M-Sport will change the whole steering system on Ott Tänak’s car during midday service on Friday’s Croatia Rally, after the 2019 world champion suffered with issues throughout the morning.
Tänak first reported a problem with his steering at the end of SS1, commenting that it had broken while he was on the road section heading to the opening test.
It didn’t seem to cost him huge amounts of time, but he later reported that the issue was inconsistent and that he couldn’t work out exactly was causing the issue.
“We were having some steering trouble since the road section,” Tänak explained to DirtFish.
“We noticed something and it was getting a bit worse during the loop. But let’s say the [two opening stages] they were the most broken on Tarmac.
“So there it was a bit [of a] rough job, but the last two were actually quite smooth so we managed quite okay.
“We were not losing any fluids. So the thing is that it was quite inconsistent, so difficult to pinpoint.”
With Tänak currently lying third overall, 22.2 seconds off the rally lead, M-Sport isn’t willing to take any risks that could put his current position at risk and has opted to change the entire steering system before the afternoon loop commences.
“There’s steering rack, steering pump, the pipes that feed the oil round to the system and things. So you could change elements of it, but we will probably change the whole system – the rack and the pump,” M-Sport team principal Richard Millener explained.
“Just because we are not 100% sure.
“We got the feedback this morning, but you don’t get the data until you get here now.
“The safe option is to change both but then there’s always that argument, is it safer to change both? If some of it’s fine, it might be the other that’s causing an issue.
“Do you introduce another potential problem? So that’s down to the engineers and drivers.
“I think the position we are in and how it’s been going this morning, we will probably look to change the whole system.”
And given his pace with the steering issue he’s been suffering, Millener believes Tänak could put himself firmly in the fight for victory if the issue is resolved for the afternoon.
“He doesn’t give away a lot, even to us. But I think you’re right. He seems confident, some of his comments ‘we’ll get back to service and then we’ll be OK’ and I think the last few stages, times were good, and if we can make the car exactly how he wants it then there’s a very good opportunity to press closer.
“And he’s a proper driver. He knows this is a three-day rally and not a one-day rally. So we are in a very strong position at the minute.
“Two of the biggest rivals have had problems, unfortunately for them. But that puts us in a stronger position and we’ve got to consider that as well.
“Anything can happen in the second pass but the aim is to keep going on that board.”
