ haul. And he reiterated that after Rally Chile.
Tänak wants to score as many points as he can, but feels they're more valuable for Hyundai than himself
“We need to fight at the moment, I mean in the manufacturers,” he told DirtFish.
“It’s so open and obviously Toyota is pushing very hard so there is no way we could really back off in any way.”
But asked if he still has a chance at taking the drivers’ title, Tänak acknowledged Neuville is in prime position.
“I mean, yeah, in one way from my side it’s… or to me, it’s more important for the manufacturers that I need to maximize the points,” he said.
“But the drivers is… yeah, let’s say it’s all up to Thierry. It’s his to lose at the moment.”
Sébastien Ogier has similarly resigned to the fact that Neuville is no longer catchable after a second complicated rally on the bounce in Chile, meaning the Belgian is almost unchallenged – at least verbally – at the head of the field.
Neuville has one eye on the drivers' title and the other on the manufacturers'
But he’s equally talking of the need to secure both titles for himself and Hyundai.
“We made a good move in the drivers’ championship by not losing many points on our closest rival. However, we made a bad operation in the manufacturers’ championship,” Neuville told DirtFish.
“Obviously, yeah, not what we wanted, but I think this weekend all three drivers were somehow, yeah, not capable of beating the Toyota. So hopefully it will be better on Tarmac.
“It won’t be easy for sure. But yeah, we need to have a good strategy for the upcoming events to make sure that we are able to defend both championships.”
