Hyundai addresses Tänak’s stage-end comments
WRC – Cyril Abiteboul plans to talk to Ott Tänak about comments he made after SS16 of Rally Estonia
Hyundai addresses Tänak’s stage-end comments
5
views

Cyril Abiteboul plans to talk to Ott Tänak about comments he made after SS16 of Rally Estonia

Photography by Hyundai

Words by Luke Barry & David Evans

Hyundai boss Cyril Abiteboul plans to have words with Ott Tänak after comments made at the end of Rally Estonia’s sixteenth stage.

Tänak has cut a frustrated figure at times on Saturday as he’s seen his chances of a second home victory in the WRC become more difficult.

Ahead of Sunday’s final leg, he trails Toyota’s Oliver Solberg by 21.1 seconds.

“We are here to win the rally,” Tänak told DirtFish. “Basically, we’ve not been on the pace since the beginning. It’s been quite a struggle. Through this, we’ve been pushing to get the best out of it.

“Obviously, I made a mistake this morning as well. I started with a, let’s say, kind of rhythm you should drive in Estonia, but immediately I got punished. So yeah, it’s not the way to drive here at this time, and now we just need to manage to do our best with Thierry.”

Tänak’s frustration hasn’t impressed his boss though; Abiteboul taking exception to Tänak’s comments after SS16. When asked how impressed he was with Solberg, Tänak said: “I’m just impressed with how s*** we are.”

Abiteboul plans to discuss that comment with Tänak.

Abiteboul likes Tänak's ambition, but also has to protect his team

He told DirtFish: “I’m always half-minded, because there is a part of me that says that it’s a bit unfair. It’s an unfair assessment.

“I’m not going to comment about the ability to use this [swear] word in this circumstance, but I think this is clear enough. But anyway, beyond that, I think, you know, a part of me thinks that it’s unfair on him, on the car, on the package, on the team, on the effort, on the investment.

“A part of me is also, you know, accepting the fact that it shows that it’s all about ambition. You know, he’s making a statement about his ambition coming here. It’s clear that he was coming here not to be second or third on the podium. He was coming here to win, and with the belief that he had what it takes to win. And that’s what I want to see. I want to see that.

“I know that he sort of played it down in the media before, saying, ‘no, he’s not going to go for wins, it’s not possible’. But when we are winning a stage and, you know, doing a lot of split wins, stage wins in the weekend, and without a mistake he probably would have been 12 seconds higher up, that does say something about what you can do and what you actually were going for.

“So that’s also what I want written. Having said that, we will also be discussing about the words used, not only for FIA, but also in recognition of the team efforts.”

Asked by DirtFish at the end-of-day media zone what he thinks Solberg is doing, and where his car is compared to Tänak’s, the Estonian said: “Yeah, I mean, he’s definitely in a correct rhythm, and he’s getting the feeling and everything you need to drive fast there.

“And for sure, he’s in control. There is no question. And at the same time, we are not. So that’s the way it is.

“These kind of fast rallies, they are so specific. And obviously, the gaps are very small. But if you are in the middle of the track, and you always have the edge which you can control… yeah, that’s the way it is.”

Words:Luke Barry

Tags: Cyril Abiteboul, Ott Tanak, Rally Estonia, Rally Estonia 2025, WRC, WRC 2025

Publish Date July 19, 2025 DirtFish DirtFish Logo https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/07/bNun4GPp-2025ESTONIA_VT_133-780x520.jpg July 19, 2025

Up Next

DirtFish Rally School offers a wide range of driving programs. Not just for individuals, but also for corporate and custom groups. These programs teach car control, confidence behind the wheel, and recognized rally technique on multiple surfaces. With instructors from a variety of driving backgrounds, DirtFish Rally School caters to anyone and everyone trying to enhance their car control ability.