WRC – Tänak triumphs in Estonia and is attend into title contention

Ott Tänak claimed his first World Rally Championship victory on the series’ return in Estonia. The Hyundai driver survived a slack dread to protest a favored dwelling opt on Sunday afternoon and climbed from fifth to 3rd within the overall classification.

Tänak led most of discover how to opt the three-day gravel road Rally Estonia by 22.2 seconds in a Hyundai i20. Crew-mate Craig Breen performed a 1-2 for Hyundai and matched his occupation-most productive outcome.

Estonia used to be the 600th WRC spherical for the reason that championship began in 1973 and marked the championship’s return after a six-month reside because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tänak used to be the pre-match approved and after taking the lead early in Saturday’s opening leg, the Estonian used to be by no manner headed. Nonetheless his expose for a maiden victory with the Korean producer virtually came unstuck within the penultimate run take a look at.

He swiped a bank with the rear of his i20, however the distress proved beauty handiest and he eased by the closing special stage to trusty his first victory for the crew.

Tänak is now 13 functions within the attend of championship leader Sébastien Ogier. 2d for an emotional Breen enabled the squad to shut the outlet to producers’ series leaders Toyota Gazoo Racing to 5 functions.

Breen done handiest 4.7s fantastic of Ogier, admitting his are trying to measure his run within the closing stage allowed the Frenchman to reach nearer than intended. It used to be, nonetheless, a vastly spectacular efficiency from the Irishman who is no longer an on a usual foundation WRC starter.

Ogier headed a trio of Yaris finishers, happy that a podium keeps his hopes of a seventh world title heading within the suitable direction, but upset he didn’t hang the grip to compare Tänak’s run on Saturday afternoon.

Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä had been fourth and fifth, both shedding time with tyre troubles. Rovanperä incurred a 60s penalty final evening for engaged on his automobile in a prohibited zone, however the 19-year-old style earlier turned into the youngest driver to e-book a WRC rally at appropriate 19.

Takamoto Katsuta rolled out of what would hang been a occupation-most productive fifth build. His error promoted the Ford Fiestas of Teemu Suninen and Esapekka Lappi to sixth and seventh, the Finns swapping places after Lappi lost time with a immense rush.
Gus Greensmith used to be eighth after World Rally Vehicle debutant Pierre-Louis Loubet retired with broken steering after hitting a tree stump. FIA WRC3 toughen class winner Oliver Solberg used to be ninth with FIA WRC2 victor Mads Østberg finishing the leaderboard.

Østberg recovered from a puncture on his PH Sport ready Citroën C3 on Saturday morning earlier than blasting a long way from opponents and claiming a magnificent victory within the FIA WRC2 class. In the attend of him, Adrien Fourmaux done second – an even bigger outcome than he had anticipated – when a painful final-minute puncture for Hyundai’s Nikolay Gryazin gifted him the build. Pontus Tidemand drove a fixed rally in his Škoda Fabia Rally2 and used to be rewarded third as Gryazin hit danger, 1min 21.7sec within the attend of.

Winner of the FIA European Rally Championship’s Rally Liepaja final month in Latvia, Oliver Solberg used to be unstoppable in neighbouring Estonia, clinching his first ever FIA WRC3 opt and first WRC functions attain with ninth build overall. His closest opponents this weekend, native hero Egon Kaur and triple FIA ERC champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz, both encountered concerns on Sunday. Kaur slipped from second to fourth within the attend of Rally Sweden WRC3 class winner Jari Huttunen, but those positions turned into third and second when Kajetanowicz rolled his Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo on the closing stage.

In FIA Junior WRC, Latvia’s Martins Sesks scored his first victory following slack distress for long-time leader Robert Virves. The Estonian had considered his overnight lead gash to appropriate 5.3s by Sesks, but worse used to be to hang a examine when a puncture four phases from the attain ticket 45sec and demoted him to 3rd. Sesks nonetheless by no manner place a foot inferior all over the place in the three-day match. Sami Pajari from Finland done second, 14.7s within the attend of him.

2020 Rally Estonia – Final Legitimate Outcomes