The 2019 world champion this yr rejoined the Ford squad that afforded him his full-time WRC debut in 2012, primarily on a one-year deal.
It seems Tanak will as soon as once more play a key function within the foolish season as groups start to kind driver line-ups for the 2024 season.
Tanak has endured a difficult return to M-Sport, headlined by a victory in Sweden and a second-place end in Croatia, however his marketing campaign has been tormented by a mixture of misfortune and reliability that has dropped the Estonian out of the title race.
With Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville the one driver from the three Rally1 groups contracted for subsequent yr, in principle Tanak might have choices. Tanak has beforehand pushed for Toyota in 2018 and 2019, earlier than shifting to Hyundai for 2020 as world champion, a tenure that ended with a yr remaining on his contract final season.
Nonetheless, Toyota boss Jari-Matti Latvala has beforehand acknowledged he has no intentions to alter his crew’s line-up which incorporates Kalle Rovanpera, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and part-time driver Sebastien Ogier.
Rumours circulating in Rally Finland have nevertheless linked Ogier to a transfer to Hyundai, though these had been downplayed by crew boss Cyril Abiteboul.
Hyundai is known to be eager on providing Esapekka Lappi a contract extension whereas Teemu Suninen seems an choice for its third automobile. The crew can also be weighing up the prospect of working a fourth automobile.
Requested about its driver line-up for subsequent yr, M-Sport’s Millener is adamant the crew wish to proceed with Tanak however admitted that the squad needed to be sensible about its choices.
Ott Tänak, M-Sport Ford World Rally Staff
Photograph by: M-Sport
“Negotiations are at all times simpler while you win. I do not know what the opposite groups are doing and I do not know what choices are within the different groups,” stated Millener.
“We’ve to be sensible in what we are able to obtain as nicely. We’re pushing as exhausting as we presumably can and to go any steps additional with what we’re doing is difficult.
“We must discuss over the following couple of months and I do not assume it will be a fast choice.
“I feel all of us do not need to lose Ott. He has been implausible for the championship alone, but in addition for us to proceed to have him within the crew. However it’s by no means a fast and simple reply.
“I do not know if he’ll go to a different producer or not. I do not know what Ott will do however from our facet, we might like to have him within the crew.
“We’ve made numerous progress and we might like to proceed it. Everyone knows we are able to do higher than what we’re, and if we had a very good run of luck it is perhaps a very completely different story.
“If we had few a extra good outcomes we might in all probability be having a very completely different dialogue.”
Millener admitted that funding just isn’t the principle side however among the many components that may have to be thought-about to safe Tanak’s providers for subsequent season.
“It’s actually going to be a contributing issue,” Millener added.
“It’s exhausting as a result of sponsorship usually comes with good outcomes and we do not have them for the time being. You need to hope and imagine that the sponsors we do have nonetheless imagine in what we are able to do.”
Apart from its need to retain Tanak, M-Sport has right now introduced a restructuring of its management crew. Lengthy-serving industrial director John Steele will go away the function after 38 years, however will stay in an advisory function and can help introduction of a brand new management crew.
Working underneath crew proprietor Malcolm Wilson, the brand new management crew will function current firm director Matthew Wilson, technical director Chris Williams, Millener, finance director Paul McKnespiey and M-Sport Poland board member Maciej Woda.
The WRC returns after its summer season break subsequent week with a visit to Greece for the Acropolis Rally. M-Sport’s pre-event testing was unaffected by wildfire dangers within the area.
