It’s better than never say never. It’s definitely maybe. Ott Tänak departed the World Rally Championship after last month’s Rally Saudi Arabia. Will he be back?
The Estonian, who dropped his shock decision just hours after Rally Japan, will remain involved in day-to-day rallying via his RedGrey preparation firm. But the question every fan wants answering is whether this is the end. Was Jeddah really the last time Tänak will be seen on the WRC’s frontline?
“It’s not that I’m turning my back to rallying,” the outgoing Hyundai driver told DirtFish. “It’s still, I mean… rallying honestly has given me so much. I’ve been in so many different teams, I’ve met so many people, I’ve got so many life lessons experienced – working with different people, different cultures, different technical people.
“I mean, clearly, these cars are one of the best things in the sport at the moment. They’re really fun to drive and I’m sure also fun to watch from outside. They’re really like a lion out of the cage.
“So, all this I’ve seen, I have no regret to be honest. You know, changing teams, I think I’m actually very grateful to be in so many different teams. It’s been great. I’m very grateful for that.”
Tänak says the cars are one of the best things about rallying just now
Tänak admitted he is interested in seeing how the 2027 technical regulations play out, but added there were other shortcomings in the sport which concerned him.
“Let’s see what the future brings. At the moment we are going to change the technical regulation. It’s the easiest way to do, but this is probably not what is the problem of the sport and what it needs. Anyhow, let’s see what the sport does and where it goes. Hopefully they find the right track.
“Let’s see what happens for sure. I keep working on myself, I keep myself sharp and at the same time I definitely try to recharge myself and let’s see what the future brings.
“I’m not saying today yes or no [I will or won’t come back], but it’s in these kind of situations, it’s super difficult to say. Like we’ve seen in the past, like Sébastien [Ogier] a few years ago, he retired and it’s actually… he’s here now with another world championship.
“I think, in life, it’s easier to say ‘never say never’ and let’s see what life brings.”
Tänak was an integral part of DirtFish Media's launch strategy back in 2020
Tänak also reflected on his two years as a DirtFish driver, helping launch DirtFish Media at the top of 2020.
“I actually remember the beginning of DirtFish,” he said. “It was great times. I mean, our car stops somewhere in the field, in the middle of the stage, the first guys [there] are never are our media crews or somebody from the team to come to us to collect us – it’s always DirtFish you see coming across the field or through the forest, sometimes running!
“I must say sometimes you are quite impressive!”
