Ott Tänak Opens Up on Returning to Hyundai, Teammates and His Future

In this fascinating exclusive interview just before the action at WRC Croatia Rally 2024 gets under way, Ott Tänak gives an insight into what has changed at the Alzenau-based squad he left less than 18 months ago and his thoughts on team principal Cyril Abiteboul, who joined in the interim.
He talks about his relationship with Thierry Neuville, his thoughts on team orders and his interactions with the media. Away from his current focus, what does Tänak think about Formula 1 and its domination of the motorsport landscape? And where does he see his future - and that of the WRC?
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[@ollibox]

HATS DOWN and congrats to DIRTFISH for getting one of the longest interview from OTT (in ALL history, probably) 👍😊 Even in our national media (of ALL time) there's probably only few longer than that 😁 Thank you for your brilliant rally content and greetings from Estonia! 🥳

[@Ekumees]

Ott has his own movie and tv series. Theres a lot of interview material there.

[@ollibox]

@@Ekumees Right, fair point! 👍😁 At this point I meant the more straightforward online media that usually fails to approach Ott (yup, even Delfi's journalist Jaan Martinson 😂).

[@Ekumees]

@@ollibox Yeah. For sure Ott is a hard character to get an intetview out of. And in this one hi is smiling too.... :D

[@ollibox]

@@Ekumees Yup, he is. That's who he is by personality and that's GREAT! There's no need to blurt out everything every time to everybody. That's his virtue, not a negative. That's what he is known in the rally community! Saaremaalt, noh. Ma ka 😆 But yeah... REALLY happy to see him smiling and being positive! 😊 Like he KNOWS he has some major trump cards in his sleeve this season!

[@Ekumees]

@@ollibox Yeap, i agree 100%. Nael kummi.

[@blackness010]

What a crazy season already Fourmaux double podium, Taka 2nd place and 24min interview with Ott !!

[@SiiliViin]

That just shows, there is too few top teams/drivers/seats, so anyone with money and decent skills can happen on podium. I have nothing personally against those drivers, they are good of course, above average, no doubt about that, but being top drivers in the world...

[@ollibox]

Yup, that's quite MAD! 😆

[@bett431]

​@@SiiliViin Even if we had 5 teams, who would ve been faster than Fourmaux?

[@apprenticefails9289]

Best interview with OT forever. Good job guys and go OT

[@rjung_ch]

Wish you all the best Ott, you are top!

[@thisisfrankie]

Fantastic interview Dirtfish, thank you so much for this! Great questions from David Evans and really smart answers from Ott. We saw a side of him that we never get to see on the stages.

[@romettammistu3375]

The understanding Ott has of the sport and what his job is there is outsanding. Ofcourse you can see that as an athlete he is not happy with the start of the season but still remains ingredibly calm and has his eyes on the ball! Good to hear that he still wants it! Congratulations @dirtfish for an wholesome interview! And everybody who is counting Ott out in his difficult times, keep the same energy when he is back on top

[@ffaffaa]

i guess most professional and interesting interview made with this guy! top job!

[@SuperHDBob]

Hats down for these Q&A's!

[@RallyRallyMike]

Indeed!

[@smsd777]

All sports need more genuine characters like Ott. The current landscape of media and pc trained athletes/ representatives is fake and condescending and the odd individual who speaks their mind and shows real character and flaws stands out from the crowd.

[@jackharrison2916]

Thanks for such a great interview!

[@philjackson9220]

His confidence is coming it that car an I think Toyota boys know. He’s happy again. The speed is there Big licks

[@ripcurl9040]

Awsome interview Dirtfish! What kind of drugs did you give Ott to make him open up like that? 😅

[@DallasSDogger]

Great interview. He is a complex lad.

[@NemohHoes]

10:50 lol😀 Btw very happy to hear him say he has the speed and doesn't see a reason for retiring. The sport would lose terribly by Ott leaving

[@larszenthio1012]

15:36 True. Stupid questions sometimes require, even with a sarcastic tone, equal answers.

