Tanak leaves Hyundai, Meeke in?
Ott Tanak will leave Hyundai Motorsport at the end of the 2022 World Rally Championship season after electing to conclude his deal prematurely.
The 2019 world champion was contracted with the South Korean marque for next season, although the Estonian’s future at the team had been uncertain for months. Tanak has been linked with a move away from Hyundai, with M-sport and Toyota touted as possible destinations, and has hinted that he could sit out the 2023 WRC season.
“This is a personal decision and one that I have taken with careful consideration and respect for the team,” said 17-time WRC rally winner Tanak, who joined Hyundai at the start of 2020 following spells at Toyota and M-sport and has scored five wins for Hyundai. “However, I feel that I am at a stage of my career where I need to embark on a new challenge.
“We have had a good partnership over the past three seasons, and I am proud of what we have achieved. We have worked hard together to overcome some difficult moments and, as we’ve shown this year, we have moved in the right direction. The second part of this season has shown the performance level we can achieve when things click, but for me the time has come for something new.”
“Ott’s departure comes as a disappointment, but it is a decision we must accept and respect,” said Hyundai deputy team director Julien Moncet.
“He is without doubt one of world rally’s finest drivers, as we have been fortunate to experience first-hand through the victories that we have achieved over three seasons.”
Hyundai is thought to be considering several drivers for its 2023 line-up, with former Hyundai and Volkswagen WRC pilot Andreas Mikkelsen among the favourites to land a full-time drive. Five-time WRC rally winner Kris
Meeke (below) is also on the list.
“I still have a lot of experience from working in the World Championship and I still feel good in the car, so who knows what will happen?” said Meeke, who last competed in the WRC with Toyota in
2019. “I certainly wouldn’t want to go back to doing a full season. At my stage in life, I have my family at home and I want to spend a bit of time with them, but certainly a few rallies, I would be more than willing to do.”