In past seasons, drivers competed against the clock during the shakedown and were able to choose their starting positions based on their times. This system is still used in the European Rally Championship, but the World Rally Championship currently follows a different approach.
Under the current rules, the championship leader is required to start first on the route, which poses a significant challenge, particularly in gravel rallies. Ott Tänak is in favour of bringing back qualifying stage.
“It’s always been the case that drivers generally prefer qualification, especially the top drivers. But for the others, obviously, they don’t. So, it’s always a topic of discussion, but I’d say it’s not really the main issue at the moment,” Tänak told RallyJournal.com.
Another topic of discussion in Portugal has been the so-called part-time drivers. Kalle Rovanperä and Sebastien Ogier are among those who are only competing in half of the season. While they aren’t contending for the driver’s championship beyond theoretical possibilities, they still contribute points to their teams and gain more advantageous starting positions in the rallies.
Thierry Neuville, the World Rally Championship leader, complained about this before the Rally de Portugal, but Tänak has a more balanced view on the matter.
“It’s not the drivers’ issue. They aren’t doing anything wrong,” Tänak stated plainly.
“It’s the sport itself that is lacking in many different aspects. I wouldn’t say there is anyone among the drivers to point fingers at. It’s just how things are at the moment,” Tänak explained.
The stages of the Rally Portugal are well known to all drivers, which makes it challenging to create significant gaps.
“It’s all about pure performance. Yes, Friday can be quite rough, so I need to take care of the tyres too. If it’s hot, that could be a key factor as well. But overall, you will see the performance of the cars quite clearly, I believe,” Tänak predicted.
