Hyundai’s Rally Portugal Nightmare: Ott Tänak’s Power Steering Fails, Thwarting Victory Bid
In a heart-wrenching turn of events at Rally Portugal, Ott Tänak’s dream of clinching victory was shattered as Hyundai’s technical director, François-Xavier Demaison, revealed the root cause behind the power steering failure that cost Tänak precious time during the race. The culprit? The treacherous conditions at the Amarante test combined with Tänak’s relentless pursuit to fend off Sébastien Ogier.
As Tänak zoomed through the Amarante stage, disaster struck halfway when his power steering abruptly gave out, forcing him to grapple with the steering wheel to reach the finish line. A valiant effort was made by his co-driver, Martin Järveoja, who took over gear-shifting duties to alleviate Tänak’s burden. The ordeal resulted in Tänak losing over 40 seconds across two stages, plummeting him to third place, with Kalle Rovanperä overtaking him for second place by a mere 8.5 seconds.
Demaison shed light on the mechanical issue, stating, “It’s a broken steering rack and the casing is just split. A piece of aluminium is missing from the rack.” He attributed a hydraulic blockage to “an impact on the wheel, that’s for sure,” emphasizing the unforgiving nature of the rocky terrain on the Cabeceiras de Basto and Amarante stages.
With stones littering the ruts, drivers like Ogier had forewarned of the precarious conditions, acknowledging the unpredictability of the race. Demaison echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the inherent risks of pushing the limits in such challenging environments. Despite the setback, Demaison expressed no remorse for Tänak’s aggressive approach, highlighting the necessity of taking such calculated risks to close the gap with Toyota in the championship standings.
The misfortune compounded Hyundai’s woes after losing Adrien Fourmaux to suspension failure earlier in the rally, further underscoring the team’s urgent need to bridge the gap with their competitors. As Thierry Neuville trails Tänak by 8.5 seconds, and Fourmaux focuses on salvaging points after his premature exit, Hyundai finds itself in a precarious position heading into the final stages of Rally Portugal.
