Hyundai “needs to do better” and learn from “painful” WRC title defeat

Hyundai “needs to do better” and learn from Ott Tanak’s Rally Japan accident that contributed to a “painful” World Rally Championship manufacturers’ title defeat, according to team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

The Korean marque missed out on a first manufacturers’ title since 2020 in dramatic circumstances on the final day of the season at last weekend’s Rally Japan. 

Hyundai headed into the season finale with a 15-point buffer over rivals Toyota and was on course to seal the title before Tanak’s high-speed crash from the rally lead on stage 17, which also handed team-mate Thierry Neuville the drivers’ title.

Toyota had closed to within 11 points of Hyundai heading into the final day, but Tanak’s demise meant the 2019 world champion surrendered both his Saturday points and the prospect of Sunday points. 

As a result, Hyundai and Toyota were level on points heading into the final Power Stage, where the latter triumphed in a thrilling climax to take an unlikely crown by three points. 

When asked about the emotions of witnessing Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe win the drivers’s championship and his team losing the manufacturers title in the space of a few hours, Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “For sure, we got very close to something, and when you miss that something by very little that is always a bit annoying and frustrating.

“But I feel we should give some space to Thierry and Martijn for what they have done and what they have achieved and truly deserved. 

Cyril Abiteboul, Team principal Hyundai World Rally Team

Photo by: Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport

“Just as I feel it is deserved for Thierry, I feel it is also deserved that Toyota be where they are, which is on top. I still believe this is where they belong, and we saw when Seb [Ogier] pushed on the final stage, Thierry couldn’t match him. We should take that as an inspiration and demonstration that there is still one more step to take to get to their level, which I think we can take for next year.”

Abiteboul admitted the loss was “painful” for every team member and feels as a team they can manage these situations better when titles are at stake.

The former Renault F1 boss has been pushing for changes to the regulations to allow teams to pass on more data and have more communication with drivers during rallies.

In the past, teams were able to communicate mid-stage splits to crews, but this was banned by the FIA ahead of the 2015 season on the grounds that it felt drivers wouldn’t push to the maximum and therefore cruise through stages. 

“It is difficult, it is clearly painful for every single team member – just like I’m sure it was painful for them {Ott and Martin Jarveoja],” Abiteboul added when asked about Tanak’s crash and its impact on the manufacturers’ battle. 

“I’m going to be honest: I still struggle to measure to what extent [the drivers] know the risk level they are taking in these cars. It is not circuit racing where lap after lap you can say I need to go one tenth faster or one tenth slower, it is not like that. They have a green light to go and then they are alone.

“We are in a time of massive connectivity and an amount of data but there is none of that, and sometimes what is obvious to us looking at the split – it was obvious to me that he was way too quick. It is obvious to me but is it obvious to him? I don’t know. 

Ott Tänak, Hyundai World Rally Team

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

“The message was clear. We said that we needed to be P3 and P5 [on Sunday], not P1 or P2. There was no necessity to be on a crazy push like that, but the key question is: to what extent do they know they are on such a big push?

“He was starting last and I think there was phone coverage of the stage, but having said that, there is not split information in the car. I have to excuse myself for still lacking experience in knowing their ability to assess. 

“This is something that was a big frustration last year and is something that I failed to introduce, to have some form of communication with drivers before a stage or after a stage about the level of risk that needs to be taken. I think this is something we need to do better – maybe Toyota is doing better, I don’t know their protocol. I want to believe we are all going to learn and improve from the accident.”