It is only necessary to look at the position in the general classification of the WRC to realize that Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans have not had the expected start to the season. Both started the hybrid era of the WRC with a poor result at Rally Monte-Carlo, so both had high hopes for Rally Sweden. However, Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans have not obtained the expected result either in the only winter appointment on the calendarin both cases due to problems derived from the hybrid system of their respective cars.
Ott Tänak started Rally Sweden on the right foot. Two scratches in the first five stages not only allowed him to corroborate the good performance of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, but also to be just over a second behind the lead of the event. However, in SS6 the Estonian suffered a new abandonment. In this case without error or accident involved and yes due to mechanical failure. Shortly after, Hyundai Motorsport confirmed that Tänak was left out due to a problem in the hybrid system. The Estonian assured that it was a joke in bad taste.
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The Hyundai i20 N Rall1 had lost hybrid power before the breakdown that forced Ott Tänak to retire, but on a bad jump the hybrid system would turn off and the LED hazard lights would turn redforcing the Estonian to withdraw the car immediately. Oliver Blamberger, head of Compact Dynamics, personally apologized to Ott Tänak for the situation, although he asked for caution since it is difficult to know what problem a hybrid unit may have until the pertinent examination is done.
Different circumstances surrounded the abandonment of Elfyn Evans, even when in the end the Welshman also had a problem in the hybrid system. In the case of the Toyota driver, the failure of this component came from a previous impact with a snowbank in one of the last stages of the rally. All in all, Elfyn had managed to repair the car to continue driving, but then the hybrid system responded similarly in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 as it did in Ott Tänak’s car.
It is clear that the hybrid era has not sat very well with either Ott Tänak or Elfyn Evans, more after a Swedish Rally in which both had to retire when they occupied the second position. In fact, Tänak occupies the eleventh position of the general classification of the WRC with only five points, the five units he managed to save in Sweden as the winner of the Power Stage. For its part, Evans is thirteenth with four pointsafter finishing second in the ‘Monte’ Power Stage.
Photos: hyundai motorsport