Has Ott Tänak already said goodbye to the title?

As we approach mid-season, the first trends for title allocation are starting to emerge. Among manufacturers, Toyota is on track to win the 5th coronation in its history. With 231 points under its belt, the Japanese brand is already 49 steps ahead of Hyundai and 149 on M-Sport.

Among the pilots, if Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans, two representatives of Toyota, stand in 11 points with advantage for the first, Ott Tänak (Hyundai) for example is suffering the blow. After five contested rounds, the 2019 champion is 4th, exactly 57 points behind the leader. A hole.

Logically a candidate for the title before the start of the season, the Estonian found himself in this position despite himself. Forced to retire in Monte-Carlo for the first round, he rectified the situation by winning during the Arctic Rally in Finland, the second meeting of the 2021 campaign. did not go as planned and his campaign took a completely different turn.

Fourth overall in Croatia, Ott Tänak then experienced dark days in Portugal and Italy where bad luck absolutely did not spare him.

Leader in Portuguese lands, the native of Kärla was in a good position to win his second rally of the year before he experienced the first mishap of his current bad series. With a lead of more than 20 seconds over Elfyn Evans before the 12th of 20 special stages, the Estonian saw his suspension give way and his chances of victory go up in smoke.

In Italy, again. Still leading the rally and in style, Ott Tänak hit a rock positioned in the middle of the road which once again cost him the suspension and above all his success at the end of the weekend.

From rally leader to Saturday retirement…was it already seen for @OttTanak? @Rally_d_Italia | #JumpingInTheDust | #WRC pic.twitter.com/SqoDmjj28L

— WRC – FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) June 7, 2021

Unlucky? Surely, but didn't he overdo it on this one? The question can be asked but that would be reproaching a world champion for wanting to ensure victory at all costs.

Hyundai director Andrea Adamo also went in this direction in our columns, not questioning his driver. “ I don't think the part is too fragile and I don't think it's a pilot error. When you hit a huge rock, chances are it will break. We could make a tank, but I don't know if it will be very fast! We could improve the protections, but the arm has been the same since 2017. Sometimes it works, others not. I don't believe in luck or bad luck ».

Regardless, the damage is done. Twice in a row on the mat, Ott Tänak was content with the points offered by the Power Stage (5 in Portugal and 4 in Italy) to “limit the damage”. Unfortunately, this is insufficient pace for a driver aiming for the title at the end of the season.

At the gates of the Top 3 in the drivers' ranking, Ott Tänak is today a simple spectator of the fight for the title between Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans, spared from technical problems. If mathematically everything is still possible, the task seems more complicated and even a feat. With almost 60 points to go, the Estonian can only hope for a miracle to glean the second world crown of his career. In any case, he doesn't give up. “ The car is fast, we just need to improve its reliability. I'm sure we can do it ».

“For sure, the team has done a great job to get me on this level in this car. It's really fast now, so there's nothing to stop us, just the small things. It's a fast car and we just need to make it reliable. I’m sure we can do it.”

— Ott Tänak (@OttTanak) June 6, 2021