World Rally champion Ott Tänak has urged the powers that be to ensure the WRC returns as soon as it’s safe to do so in order to boost the local communities it visits.
Three WRC rounds have been completed so far this season, although Rally México in March was shortened as the effects of coronavirus caught up with the service park.
Since then, rounds in Argentina and Sardinia have been postponed and those in Portugal and Kenya canceled, with Rally Finland in August the next possible restart date for the championship.
FIA rally director Yves Matton suggested to DirtFish earlier this month that four more events need to run to crown champions in 2020, but Hyundai’s Tänak would like to see more than that if possible.
“I believe there are many aspects that generally should be considered,” he told Colin Clark in the latest edition of DirtFish Debates.
“Obviously if it’s safe to go, then of course we need to go. The most suffering areas are all the preparations, all the traveling, all the local things. It’s not only the sport, it’s also business for many other people, it’s work and it’s basically everyday bread.
“If things are getting back to kind of normal, and it’s safe for everyone, then I don’t really see any reason why we should not go back to competition.”
Tänak is currently fifth in the world championship, 24 points behind series leader Sébastien Ogier.
