The drama surrounding Hyundai Motorsport at the Central European Rally took a new turn as team principal Cyril Abiteboul clarified comments from Ott Tänak, who implied he was asked to slow down after a blistering stage time on Saturday morning. Tänak had cut the gap to rally leader and teammate Thierry Neuville to just half a second before allegedly receiving messages from Abiteboul suggesting he ease off.
Tänak won SS9, slashing Neuville’s lead by four seconds, but later in the day, he fell behind Sébastien Ogier and remained in third. At midday service, Tänak hinted at team orders, saying, “Cyril didn’t like our first stage time as we started to get some messages.” However, he later explained that the communications were more about managing risk rather than outright pace.
Abiteboul addressed the situation, emphasizing that the discussions with Tänak were focused on managing risk, not issuing direct orders to slow down. “We are not really asking to slow down to a time; it’s really about risk,” Abiteboul said. “I’m absolutely in no position to measure the risk that he’s taking. If the confidence is there, you can be super fast, and that’s fine. It’s about balancing risk with speed.”
He firmly rejected the idea that Tänak was asked to back off to favor Neuville, particularly with the team still in a tight battle with Toyota for the manufacturers’ championship. “We need everyone’s contribution,” said Abiteboul, acknowledging the stakes. “It’s even tighter tonight. We need everyone’s contribution. And Ott will be free to drive tomorrow.”
Despite the back-and-forth, it was Neuville who blinked first, making a costly error that saw him overshoot a corner and end up stuck in a ditch, losing 30 seconds and dropping to fourth overall. Abiteboul defended Neuville, saying his aggressive approach was due to fighting for both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships.
Reflecting on his role as team principal, Abiteboul admitted the difficulty of managing the fine line between risk and reward. “We try to tell them what we feel, but it’s super difficult,” he confessed. “It’s difficult for them to appreciate the risk they’re taking, and it’s difficult for us to measure. When I saw the time of Ott this morning, I thought, wow, he’s brave.”
As the dust settled after Saturday’s stages, Tänak had managed to chip away at Neuville’s championship lead, reducing the gap to 24 points. Meanwhile, Toyota gained ground in the manufacturers’ standings, with Ogier leading and Elfyn Evans in third, trimming Hyundai’s lead from 17 to 11 points before Sunday’s crucial stages.
The stage is set for a tense final day of the Central European Rally, with both Hyundai drivers needing to push hard to secure vital points in both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championship races.
