Tanak ignites WRC title bid with victory in Turkey

Ott Tanak celebrates with his co-driver and team — Ott Tanak celebrates with co-driver Martin Jarveoja and team. Images: Red Bull Content Pool

Istanbul, September 17: Estonian's Ott Tanak appeared to be struggling at the start of Rally Turkey's return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) after the first gravel stages before winning it in style to make it three wins in a row as he made it a Toyota Yaris 1-2 by finishing 22.3sec ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala.

Second was Latvala's best result of the year and Hayden Paddon claimed a similar season-best in third in a Hyundai i20. The New Zealander finished 1min 46.3sec behind Tanak.

In the process, the Tanak became the first driver to win three consecutive WRC rounds since world champion Sebastien Ogier claimed four in a row en route to the 2016 title.

"It was so difficult. On Friday we knew if we finished in the top five or six we would be happy. Since the start it wasn't a rally where the fastest would win, it would be the smartest. We did the whole rally without any stops and now the championship looks interesting," said Tanak as the victory moved him to second in the WRC standings, just 13 adrift of Thierry Neuville.

Ogier is a further 10 points back with three rounds remaining.

Dramatic events

The Toyota Yaris WRC driver and co-driver Martin Jarveoja were being cautious and began to climb through the field as their rivals were swept aside by dramatic events that have already placed this revised event in rallying folklore.

On Turkey's return to the WRC for the first time since 2010, Tanak began the final day 13.1sec in front of team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala and cruised through four remaining stages to claim the win by 22.3sec.

Toyota 1-2

Tanak's third successive and sixth career WRC victory came on the back of just three stage wins and capped a stunning 1-2 finish for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team.

It also enabled the Estonian to leapfrog the defending world champion Ogier and move into second in the Drivers' Championship behind Thierry Neuville. Toyota now also leads the Manufacturers' Championship.

Hyundai challenge

With Neuville restricted to chasing maximum Power Stage points after his retirement, Hayden Paddon was given the responsibility of bringing the leading Hyundai i20 WRC Coupe home on the final podium step.

Neuville however gained some consolation from a barren weekend by claiming maximum bonus points in the live TV Power Stage.

Ogier in trouble

The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is struggling to maintain the momentum in its defence of the Manufacturers' title and Teemu Suninen's fourth place was scant consolation on an event where an uncharacteristic mistake by Ogier cost them the chance of a win.

Ogier claimed five stage wins but an early accident pushed him out of the top 10 and he had to rely on the dependable Elfyn Evans to allow him back into the top 10 to claim a vital WRC point. The Frenchman added four Power Stage points to his tally to nullify Neuville's final stage success, but he now trails the rally winner by 10 points.

The next round 11 of WRC is the Dayinsure Wales Rally GB, which is based in Deeside from October 4 to 7.

(With WRC media inputs).