Ott Tänak wins WRC Rally Finland to open up championship lead

Ott Tänak won by 25.6 seconds from hometown hero Esapekka Lappi.

Ott Tänak secured back-to-back Neste Rally Finland victories on Sunday and opened the gap between himself and his rivals at the head of the FIA World Rally Championship.

His third win in the last four rallies, by 25.6 seconds from hometown hero Esapekka Lappi, opened a 22-point lead over reigning champion Sébastien Ogier in his quest for his first title.

Tänak’s success helps forget about the crushing disappointment last time out in Italy, when broken steering on his Toyota Yaris deprived him of victory just short of the finish.

Finland is the fastest event on the WRC calendar. Smooth gravel roads that wind around forests and lakes near Jyväskylä, huge jumps and blind corners over crests demand the utmost bravery – and this year’s race did not disappoint.

Cheered on by thousands of Estonian fans who crossed the Baltic Sea to support him, Tänak shrugged off the disadvantage of opening Friday’s slippery roads to fight tooth and nail with teammates Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke and Citroën C3 pilot Lappi.

Fractions of a second blanketed the quartet until Latvala and Meeke hit the same rogue rock on Saturday and dropped back, while Lappi could not match Tänak’s pace.

Tänak eased through Sunday’s short final leg and ensured maximum points by winning the Wolf Power Stage to gain five bonus points.

Sights from the WRC Rally Finland, August 1-4 2019

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