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Can the WRC’s in-form driver strike hot in Finland?
New World Rally Championship points leader Ott Tanak expects this weekend’s Rally Finland to be decided by fine margins as the title race begins to intensify.
The Hyundai pilot is the WRC’s in-form driver having chalked up 105 points from the last four rounds in Portugal, Sardinia. Greece and Estonia - a run that has included three second-place finishes and a victory in Greece in June.
This hot run of form has been enough to move Tanak to the top of the championship standings, knocking Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, who had held the points lead since February. It is the first time Tanak has led the championship since February 2023.
Tanak holds a one point lead heading into Finland but the momentum is certainly with the Hyundai driver, while nearest rival Evans has found the going difficult facing the disadvantage of opening the road on four consecutive gravel rallies.
Tanak (2018, 2019, 2022) and Evans (2021, 2023) have been victorious in Finland, with Tanak winning that event wins head-to-head 3-2. While Tanak is the championship’s in-form driver, he is expecting a rally where set up perfection will be required to succeed.
“Of course we try to do our best at every weekend and score as many points as we can. I would say generally we have been in good shape and we have a good feeling in the team so it has been super difficult times,” said Tanak.
“After every week there is a rally or testing so its has been very busy in this championship but that is the way it is at the moment. We just need to keep ourselves on top of the game.
“I mean in Finland, we know how demanding it. We will definitely try to improve our shape for Finland a bit and hopefully we can go well there.
“It’s all about pure performance; it’s very demanding for the car as well as the crews. Setup is crucial to performing well because of the mix of high speeds and jumps; you need grip and stability, and to be absolutely precise with where you place the car at all times.
“The margins are so small that if something isn’t working, or you’re not on the pace, it’s the end of the game.”
It is view shared by Tanak’s nearest rival Evans, who will be desperate to regain his championship lead this weekend.
“While it’s a similar event to Estonia in terms of speed, the surface [Finland] and the character of the roads are quite different, so our test in Finland this week was important to try and find the best setup and feeling behind the wheel,” said Evans.
“It’s always a really enjoyable rally so the biggest thing is to enjoy the driving and hopefully a good result can follow.”
Rally Finland is set to begin with the first of 20 stages to commence on Thursday night.
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