Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja won the 12th and penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the unique Central European Rally after overnight leader Sebastian Ogier made a rare mistake in the day’s opening stage, losing 10 seconds and the lead of the rally.
“Let’s see for the championship, obviously what happened to Seb [Ogier]…it is always difficult to fight a friend and then something like this happens so it is difficult to find feelings. Everything changed, especially in the manufactures’ championship. We took care to have a clean stage and bring the points home,’ said the 2019 champion.
Tänak now trails Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville by 26 points with 30 available from the final round.
Ogier, on a mission to regain the lead he’d lost earlier in the morning, crashed out in the penultimate stage when he understeered off the road and into an electricity pole
“Another example that the gravel crew are doing a crucial job for us, the only stage of the weekend where they were not allowed to go through, we did not have the notes on the evolution of the stage.
This first corner, this long corner under the trees, people were cutting more than anticipated and the corner became very muddy and greasy and I couldn’t turn, so I understeered and hit the trees at the side.
I feel angry with myself at the moment, very sorry for my team. I tried my best and I repeat I that I tried my best to meet my target. I think we’re doing a good job so far, but that’s three weekends in a row it is not going my way. Tough times,” Ogier said afterwards.
Elfyn Evans brought his Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Yaris home in second overall, much to his delight, while Neuville completed the podium, ahead of Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston, who topped the Super Sunday standings.
Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka equaled their personal best result, bringing their M-Sport Ford Puma home in fifth.
Nikolay Gryazin dominated WRC2 and ended sixth overall, ahead of the non-points scoring Oliver Solberg/Elliot Edmonson.
Miko Marczyk/Szymon Gospodarczyk took second ahead of Filip Mares/Radovan Bucha
Read the full report in Motorsport Monday tomorrow