[@harrisonmbugua5337]

It's good when he says that speed is coming; The i20 is fast, very fast compared to the lest. Put your foot down and give us fan. Best wishes from Kenya.

[@ranjitsian5481]

Nice 👍

[@stuffedcrust4522]

Ott gotta be top 5 Estonians

[@bett431]

I also hope the cars are going to be fun in the future. Also yes, its down to the PR people to promote and grow the sport, not the technical regulations. Edit: Yes f1 is telling stories, that rally doesn't in their coverage. Even if they are there.

[@vandorigo]

What is Ott's second job that David asks at 19:00?

[@sanderk7197]

Maybe RedGrey rally team

[@taurtzz]

Real Estate investing

[@SuperHDBob]

RedGrey

[@OneManOperation]

👍👍👍

[@ScuderiaTurini]

I think its going to be a tricky rally. .

[@Teaminflament]

6:31 This is such a dick question to keep prodding Ott about after he’s already given you his answer.

[@tapio_m6861]

One year and he will be at Toyota.

[@prod.thomas7415]

highly doubt

[@Dannoprime]

He did well when he was driving the Yaris never say never

[@MarekKubi]

Could be the wrong move, since Hyundai is the fastest car today.

[@ollibox]

That's my wet dream, but.... 🤔

[@prod.thomas7415]

@@MarekKubi not the fastest yet, but in 2025 can be. Toyota is still better overall

[@sscottwilsonn]

Yep they need to do something to bring the spectators back again gain the views excitement etc I mean in the days of Colin McRae the craft had much bigger following something is missing

[@kai3732]

I guess it's the lack of so-called "National Heroes", and when top drivers actually prove they are top not because of the car but because they drive better than the rest with the same regulation car as others, back then drivers push for development, they make shit cars into something they can actually compete in. I know they are good drivers but they need more competition and rally 2 should just be rally 1 and if teams approve maybe they can sort out increasing the budget cap or upgrade some of the regulations. Don't get me wrong, I really love rally 1 cars but as it stands, not enough teams are willing to spend time and money for a sport that is dwindling in popularity. I'm hoping that if the popularity comes back that rally 1 regulations will come back but until then, I'm hoping for actually more competition.

[@sscottwilsonn]

@@kai3732 when you think of it back in 1999 when McRae signed for M-Sport with the unproven focus at the time think he got £5m I mean none of the guys of today are anywhere near that for a fee . Also there doesn’t seem to be many stand out characters today think Kris Meeke was about the last. There’s not as much flamboyance not as many crashes either . It’s very clinical the stages and Overall length of rallies is shorter the recces are shorter. I don’t think it’s fair likening drivers podiums of today and saying for example oh he’s beat jimmy McRaes or Colin’s podiums when todays are much shorter and not as much nighttime driving either it doesn’t draw me in . I mean Otago Rally last weekend was excellent viewing and it’s great they have a category called All Comers where you can go up against the big boys that’s the way it used to be privateers entering against the big boys . Rallying the WRC is boring now in my opinion. There’s loads of great drivers out there that don’t have the funding so they end up amateurs and missing out on a professional career. RAC and Scottish Rally and Circuit of Ireland are far better viewing than wrc in my opinion these days. We need a freedom of speech in rallying again

[@bernardoberner4]

The TWO things the FIA needs to put in the new cars are air condinioting and stronger side windows, thats effectively what took Craigs life, cus the pole went through the vent on the side window. Rally cars are the only closed cockpit race cars that dont have any form of air conditioning, GT cars have it, Touring cars have it, Prototypes have it. Rallying already is the most difficult and concentration demanding sport on the planet, why make it even more dangerous by making the drivers drive the cars in 50+ degrees? Just makes absolutely no sense

[@kentshaban4814]

Confused talent

[@mariotolberg5565]

Why