Tanak has rejoined Hyundai for the 2024 season after leaving the Korean marque for M-Sport Ford in 2023, no topic getting a year ideal on his Hyundai contract.
The 2019 world champion’s excessive-profile return to the Alzenau-based squad has already started positively following a take a look at on tough roads in Fontjoncouse in the south of France.
Tanak remarked that the most trendy Hyundai i20 N aspects several differences and is “critical extra nice looking-tuned” when in contrast to the below-developed model he drove in 2022.
“It used to be appropriate a tough take a look at on Dakar-like roads to appear the reliability and if fact be told we did very simply mileage. I’m barely elated. These were stipulations for Safari [the third WRC round next year], so it used to be complicated,” Tanak told Motorsport.com.
“There are barely many differences [on the car] for particular. From outside the auto, the aero seems to be very various.
“The crew hasn’t frail many various [homologation] jokers for the time being, but some things are in extra form and are working better. And with the distance up I wouldn’t mumble it is too various from what we had, but it absolutely is easily critical extra nice looking-tuned from ideal year.
“Altogether, I would mumble the tempo for the reason that first bustle, I felt ok in the auto and it used to be now not too a long way away, so I could well well furthermore precise now drive barely rapid.”
Photograph by: M-Sport
Ott Tänak, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
Tanak is anticipated to undergo extra making an strive out in the lead-up to January’s WRC Monte Carlo curtain raiser.
Inspired by the efficiency in the take a look at and the enhancements the crew made to the auto all over 2023, the Estonian has no concerns heading into the brand new season.
“There used to be some technical challenge or some various boundaries [with the car in 2022] but this year already the auto’s efficiency used to be critical better than the outdated year,” he added.
“The automobile at the delivery [of 2022] with none vogue used to be complicated but in twelve months they maintain got managed to pork up loads and this year were very aggressive.
“The skills is right here with the individuals and all of them know what to enact and gain out how to pork up. Whereas you already know the areas to pork up there could be no such thing as a limitation. The folk know what to enact but they appropriate critical the time to to find it performed.”
Hyundai finalised its 2024 driver line-up ideal week that could well well furthermore see Tanak join fellow plump-timer Thierry Neuville, whereas Esapekka Lappi, Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo will portion the third automobile.
