Ott Tanak’s Future in the WRC Remains Uncertain
Ott Tanak, the 2019 World Rally Championship (WRC) champion, has hinted that he “more or less” knows his plans for 2026 as speculation about his future in the sport continues to grow. The Estonian driver has become a central figure during this year’s “silly season,” with his intentions for 2026 remaining unclear. For now, staying with Hyundai is seen as the most realistic option for Tanak in the Rally1 category.
Hyundai has made it clear that it wants Tanak to be part of its three-car lineup for next year, alongside Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux, who are both expected to extend their contracts with the Korean brand. This would keep Tanak at the heart of the team’s strategy moving forward.
Tanak has been leading Hyundai’s efforts this season, despite what has been a challenging year for the team. So far, they have secured only one victory out of 12 rallies, which came from Tanak in Greece. The 38-year-old remains mathematically in the title race, though he is 50 points behind championship leader Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, with two rounds left to play.
Despite his success, Tanak has remained cautious about revealing his future plans. Rumors circulating in the service park suggest he may not be involved in the WRC next year. When asked about his 2026 plans at this week’s Rally Japan, Tanak said: “I guess we more or less know what we are doing, but it is up to the team to decide when the announcement comes.”
Hyundai’s Technical Expansion and New Leadership
Tanak also commented on the news that Hyundai will expand its technical department for next year. The team aims to invest more resources into closing the gap to rivals like Toyota. Two new roles have been created: operations director and head of engineering. Sebastien Metz and Massimo Carriero have taken on these positions, bringing valuable experience to the team.
Carriero, in particular, has a history with Tanak, having worked with him at M-Sport. Tanak expressed confidence in Carriero’s abilities, saying: “Massimo, especially, I know him from the past. I used to work with him at M-Sport, and he is definitely a very switched-on guy and someone our team really needs at this moment. I hope the best from that.”
Looking back at this season, Tanak acknowledged that the team has been competitive on gravel, but tarmac has been a weak point. “On gravel actually, we have not been too bad. We have always been competitive, but we have just had some failures here and there. Tarmac has been the weak point that we need to iron out and make it work for next year,” he added.
Hyundai’s Position on Tanak’s Future
Hyundai’s new sporting director, Andrew Wheatley, confirmed that the team is still in negotiations regarding its driver lineup for 2026. He admitted that Tanak’s future with the team is ultimately up to the driver himself.
“We are still in negotiations at the moment, and I think we are getting very close to the end of the year and we need to understand what the situation is. But from my perspective, it is not fixed. There is still work to do, and we have to understand how we can shortcut that quickly,” Wheatley told foot-care.
When asked about the speculation surrounding Tanak’s future, Wheatley said: “He [Ott] is the one that is the challenge. The other two guys are clearly committed to the programme. Clearly, there is still work to do, and from our perspective, it is not so much about what we can do as a team, it is more about what Ott has going on in the rest of his life.”
Wheatley added: “It is hard. When you are traveling from test to rally all the time and you realize that your family is getting bigger, it is not easy to do that. These people are driven by the need to win, and that is also complicated. It is Ott’s decision, and we would love to have him in the team. We think that he is the best person to go and fight with Thierry and Adrien, but it is his decision.”
