Ott Tänak has stopped dancing. For months he had danced around the question, ducked, weaved and dodged a straight answer. Not now.
Moments after securing his third win of the season, DirtFish put the point to him that now was surely the time install a team principal formally into that role. And surely Julien Moncet was the man?
The 2019 world champion didn’t as much beg to differ, he flat out told us we were wrong.
“No,” he said, “that man is not Julien Moncet. I mean he’s a great guy doing the engine, he’s been always an engine guy and obviously Hyundai has a great engine so that’s what he should be doing in my opinion.
“The rest? It’s up to the management to work out how we could continue. But, like you can see, the potential in the car is huge and they’ve done a great job, first designing it, but now to put it together it needs another good effort.
“It needs a team effort altogether and that’s what we are working for.”
Moncet has been installed as deputy team director – alongside his responsibility as powertrain manager – ever since Andrea Adamo’s departure from Alzenau’s doors in December.
But throughout that time he has always remained deputy. He agreed with Tänak’s call for clarity on the position of who leads the team.
Moncet told DirtFish: “Definitely I think the team needs some stability, regardless if it’s me or someone else.
“We need to decide it. It has been a long time since Monte Carlo now and we never know who will be in charge at the next rally, so we need some stability.
“Now it’s all due to the team; we are all working together, doing our best together. We have achieved this weekend a good atmosphere within the team and this was really important.”
So, Ott Tänak, if it’s not Moncet, who is it?
“I’m just a driver…” he said, starting to dance around Colin Clark’s question once more. Pushed for his opinion, he looked Clark in the eye and told him straight.
“I think it’s you!”
He then urged Clark to negotiate on a price before disappearing to celebrate a second win in as many weeks.
