WRC
Hyundai cuts Tänak loose for final three rallies
Hyundai has confirmed that Ott Tänak will not score manufacturer points on the final three rounds of the 2025 season - a move designed to give the Estonian maximum flexibility in his slim title bid.
The entry list for next month’s Central European Rally (16 - 19 October) was published on Tuesday, and Tänak’s omission from Hyundai’s points-nominated line-up quickly drew attention. Instead, the team will count on Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux for manufacturer points across the final stretch, which also includes FORUM8 Rally Japan and Rally Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, Hyundai explained the reasoning behind the switch:
“For the final three rounds of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season, Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team will only nominate Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux for manufacturers’ points.
“This strategic decision allows Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja to compete without manufacturer nomination and by taking full advantage of the sporting regulations, the team is ensuring Tänak and Järveoja are in the strongest possible position to continue their fight for the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles.”
Under current WRC sporting regulations, nominated drivers must remain within a fixed pool of two homologated engines across the season. By removing Tänak from the manufacturer nomination, Hyundai can now equip the 2019 world champion with a fresh power unit for the upcoming rallies.
It’s a move that comes in the wake of a disastrous Rally Chile Bio Bío, where Tänak suffered a dramatic engine failure while leading the event on Friday afternoon. With no immediate solution available, the team was forced to run an already-compromised engine for the remainder of the weekend - ultimately leaving Tänak with just one point for his efforts.
© Hyundai
Tänak now sits fourth in the drivers’ championship standings, 43 points adrift of new leader Sébastien Ogier, with just three rallies remaining. Team-mate Neuville, meanwhile, is fifth - 58 points behind the top spot.
He's expected to start Central European Rally with a completely new engine, although specific details around the technical set-up remain unclear.
When asked in Chile whether engine concerns would carry over into the next event, Tänak offered a characteristically blunt response: “You are asking completely the wrong guy,” he said. “I don't know about technical things.”
It was one of few comments the Estonian gave following a frustrating weekend that saw him retire twice before limping through Sunday’s stages with what he described as “the speed of a Rally2 car.”
And while Central Europe brings a return to Tarmac – and to a rally which Tänak claimed victory on last year - the driver offered little indication that he’s particularly relishing the switch.
“Yeah, why not,” he said, when asked if he was looking forward to the rally.
