Hyundai Motorsport confirmed today that Ott Tanak will rejoin their squad as both partied have reached a new agreement ahead of next season.
The Estonian signed a contract with Hyundai Motorsport for the first time from 2020 to 2022 after his becoming the 2019 WRC Champion with Toyota, but he decided to terminate his contract with them prematurely and joined M-Sport Ford for 2023. However, the Malcolm Wilson's team did not give a reliable car to Tanak as the last one has retired many times from the rally lead due to car issues while he has won only two events (Rally Sweden, Rally Chile) and has a second-place finish in Croatia. Last but not least, it must be mentioned that the Alzenau-based team has added Cyril Abiteboul and Francois-Xavier Demaison to their squad with a vision of closing the gap with Toyota on manufacturers' championship and has taken big steps in terms of car development, but it is yet to be confirmed if the team will bring four cars in 2024.
"I am excited to re-join Hyundai Motorsport from the 2024 WRC season", Tanak said.
"Since our paths parted exactly one year ago, the team has been working very hard on the new technical structure.
"Hyundai Motorsport has a clear vision and target for the near future, and it is something that convinced me to join our forces again.
"I am also looking forward to work with Cyril Abiteboul and François-Xavier Demaison, as their experience and knowledge in motorsport is definitely a big advantage for the whole team.
"Our goal in this new chapter will be nothing less than to win all the three titles, and with the new structure of the team, we have all the tools needed to achieve it.
"Game on!".
Finally, Cyril Abiteboul stated: "Hyundai Motorsport exists to ultimately fight for rally wins and championship titles.
"We want to be seen as a credible contender with the tools to do the job; that means the car, the organisation, and the driving talent.
"In exploring our options for 2024, I opened a discussion with Ott, who was excited by the renewed ambitions and structure that we are putting in place.
"We are pleased that he is ready to resume the unfinished business that he has with our team.
"I am confident that, in the right environment, Thierry and Ott can bring out the best in each other.
"With this pair of winning crews secured, we can take some time to strategically consider our full line-up for next season".
Photo Credits: Hyundai
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