Ott Tanak’s decision to step away from full-time rallying will be a “huge loss” for the World Rally Championship, reckons current points leader and former team-mate Elfyn Evans.
Tanak announced plans to leave Hyundai at the end of the year and take a break from competing in the WRC just hours after finishing fourth at last weekend’s Rally Japan.
The 2019 world champion cited that he wishes to spend more time with his family, but reiterated that this “isn’t a complete goodbye” and won’t be cutting ties with rallying completely.
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It all caught many of Tanak’s peers by surprise and Evans, who was Tanak’s team-mate at M-Sport-Ford, understands the Estonian’s exit from the championship, but feels rally will be worse for it.
“I think it is going to be a huge loss for the championship,” Evans told Motorsport shortly after being unveiled as part of Toyota’s WRC line-up for 2026.
“He is quite a character which I think is important in any sport. He is a massive talent and fast driver, so it will be a huge loss for everybody.
“He will be missed in the service park, but he has to do what feels right. It is maybe not a bad time to take a step back. It is a very intense and full-on championship at the moment and it is difficult if you have kids at home.
Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing
“I fully understand and respect his decision. Who knows, if things develop in the future we might see him back again.”
Evans’ title rival Sebastien Ogier is equally sad to see Tanak leave the WRC at the end of the year, but wasn’t entirely surprised by the Hyundai driver's call.
The eight-time world champion also decided to scale back his WRC commitment after a final full season in 2021 to spend more time with his family. Next year, Ogier will once again contest a part-time campaign with Toyota.
“It was obvious that he wasn’t happy in the environment he was in recently,” Ogier told Motorsport. “In that sense this could happen, but obviously it is not news I’m happy with because he was maybe the driver that I had the most intense fights with over the last years.
“I always enjoyed fighting with him and as hard as it was to beat him, we tend to bring out the best out of each other and that I think for the sport and for the fans, they loved our confrontation.
“I don’t know what his real plan is in the long term and I don’t know what my plan is long-term. I just hope there will still be opportunities to have a good fight together."
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