Motorsport News – July 17, 2019

Estoniantesthaspreparedthecrewsforthechallengesof RallyFinland

Tanakhadthesupportofhomefans

Therewasnotjustone

EstonianWRCheroonshow

athomelastweekend.

MarkkoMartinreturned

todrivea FordFiestaWRC

forthefirsttime.Thefive-time

WorldRallyeventwinnerwas

a hugehitwiththehome

crowdandenjoyedhimselfon

hiswaytosixthplace.

RALLY NEWS

ByDavidEvans

OttTanakdelivereda major
psychologicalblowto hisWorldRally
Championshiprivalswithanutterly
dominantvictoryat lastweekend’s
RallyEstonia– thenowtraditional
loosenerforRallyFinlandnextmonth.
Tanak’sToyotaYarisWRCwasnever
headedintheOtepaa-basedevent,where
theEstonianerasedthememoryofthe
heart-breakingsteeringproblemwhich
costhimvictoryonthefinalstageof
thelastworldchampionshipround
inSardinia.
Tanakandco-driverMartinJarveoja
won 13 ofthe 15 stagesrunathome,
eventuallytakingvictoryonthe
93-mileeventbymorethana minute
fromHyundai’sAndreasMikkelsen.
Asif Tanak’ssheerpacewasnotenough,
theWRCseriesleaderelectedtoruninthe
mostdifficultconditionsatthefrontofthe
field– lookingtodialhimselfandtheYaris
intothekindofloosesurfaceheis likelyto
faceinJyvaskyla– andstilldemolished
everybodyevenwhenhehadtheleastgrip.
“Wehavelearneda lotforFinlandfrom
thisrally,”saidthewinner.“There’slots
goingonaheadofthatevent,andI know
it willbetoughtorunatthefrontonthe
firstday– that’swhyI tookthisposition
onhere[inEstonia].
“Thepacehasbeengoodandit’sbeena
challenge– especiallywhentheweather
waschanginga lot– butit’sa verygood
testforFinland.”

Whilegettinghimselfreadytodefend

hisRallyFinlandwinfromlastyear,Tanak

admittedhewasdelightedwiththeway

thebiggestmotorsporteventinhis

homelandhadgone.

“It’sbeena reallygoodevent,”hesaid.

“Me?I justcomehereasa competitorand

drivethestages,butUrmo[Aava,rally

director]andhiscompany,theyreallyput

theworkin.Thenumberofspectators

here– OK,inthefaststagesyoudon’thave

somuchtimetoseethemall– butyouknow

thatwhenyouhavesomanyontheroad

sections,youaredoingsomethingright.

“It’sgreattohavethemanufacturers

comingheretosupportthiseventand

I thinkweshowed,onceagain,that

Estoniareallyis a rallynation.”

Second-placedMikkelsen,likehis

fellowWRCcompetitors,changedthe

specificationofhisi20CoupeWRC

acrossthetwodaysand 15 stages.

“Wehavebeenworkingmainlyonthe

dampers,”saidtheNorwegian.“I have

tosay,wehavebeengettingsomegood

answers.It’sbeengoodtohavea range

ofconditionsfromtheweather,it’sgiven

usesomeusefulinformationforFinland.

Thisis a coolevent.”

CitroendriverEsapekkaLappitook

thefinalpodiumstepandagreedwith

Mikkelsen,addingthathecouldseeno

reasonwhyEstoniashouldnotjoinhis

homenationFinlandontheWRCcalendar.

“There’ssomuchinterestfromthe

fanshere,”hesaid.“Wehaveseensomany

peopleoutonthestagesandtheorganisers

THORBURN MAKES A BIG SPLASH WITH BTRDA GOLD STAR VICTORY PAGE 24

Homeland win makes Yaris star optimistic

TANAK PRAISES TOYOTA FINLAND PREP

of the event have done a really good job.

I don’t think there is a reason why it

shouldn’t [be in the WRC].”

Estonia debutant Elfyn Evans was fourth

in M-Sport’s Ford Fiesta WRC. The

Welshman was one of only two drivers – the

other being Mikkelsen – to manage a fastest

time in Estonia other than Tanak.

Evans’s hopes of challenging his all-

conquering former team-mate were

dashed when his Fiesta suffered a throttle

problem after a heavy landing on the

second stage. Despite dropping 48 seconds

to the eventual winner in SS2, Evans was

happy with his weekend.

“It’s been good,” he said. “Ott’s been

going at a great pace, but we’ve not been

quite so committed on some of the really

big jumps out there. In some places we

could definitely have gone harder, but

it’s been really useful to get out and get

fired up with a fast rally before Finland.”

14 JULY 17 2019 motorsport-news.co.uk Advertising enquiries: 0203 405 8110

MARTIN

BACK

ON THE

STAGES