Auto Express – July 30, 2019

112 SpecialIssue http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

SPORT

All the action from the world of motorsport

Tanak looking forluck in Finland

Rallycross starsracetoCanada

To yota preps title-

winning sportscar

AlexIngram

[email protected]

@AxleIngram

●WRCbattle heads north

●Estonian wantsatitle boost

TESTINGforToyota’snextWorld

EnduranceChampionshipchallengerhas

begun.Theteamwillrunarevisedversion

oftheTS050LMP1Hybrid(below),which

tooktwoLeMans24Hourswinsonits

waytothe2018/19WECtitle.Changes

mainlyrevolvearoundaerodynamicand

reliabilityrefinements.Ex-ToroRosso

FormulaOnedriverand2017LeMans

winnerBrendonHartleytakesFernando

Alonso’splaceinthenumber8car.

Estonian Tanak will

be looking to make

amends after

Sardinia spin

WildcardSebastian

Eriksson (right) took

victory last time out

Elfyn Evans sitsout

Rally Finland due

to aback injury

ROUNDsevenoftheWorldRallycross

championshipmovesontotheTrois-

RivièrescircuitinQuebec,Canada.Last

timeoutinSweden,therewasashock

victoryforwildcardSebastianEriksson.

Afterreachingthefinal,theyoung

Swedetooktheholeshotawayfromthe

startline,followedinclosecompanyby

seriesleaderKevinHansen.Outonhis

ownatthefront,Erikssonwasabletotake

hisjokerlapunimpededatthestartoflap

four,leavinghimwithenoughofaleadto

holdoffanever-closingHansenatthe

finishlinebyjust0.338seconds.

Kevinleadshisbrother(andPeugeot

teammate)TimmyHansenbysixpoints

withfourroundsstilltogo.Thepairhavea

comfortableleadoverAndreasBakkerud,

withNiclasGronholm,sonofex-WRC

championMarcus,infourth.

THEWorldRallyChampionship

movesontooneofthefastestand

mostexcitingroundsinthecalendarthis

weekend.RallyFinlandisfamedforits

highaveragespeedsandhugejumps

betweenthetrees,andwithjustseven

pointsseparatingthetopthreecompetitors

inthedriver’schampionshipstandings,

thebattleiscertaintobetight.

Whilethemarginiscloseamongthe

front-runners,itcouldhavebeensomuch

betterforToyota’sOttTanakafterthe

previousroundatRallySardegna.The

EstonianenteredthefinalPowerStage

withacomfortable26.7-secondleadover

Hyundai’sDaniSordo,butaspin–brought

onbyapowersteeringfailure–sawTanak

struggletowardstheendofthestage,

losingovertwominutesanddropping

downtheordertofifthintheprocess.

ThatleftthedooropenforSordototake

hisfirstWRCeventwinsince2013.

“It’sanamazingfeelingtotakemyfirst

winforHyundaiandthesecondWRCwin

ofmycareer,”saidDani,whowentonto

add,“IamverysorryforOttandToyota

tohaveexperiencedsuch badluckonthe

PowerStage.Wehavebeenquickand

consistentallweekendandwenow

havethisfantasticvictoryasareward.”

ThefailureforTanakwasafrustrating

one,especiallybecauseitpreventedhim

fromtakingadvantageataneventwherehis

twocloserivalsendurednightmaretripsto

theItalianisland.His150-pointtally

meansthathe’snowfourpointsclearof

SebastienOgier;thesix-timechampion

clippedaboulderearlyonintherally

whichbrokehisCitroenC3’ssteeringarm.

Third-placedThierryNeuvillemeanwhile,

sufferedfromacoupleofearlymessy

errorstoeventuallytakesixthplace.

TheBelgiannowhas143points.

Ford’sElfynEvanscurrentlysitsfourthin

thestandingson78points,butabackinjury

sufferedinRallyEstoniameansthatthe

WelshmanwillbeforcedtositouttheFinnish

round.HewillbereplacedintheMSport

FordsquadinFinlandbyGusGreensmith.